This year’s running back draft class is all about flavor and preference; which type of back does this general manager want? I have the consensus top three guys: Breece Hall, Kenneth Walker III, and Isaiah Spiller graded all very similar. Hall, the Iowa State running back, has elite agility, burst, and vision; he is more than capable of being a starting running back in the NFL. He reminds me a lot of Joe Mixon when it comes to elusiveness and would fit well in a system that replicates what the Bengals run. Standing at 6’1 220 lbs., Mixon and Hall’s measurables are identical and they both are high runners that can turn on the jets from 0 to 100 real quick. I envision Hall being a day one starter if he’s put in the right system.

​

When evaluating running backs, the three most important things I look for are their vision, contact balance, and burst. Starting with vision, Hall does a tremendous job at making something out of nothing and finding holes that look to have already been closed. There will be plays that look like they’re swallowed up, but Hall ends up breaking free and finding more yards than he should have. He keeps plays alive and runs hard which is extremely impressive. While his contact balance isn’t on the same level as Kenneth Walker, he will still make defenders regret trying to tackle him. Hall has the ability to put his shoulder pads in the middle of a defender's chest and puncture their souls. I wouldn’t say that he sheds nearly as many tacklers as some of the other backs in this year’s draft, he is still a punishing runner. My favorite part of Hall’s game is what he does in open space; he is elusive and tacklers have a hard time laying a finger on him when they have to make the one-on-one tackle. He is the best back in open space in this draft which is why I think he’d be a good fit with either an outside zone scheme or with the read-option. These systems usually put the running back in open space where all they have to do is make one cut or make one defender miss and they could end up with nothing but green grass ahead of them. The final thing I want to talk about is what Hall does in pass protection; he does a phenomenal job at picking up the blitz and I think Hall is a very good running back, but I don’t think he is a first-round guy; however, I anticipate him being a day two pick that makes a tremendous impact on his team from day one.

​

Most of the flaws that I found in Hall’s game are coachable, which is a very good sign. First and foremost, I believe Hall has a lot of room to improve as a receiver out of the backfield. Teams will be able to get Hall the ball in open space a lot as a receiver, but he needs to be devoted to the role. I was concerned about his laziness as a route runner; there were multiple times in every game where it looked like he was half-assing routes. If he can work on perfecting his route-running, I believe Hall can be one of the best dual-threat backs in the league. Another thing I’d like to see him tweak is how he holds the ball; he holds it very loose and defenders will try to strip the ball as soon as he gets to the league. He also needs to be careful about going backward and tripping over his own feet on his patented jump-cut. I believe Breece Hall’s potential is through the roof, he just needs good coaching to get him there. The Falcons, Dolphins, and Chiefs would all be good landing spots that would put Hall in a position to succeed at the next level.