2020 NFL Draft: Ohio St RB J.K. Dobbins top five team fits
By Ian Higgins
Which teams should target talented running back J.K. Dobbins in the 2020 NFL Draft?
A running back built for the modern NFL, J.K. Dobbins is a true playmaker. Operating out of a zone offense from shotgun at Ohio State, Dobbins has shown elite vision and burst to create chunk gains from simple inside zone handoffs out of single back-flank formations. Once out into space, Dobbins is able to combine elusiveness with the strength to make him one of the most difficult open-field tackles in the 2020 NFL draft.
When combining slippery moves to adjust laterally with the strength to easily shed arm-tackles, Dobbins is a unique athletic blend at 216 pounds who can create plays on any given handle. Finally, Dobbins caps off his impressive scouting report with 4.4 speed that can blow by second-level defenders in space, specifically when operating as a check-down receiving option.
The NFL as a whole has begun to move away from the idea of a single feature-back. Committees have not only become more effective in terms of overall production but in terms of financial cap-efficiency as well.
Top running backs such as Le’Veon Bell, Todd Gurley, and Ezekiel Elliott, make upwards of $13 million annually, putting a heavy dent into their respective teams’ cap space. On the contrary, other franchises such as the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks spend the same money or less on an entire group in their backfield who in total create just as much, if not more production on the ground and through the air.
With that being said, the draft stock for non-stud running backs such as Elliott and Saquon Barkley has gone down to late-first or second-round stock. With D’Andre Swift likely being the first running back off of the board in the 2020 NFL Draft, Dobbins may have to wait until the second day of the draft to hear his name called. Which teams are the most likely to bring Dobbins in? Let’s take a look.
Note: Each slide has a graphic showing the most likely draft position for Dobbins based upon the team’s current draft picks