Jets taking RB Elijah McGuire Louisiana - Lafayette
STRENGTHS
Compact frame with good thickness in legs. Runs with good ball security. Very athletic with plus acceleration. Runs with forward lean and has strong burst through the hole when he sees it. Plant-and-go runner. Able to cut it back two gaps away. Build-up speed to the corner seems to fool linebackers who think they have the angle. Has some subtle wiggle approaching line of scrimmage. Excellent hand-eye coordination as pass catcher. Effective from the slot and into routes.
WEAKNESSES
Drops head, causing him to lose sight heading into the hole. Poor feel for spacing of the running lane. Runs too close to defensive linemen when open area is available. Lacks desired downhill toughness. Has no jump cut for optimal elusiveness. Lateral cuts driven by outside foot and lacks width. Will run up blocker's back when there is still yardage to be had. Gives into tackles. Never finished with more than five broken tackles in a single season. Arm tackles throw him off his path. Pass protection needs work.
DRAFT PROJECTION
Round 6-7
SOURCES TELL US
"He has a foot injury that really did a number on him. I'm not saying he's a physical runner or an early-round pick but he didn't move the same this year after he got hurt. Better player last year for a reason." -- Scout with NFC East team
BOTTOM LINE
Has decent size, speed and athleticism, but right now he's a better athlete than running back. His vision is okay, but he is simply too quick to give up on runs rather than competing at a high level. His production fell sharply this past season thanks to a foot injury, but his weaknesses transcend any injuries. He has developmental traits that could land him at the back end of a roster or on a practice squad.