Draft Analysis RB Christian McCaffrey - Patience, Vision, And Versatility; Traits of a Successful RB In Today's NFL

[Saca312]

RB Christian McCaffery has been crowned as a possible prospect in the top 10. After blowing up the combine, people began gawking at his amazing agility, athleticism, and skill as a potential runningback. His versatility is amazing, and his ability to play the slot just increases his overall use for any offense. He would be able to provide immediate support as a solid weapon on our offense with the variety of ways he could be utilized.

Many arguments exist on whether he'd be able to be an every down back, or even be able to be a solid runningback against NFL defenses. The short answer is he's more than capable. His film shows his size and speed are unnecessary when considering the overall view of McCaffery's skillset. Strength and size has no matter when his patience and vision are out of this world.

Consider Frank Gore. He's been a solid back for so long, yet consider the line he's currently behind, along with his age. What allows Frank Gore to succeed? His ability to read and visualize a path. His patience when running to find the best hole is amazing, and that has allowed him to have a prolonged career of success. Sure, McCaffery certainly doesn't have the strength or build Gore has, but he definitely has the intelligence and skill you'd see from a guy like Gore.

Again, another argument that seems to be common is the fact he's undersized. How is Dalvin Cook - 8lbs heavier than McCaffery - supposedly more of an every down back in comparison to McCaffery? McCaffery has been through Stanford's pro style offense, and is more than ready to instantly transition into the NFL. With Stanford's unique offense that seems to produce NFL ready offensive players, McCaffery shows he'll be an immediate threat in the NFL.

Now, I'm not advocating for him to be picked right at number 8. I believe we should rather look to trade back to a spot like #11 or #12 to ensure we're most likely to obtain McCaffery while getting some solid value from these possible trade-ups. Nevertheless, if Gettleman believes in his philosophy on not taking risks on guys he likes, I would not complain if he believed McCaffery was BPA at number 8, since that could easily be the case.

Even so, I'd like to once again show some more of Matt Waldman's view on McCaffery. Again, I cannot stress how good of an analyst he is and how prudent he is in working to evaluate players. He always shows a play-by-play analysis on each player on games he used to evaluate players to show how he comes to a conclusion, and puts in a nice write-up on each and every player. If you ever get the chance to get his Rookie Scouting Profile, it's more than worthwhile to get a feel on potential sleeper RBs, TEs, WRs, and QBs, while understanding even deeper the qualities of potential stars and underrated players.

However, the segments I post from his Rookie Scouting Portfolio or his analysis are all from public domain. Whether shown in podcasts or his RSP tour, these segments I've gathered up are usually already public and free, so don't worry about getting stuff you aren't already able to access from me. Out of respect for Waldman's hard work, I'll ensure nothing I post isn't already out there.

Now, without further ado, here's some solid in-depth analysis on McCaffery:

RSP Film Room No.105: RB Christian McCaffrey With Scott Bischoff

https://mattwaldmanrsp.com/2017/04/07/rsp-film-room-no-105-rb-christian-mccaffrey-with-scott-bischoff/

NDT Scouting contributor, Footballguy, and Lions Wire contributor Scott Bischoff joins Matt Waldman in the RSP Film Room for a look at Christian McCaffrey’s skill as a between-the-tackles runner. 

Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey could be a Top-10 pick in the NFL Draft and Scott Bischoff and I agree that he’s worth it. McCaffrey is an every-down back. His tape against USC is one of several games where he displays the skills that matter most for an interior runner.

The ones that Bischoff and I emphasize in this film room episode include variation of stride, dropping of weight to change direction, pad level, and balance and stance and footing to keep his feet clean in traffic.

While every back must possesses a baseline of physical skills to withstand the rigors of the NFL game, McCaffery illustrates why craft matters more between the tackles than size and strength.

My Comments: In this video, you'll notice they go over McCaffrey's natural skill of going between the tackles. His patience allows holes to form that were originally never there, and allow him to burst through for solid gains rather than 1 yard failures. Unlike backs like Kamara or even Cook, who all too often prefer to go towards the outside just to get stuffed by the backside safety, McCaffrey waits for his hole to form and bursts right through to get the hard yards. 

The video goes over this and much more of McCaffery's game, in which it's plain that he's an NFL ready back. His vision and patience more than make up for his deficiencies with his supposed strength and power, which is why he'll easily be a game-changing clog in our offense to fully create the evolution our coaches believe will happen.

RSP Boiler Room No.74: Christian McCaffery, Blocker

https://mattwaldmanrsp.com/2017/01/25/rsp-boiler-room-no-74-christian-mccaffery-blocker/

It’s a play like this that illustrates how promising a rookie RB’s chances will be to make an early impact in the NFL.

Want to know if a rookie runner will see the field? After you determine he has the basic skills to contribute with the ball in his hands, you better examine what he does without it.

Pass protection is the difference between a talented rookie’s scintillating camp ending in August and actually delivering in the fall. Christian McCaffery isn’t a great pass blocker but he flashes the skills to become one.

This play against a defensive tackle is a perfect example.

My Comments: What Christian McCaffery does really well is blocking technique. If you have any semblance or knowledge concerning solid blocking, then you're more than capable of being an every-down back. McCaffery shows perfect form in this instance, in which he gets his arms down and under and rolling of the hips to stand up a 300+ lb DT. He stands up that big fella like he weighed nothing, and did most of the heavy lifting. His pass protecting is more than ready for the NFL, and he'll likely gain some muscle in the NFL to ensure he can do this sort of stuff. 

There's no questioning his ability to block.

Rookie Scouting Portfolio - Draft Analysis On McCaffery:

The following is compiled from segments made available in podcast/videos of Matt Waldman's RSP. Download and support his cause/work, as it's definitely worth it: mattwaldmanrsp.com

Analysis Portion (From Segments Made Available):

McCaffrey's ranking is the result of a Combine-validated process and not a Combine-initiated reaction. Stanford's offense has always been problematic for evaluating runningback play. Although it's as old-school pro-style as it gets with its West Coast Scheme, the line splits are tight and many of its heavy formations turn the ground game into some-what of a challenge to evaluate.

...

It made Tyler Gaffney and Stepfan Taylor difficult evaluations. Andrew Williams, who starred in a similar scheme at Boston College, also tripped up many evaluators for similar reasons.

McCaffrey was a difficult evaluation for this reason and more. A lot of the runner's attempts were in dense traffic, which requires multiple screenings to determine speed and quickness. When breakaway runs occurred, they happened against these packed boxes and because there aren't as many legitimate angles of pursuit when McCaffrey reached the open field, pinpointing his speed was a guesstimate until there was a stopwatch verification.

This is why there is a contingent of analysts who perceive McCaffrey's ascent as an overreaction to the Combine. McCaffrey's 4.22-second 20-Shuttle is the 14th best performance since 2012, and his 6.57-second 3-Cone is tops during the same span.

For analysts that place an inordinate weight on data over film, it could validate that perception. Even if that were the case, I believe the analytics-dominant draft analysts who place a high value on McCaffrey will score an accurate result. 

A patient runner with an elusive style, McCaffrey makes mature decisions. He gets strong depth to the line of scrimmage to press creases on zone runs and he can string together stutter steps, dips, jump cuts, and jukes to reach the hole. He reads penetration well and reacts appropriately to earn what he can when the defense foils the scheme.

Although not a power back, McCaffrey uses his acceleration, body lean, and strength to pull defenders with him when he gets downhill. Because he can accelerate from a stop with good explosion, McCaffrey can lean through a defensive lineman wrapping him from the side when he is heading downhill. He also keeps his feet moving and helps his teammates create a push for extra yards.

Sometimes, McCaffery will pick a hole before he reads the situation. It occurs on short-yardage plays and makes him prone to tentative decision-making when he's off his game. When this happens, he'll appear hesitant to hit skinny creases with aggression and he runs into defenders he could have avoided.

Dense boxes at the line of scrimmage can be difficult for good professional backs for the same reasons, so it's not a significant concern for McCaffrey, whose best fit isn't heavy alignments with multiple tight ends. Although he's shown that he's a top prospect while playing in this scheme, he'll be even better in a spread offense where he'll face more nickel and dime looks and draw coverage mismatches when split from the formation.

...

At Stanford, McCaffrey got exposure to NFL-style pass plays, jargon, and protection schemes. Although he has to improve his reads and reactions to Green Dog Blitzes - linebackers or safeties assigned to the back in coverage who are expected to blitz if the back stays at the line of scrimmage to pass protect (AKA The Remmer Killer Play) - McCaffrey has shown enough enough refined technique as a blocker that he should develop into a solid pass protector within the course of his rookie year.

He gets proper depth into the line of scrimmage to meet with blitzing defenders and shoots his arms for a quick punch. Although no one should expect him to take on a defensive linemen one-on-one, McCaffrey displayed picture perfect technique when drawing an assignment against a Washington defensive tackle. The tackle lost the battle for additional reasons beyond McCaffrey's effort, but the runner's execution of technique is the takeaway.

He'll need to improve his consistency of execution as a puncher. McCaffrey has a tendency to overextend, and he loses balance and cannot sustain his block when he does. His cut blocks are sound. He shoots with his head up and works across the legs of his opponents with the proper height.

A big part of McCaffrey's value is the receiving game. He runs a mean Whip Route (a stop-start route across the middle that baits the defender into thinking the receiver will reverse field at the top of the stem) and he routinely finds the open zones.

Although he has difficulty with high-velocity targets thrown over his head in the short range of the field, McCaffrey is a reliable option who tracks the ball well and has the athletic ability to present mismatches from the backfield, the slot and on the perimeter. Once in the open field, McCaffrey strings together moves that can turn a short play into a breakaway run.

McCaffrey is an excellent prospect, but the real reason he's above Joe Mixon and Dalvin Cook on my list amounts to two factors that had nothing to do with the NFL Combine or off-field behavior: pass protection and ball security. McCaffrey is a more technically sound blocker with better results than Cook, and he's a more conscientious, technically sound ball carrier than either back. Most notably, McCaffrey's fumble rate of 1 every 243.7 touches dwarfs Cooks' troublesome rate of 1 per 63.8.

If you asked me who the better runner is today, Cook would vault Mixon and McCaffrey by a small margin. However, the better football player who encompasses the responsibilities of the position? Until Cook proves he can address his woes and turn them into strengths, McCaffrey gets the nod.

Player Comparison And Fits:

McCaffrey reminds me of Brian Westbrook, the runner than inspired me to write about football and ultimately create this publication. Like Westbrook, McCaffrey has enough between-the-tackles skill to be the lead back in an offense.

The team that drafts McCaffrey may opt for a bigger back or a competent fullback in short-yardage situations. The ideal fit for McCaffrey is a spread system with a hurry-up component that is multiple with its looks.

[Kevin Greene]

LOL, another McCaffrey thread.

[Saca312]

1 minute ago, Kevin Greene said:

LOL, another McCaffrey thread.

This time, there's actual analysis to help bring another storm of debate.

I don't think this will die down anytime soon.

[Kevin Greene]

3 minutes ago, Saca312 said:

This time, there's actual analysis to help bring another storm of debate.

I don't think this will die down anytime soon.

All you ever really needed to know.

 

[Reebis21]

I'll at least admit that this board has made me more open minded to the possibility of drafting him

[csx]

Let me show you this example of perfect blocking 

Well it's not perfect

Well the guard was doing a lot of the work.

 

Not knocking Mccaffery but listening to that guy breath in to the microphone is fun.

[Saca312]

10 hours ago, csx said:

Let me show you this example of perfect blocking 

Well it's not perfect

Well the guard was doing a lot of the work.

 

Not knocking Mccaffery but listening to that guy breath in to the microphone is fun.

I think he only mentioned the guard to be doing part of the work while McCaffrey had the bulk of the job of making sure the DT stood up.

Nevertheless, still outstanding form. Really, you can't be expecting 202lb RBs standing up players right off the bat alone.

[Saca312]

 

[Saca312]

11 hours ago, Reebis21 said:

I'll at least admit that this board has made me more open minded to the possibility of drafting him

I'd love him, honestly. If we could trade back a few spots and still get him, all the more better.

[Waldo]

His agent must have broken wrist after all the work he has been putting in since the combine. That and cracked knees.

[panthers55]

11 minutes ago, Saca312 said:

I'd love him, honestly. If we could trade back a few spots and still get him, all the more better.

If you love him at 12 he is still great at 8. He won't make it past the Colts at 15 if he lasts that long. I just get tired of giving all the great offensive players to other teams while we complain that Cam never gets his needed tools. Fournette won't make it to 8 and I would rather not move up to get him if it means losing our second rounders. And I dont think trading back guaranteed you anything. If you trade back from 8 to 12 and are fine that your top 4 players in that space could be gone than do it. I think you stay were you are and get the best guy you can.

[Ricky Spanish]

I'm coming to peace with the idea of McCaffery as a possibility for our pick at 8. still not 100% sold, but the kid is a baller and can do it all. 

[Saca312]

4 minutes ago, Cracka McNasty said:

I'm coming to peace with the idea of McCaffery as a possibility for our pick at 8. still not 100% sold, but the kid is a baller and can do it all. 

If you watch the video, and see the argument that he can run in between the tackles extremely well compared to guys like Kamara and Cook, you'll see he doesn't need the "prototypical RB size" to gain an average of 4-6 YPC when utilized.

The fact he could be an asset in the slot makes it all the more better.

[Ricky Spanish]

Just now, Saca312 said:

If you watch the video, and see the argument that he can run in between the tackles extremely well compared to guys like Kamara and Cook, you'll see he doesn't need the "prototypical RB size" to gain an average of 4-6 YPC when utilized.

The fact he could be an asset in the slot makes it all the more better.

Yeah but he'd be a first round RB, which I'm not a fan of personally.