There’s been a lot of talk and debate about the Buffalo Bills possibly grabbing a running back with the 54th overall selection this week, their first pick of the 2020 NFL Draft.
There are some interesting arguments both for and against it. Devin Singletary had a really good rookie season and figures to be the No. 1 back this season. But would the Bills consider another young back to pair with him, or even create competition for the top-role? Even if they are searching for a complement to Singletary, is that player’s playing time and are his carries going to be enough to justify using such a high selection on him, especially after the team also traded a first round pick for wide receiver Stefon Diggs and may be looking to throw the ball more, leaving even less carries and targets available for Singletary and any other back?
Given some of the running back talent in this year’s class, there’s certainly a chance a really good player is available to the Bills in that spot when they are on the clock.
Here are three of them and how they would fit, if general manager Brandon Beane chose to go that route:
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire - LSU
When you think of LSU, their long line of terrific defensive backs comes to mind. It’s why the school is often referred to as “DBU.” But maybe it could also be called “RBU” for the talent-rich running backs the school has also produced. Edwards-Helaire follows former Tigers such as Kevin Faulk, Dalton Hilliard, Joseph Addai, Stevan Ridley, Spencer Ware, Alfred Blue, Jeremy Hill, and most recently first round pick Leonard Fournette and second round pick Derrius Guice. Edwards-Helaire had a sensational junior season last year, rushing for 1,414 yards, averaging a whopping 6.6 yards per-carry, catching another 55 passes for 453 yards, and scoring 17 touchdowns, helping LSU to a 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship. The 5-foot-8, 209-pound Edwards-Helaire is much more like Singletary than he is different. They are both more compact, lower-to-the-ground runners who have great vision and balance, but lack true breakaway speed. He wouldn’t offer much of a change-of-pace, but would certainly be another weapon who could either split time, fill in if there was an injury, or maybe even compete for the lead role.
- Cam Akers - Florida State
At 5-foot-11 and 212-pounds, Akers isn’t a huge back, but he’s also not tiny and plays with good power. He’s not going to just run defenders over, but he never shies away from contact and makes them work to bring him down. He was very productive at Florida State, compiling 1,369 yards from scrimmage last season, good for fourth-best in the ACC. He may have even been more productive if he had a better offensive line in front of him, which many have attributed to him having to bounce plays outside or find running lanes on his own that weren’t there. Akers is an outstanding athlete, passing for 8,140 yards and 78 touchdowns and rushing for 5,103 yards and 71 touchdowns in his high school career. He was named Mississippi’s Mr. Football for Class 6A and the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year, as well as to the 2016 All-USA Today First-Team offense as a quarterback. That athleticism and versatility was on display at Florida State as Akers was used quite a bit as a receiver out of the backfield, hauling in 69 passes in three years, including 30 receptions last season. He also threw the ball on several plays, going 5-for-8 for 97 yards.
- A.J. Dillon - Boston College
Let me be clear. I don’t think Dillon is worthy of the No. 54 overall pick and should be available in, at least, the third round, but I wanted to add someone to this list the Bills could draft who would offer pretty much the exact opposite of Singletary. That’s precisely what Dillon is and does. He is a one-cut, downhill runner with power. He’s a guy you give the ball to when you need one yard. He’s actually faster than people probably realize, considering how he’s built and the way he runs, but his game is really power all the way. The 6-foot, 247-pound back isn't going to be on the field on third down much, but will always offer an option on first or second down to start the chains moving. He was rarely used as a receiver at Boston College in his first two years, but did catch 13 balls for 195 yards last season. But boy, was Dillon ever a workhorse getting handoffs, totaling 845 carries in only three seasons in Chestnut Hill. That’s the fourth-most attempts ever in the ACC. In fact, of the top-20 in career attempts in the conference, all of them played four seasons of college football, except for Dillon, who played only three. That shows how often he carried the rock. It’s also cause for concern for some, wondering if he’s been overworked and how long he’ll be able to last in the NFL, given that many carries and the way he runs. While it might be concerning at the next level, Dillon never slowed down in college, gaining 1,589 yards as a freshman, 1,108 yards in only 10 games as a sophomore, and 1,685 yards as a junior, leading the ACC and good for sixth-most in the country.
