Royce Freeman, RB, Oregon: 2018 NFL Draft Scouting Report

A west coast weapon forgotten by many Royce Freeman could bring a ton of firepower to the NFL next season

Royce Freeman, a 2014 four-star recruit, started 46 of 51 career games for Oregon. He missed two games during his career, 2016 versus Colorado due to a lower leg injury and the 2017 Las Vegas Bowl against Boise State to prepare for the 2018 NFL Draft. The Ducks were 0-2 in those games. He primarily lines up in the backfield in the Ducks spread offense. He played for three head coaches and four offensive coordinators during his time at Oregon.

Freeman took over the starting role from Thomas Tyner in the fourth game of his freshman season. He would become the school’s first true freshman to rush for over 1,000 yards as he helped lead the Ducks to the National Championship Game. As a sophomore, he rushed for a school-record 1,836 yards. Freeman would end his career with 5,621 rushing yards, sixth-most in FBS history. He possesses good size on a well-rounded frame with solid athletic ability. He has accepted an invitation to the 2018 Senior Bowl.

Age During Rookie Season: 22 (February 24, 1996)

Measurables

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 238 lbs.

.@rolls_royce21 went out with a bang in his final game at Autzen. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/FAain2PAeK
— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) November 26, 2017

Strengths

Royce Freeman demonstrates good patience as he waits for blocks to develop. On this play, he waits for the right tackle to clear the defensive end out of the running lane and the fullback to take out the left outside linebacker before cutting upfield and bursting through the hole for a nine-yard gain.

Freeman is a very good zone rusher who excels when asked to make one cut. Once the cut is made, he displays a solid burst as he accelerates to top speed and explodes through the hole. When met by a defender in the hole, Freeman utilizes a combination of power and elusiveness to win one-on-one battles. The below example against Wyoming highlights his play strength as he’s met in the B gap by Andrew Wingard, one of the best free safeties in the nation. Making it look effortless, Freeman forces a missed tackle and races downfield for a 20-yard run.

Despite the contact, Freeman possesses good balance to keep the play alive and maximize yards after contact. He also generates yards after contact by pushing the pile forward and consistently falling forward as he goes to the ground. Per Pro Football Focus, his average of 3.38 yards after contact ranked fourth among draft-eligible running backs from the power-five conferences. His play strength and balance makes him an ideal back for goal line and short-yardage situations.

Oregon Ducks Football /

Oregon Ducks Football

Good ball security from Freeman resulted in just nine fumbles on 1,026 career touches. This rate of 0.88 percent would have ranked 11^th among the 31 running backs who attended last year’s Scouting Combine.

As a receiver, Freeman primarily caught screens out of the backfield. He adjusts well to passes around his frame and possesses good hands to haul in throws and not allow the ball into his chest. Once he catches the pass, he does a solid job gathering himself and turning upfield quickly. He’s also a solid blocker in the passing game who utilizes a good base to create an anchor and prevent defenders from getting to the quarterback.

Weaknesses

Royce Freeman does a marginal job of improvising when the open running lane isn’t there. Adequate lateral agility hampers his ability to make multiple cuts and results in Freeman trying to outrun defenders to the edge.

This can be seen in the following play from Freeman’s junior season against Arizona State, the 95^th ranked run defense a year ago. The right guard and tackle both block down on the play and the tight end to the right of the formation misses his block because his first step is inside as well. With the slot corner showing blitz, this leaves two unblocked defenders to the offense’s right. Freeman needs to recognize this and cut back inside to the C gap between the right tackle and tight end to minimize the loss or even gain a couple of yards. Instead, he attempts to outrun both defenders to the sideline and ends up losing four yards and creating a third-and-long.

As seen in that play, Freeman possesses marginal vision of defenders on the second and third levels as a result of adequate mental processing skills. This, along with adequate play speed, hinders his ability to hit the hole before it closes. When he does get into the open field, Freeman lacks the long speed to separate from defensive backs.