Grinding the tape is a must when preparing for the Senior Bowl. When breaking down the 2017 roster, however, it was clear the running back position was not only thin but also lacked any slam dunk prospects like David Johnson, Ameer Abdullah or Jeremy Langford from recent years.
My opinion changed quickly though when I flipped on the film of Toledo running back Kareem Hunt, who flashed and dashed with a unique blend of physicality, balance, and burst into the second level of defenses.
At his core, Hunt’s brand of football can be labeled as hard-nosed, between-the-tackles runner who rarely is seen going down at first contact. This ability alone would be enough to garnish a draftable grade and could be a key piece in an offense lacking a chain mover as Hunt can be seen carrying would-be tacklers on a consistent basis.
It only took a few more games of breakdown to see Hunt’s other talents that immediately caught my eye and catapulted him into a legitimate day-two consideration. Hunt showed off an outstanding display of lateral agility and explosion, using the entire field to his advantage and slicing into defenses for big chunk plays.
At his core, Hunt’s brand of football can be labeled as hard-nosed, between-the-tackles runner who rarely is seen going down at first contact.
This is all set up by his vision for the entire field, in combination with his ultra-quick feet to pull off jump cuts that aren’t possible for typical ball carriers. It’s tough to compare players from the past to current, but Deangelo Williams comes to mind. While they’re not “power backs” per se, both running styles are equipped to run powerfully when needed even if it isn’t their core identity. Both runners understand when they need to get small at the line of scrimmage and when to use their physicality. With their smooth lateral ability and sudden explosion to flip the entire field to their advantage, both runners have a home run essence to their game.
Lastly, Hunt has one of the most balanced running frames in the class. I reached double digits — and then quit counting — spotting how many times Hunt looked to be on his way to the ground or squeezed out of bounds, but then shuffled back up or tiptoed back into play. One play saw a karate kid-type body contortion to stay upright after a handful of opposing defenders tried to drag him to the ground, adding another handful of yards and more importantly, deflating the defense’s mentality as the game wore on.
After a solid week down in Mobile, Ala. in front of all 32 teams — and their scouts and coaches — don’t be surprised to see Hunt’s draft stock rise into second-round consideration. I’ve personally seen Hunt speak with teams like the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns, but I would put easy money on the idea he will talk to nearly every running back-needy team when it’s all said and done.
