Maryland RB Anthony McFarland flying up 2020 NFL Draft boards
Maryland running back Anthony McFarland is becoming an intriguing 2020 NFL Draft prospect who we should all be keeping an eye on.
The 2020 NFL Draft is going to be absolutely loaded at the running back position. Georgia’s D’Andre Swift, Clemson’s Travis Etienne and Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor lead the way at the position and all have the potential to go in the first round. However, this is also an extremely deep running back class where tremendous value will likely be found in the middle rounds.
Prior to the season, Maryland running back Anthony McFarland was not featured on the 2020 NFL Draft radar. He is a former highly-ranked recruit who has certainly flashed some upside, but he was simply an interesting player on a less-than-stellar Big Ten team. However, through two games, McFarland is demanding our attention.
Maryland has dominated their opponents through two weeks, first with a 79-0 victory over Howard and then with a 63-20 drubbing of then 21st-ranked Syracuse. The victory over Syracuse was particularly impressive, as the Terrapins scored at will against a team that was supposed to be one of the premier teams in the ACC.
Last season, McFarland showed some impressive big-play ability (7.9 yards per carry), despite his limited workload. This year, McFarland will be the featured back in the offense and has been an impressive playmaker, even though Maryland has not needed him to put too much on his shoulders thus far.
Through the first two weeks, McFarland has carried the ball 20 times for 93 yards and four touchdowns. He has also added three receptions for 59 yards and one touchdown as a receiver out of the backfield.
Simply put, McFarland continues to look explosive on the field. He is an extremely slippery and elusive player in the open field who is incredibly difficult to bring down. McFarland also shows fantastic raw speed and plenty of upside as a pass-catcher.
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If he can continue to be a consistent playmaker for Maryland this season, McFarland has a chance to become an extremely interesting mid-round running back in the 2020 NFL Draft class. For now, we are just going to keep a close eye on this guy. There is a lot to like about this prospect if he can continue to produce with an expanded workload.