2021 NFL Draft: Louisville RB Javian Hawkins scouting report

2021 NFL Draft scouting report for Louisville running back Javian Hawkins

Clemson’s Travis Etienne and Alabama’s Najee Harris will likely be the top two running backs off of the board in the 2021 NFL Draft class, but there are plenty of players at the position worth watching. This running back class may not be loaded with a ton of top-tier talent, but there is certainly plenty of depth.

In this post, we are going to take a look at one of the most exciting players at the running back position in the 2021 NFL Draft class, Javian Hawkins out of Louisville. After eight games, Hawkins decided to cut his 2020 season short, opting to sit out and prepare for the draft. However, he has shown more than enough on the field to establish himself as a gifted running back in this class.

Javian Hawkins, RB, Louisville

Class: Redshirt Sophomore
Height: 5-foot-9
Weight: 182 pounds
2020 stats (eight games): 133 carries for 822 yards and 7 touchdowns, 16 receptions for 127 yards and 1 touchdown
Career stats (23 games): 399 carries for 2,355 yards and 16 touchdowns, 21 receptions for 189 yards and 1 touchdown

Hawkins was a three-star prospect out of high school who chose Louisville over offers from Boston College, Cincinnati, Missouri, Syracuse and UCF. He played in a couple of games as a true freshman in 2018, but saw extremely limited playing time and ended up taking a redshirt season.

He stepped in as Louisville’s featured back and number one offensive option in 2019 and was absolutely fantastic. Hawkins piled up 1,525 yards and 9 touchdowns on 264 carries that season, rushing for the seventh-most yards in the nation and the most rushing yards in a single season in the history of the Louisville program. He was a second-team All-ACC selection for his play last season.

Before he stepped away this season, Hawkins continued to shine for Louisville, actually improving his yards per carry average compared to last season (6.2 YPC in 2020, 5.8 YPC in 2019). Hawkins also proved himself much more as a receiver out of the backfield while on the field for the Cardinals in 2020.

Hawkins is a pure speed back who fits the modern NFL extremely well. He is a fantastic natural athlete, showing a ridiculous combination of speed and quickness with the ball in his hands. Once Hawkins finds a crease, he is a threat to score from anywhere on the field.

Hawkins shows fantastic burst through the hole and is extremely elusive in space. His short-area quickness and lateral agility consistently stand out and he has natural elusive ability in the open field. Hawkins does a great job of keeping defenders off balance and uses his small stature to his advantage to limit his exposure to the defense. More than anything, he is just a slippery player who has a knack for staying on his feet and shaking defenders in space.

His speed and quickness obviously make Hawkins an exciting offensive weapon, but his lack of size will limit his ability to be a full-time running back at the next level. He does show some solid contact balance at times, but Hawkins has very limited power in his game. He is never going to be the kind of player who you want to run into the middle of the line of scrimmage often. Get Hawkins in space and let him work.

While Hawkins did become more of a receiving threat in 2020, his overall numbers in the passing game are less than stellar. Any speed back needs to be able to make plays in the passing game at the next level and there are questions about Hawkins’ ability to do so. That being said, his improvement in relatively limited opportunities in 2020 is undoubtedly a step in the right direction.

Hawkins is not the most well-rounded back around, but his speed and elusiveness in the open field is a tremendous weapon that cannot be taken lightly. This kind of speed can be a game-changer at the next level and that alone raises Hawkins’ 2021 NFL Draft stock tremendously. Personally, I see him as a late Day 2 or early Day 3 selection who could come in and make an immediate impact for his team at the next level.