NFL Draft Analysis – RB Mikel LeShoure
Illinois back Mikel LeShoure is a powerful runner who should attract many teams in the second round. Andrew Garda shows you what there is to like using the Illinois/Michigan game.
By andrewgarda
We're starting to close in on the home stretch here and one thing is clear - nothing is clear.
Which is just to say: situation normal.
It's hard to gauge where LeShoure's value is, though that is no fault of his. With the emergence of running back committees, even a good back can see himself fall out of the first round and while it might have been unfathomable a few years ago, it wouldn't shock me to see both LeShoure and fellow backs Mark Ingram and Ryan Williams still on the board on day two.
Which only means somebody could get a great value in the second. This isn't to say LeShoure isn't a value in the first. Just that running back has been de-emphasized as a need in today's NFL.
So what does this mean for the Packers? A few weeks ago I said that Mark Ingram would be a player the Pack should look at if he was there at the 32nd pick. Does that hold true for LeShoure, who many consider the second best back in the Draft?
Absolutely, though if LeShoure drops (I almost want to say 'when', but let's stay positive for the guy) Green Bay's value could come from multiple avenues.
There are certainly teams who might make a play for the 32nd pick if Ingram or LeShoure are sitting there. And as Brian pointed out yesterday with the demand for quarterbacks as well, the Packers could have ample opportunity to trade back.
The fact is, it's entirely likely that there will be a glut of QB/RB types on the board by the end of the first round and the Packers should take advantage. I bet they're working the phones right now, feeding rumors and playing teams off each other.
If they don't get a deal they like, would LeShoure fit with in with Green Bay's offense? Absolutely. I think he would be a great compliment to Starks and Grant and like I said about Ingram, if/when Grant becomes more expensive than he is worth, I think a LeShoure/Starks combo could be tremendous.
Either way, the more I look at it, the better the position the Packers find themselves in at the end of the first.
Because the Super Bowl win isn't enough.
Comments (4)
April 12, 2011 at 08:52 am
Andrew, to make it easier for the non-experts, who would you compare him to? I've heard Steven Jackson in some mocks...
andrewgarda
April 12, 2011 at 09:34 am
I can see S-Jax (the healthy version)- I think (and Jeremiah mentions it below) Mendenhall is an excellent comparison as well and one my friend Matt Waldman made recently in his Rookie Scouting Portfolio - though he believes (and I agree) that LeShoure's upside could be greater then Mendy's.
April 12, 2011 at 08:56 am
No doubt there will be some very good players available at 32. It's tempting to think "all the good guys will be gone" but that's just not true, especially with megamind behind the scenes.
Leshoure is my man crush this year. He is shifty, and brings the THUWACK! When needed. He also has good enough speed, but the fact that he can maintain his speed while changing directions is what I like most. He also has good hands out of the backfield. As with most backs entering the league he needs to fine tune his blocking. I am completely onboard with him at 32, and would be stoked about a leshoure/starks backfield behind rodgers for the next 5 years.
See mendenhall, reshard. Same dude.
andrewgarda
April 12, 2011 at 09:39 am
We need a +1 or :thumbsup: tag on this because you'd get one on the 'bringing the THUWACK'.
I've heard a few people complain about his blocking, so I made sure to take a hard look at it the past week and while the effort isn't always consistent, his technique IMO is relatively sound (at least for the college level - we'll see at the Pro).
Good comparison on the Mendenhall tip as well - like I said to RS, it's one a friend and fellow analyst (Matt Waldman) made and it's apt.