The Minnesota Vikings have used a somewhat strict policy of creating workout thresholds for potential rookies at the combine and various pro days and might do so again. A number of teams do so to cut their board down from 300-plus players to 150 – the Patriots board is often 75 players – and though the Vikings have moved on from their old models, they may be implementing a new set of thresholds when selecting their players.
We don’t know the new set of thresholds the Vikings have implemented over the last two years, but we may be able to reasonably guess. Some of these numbers will change as players choose to work out at various pro days, but for the most part, this gives fans and teams a baseline to work off.
For running backs, we’ll look for those with above-average athleticism across all the workouts. Those with above-average agility or above-average 40-yard dash times for their size seem to be a priority, but for the most part, we’ll look for those with overall excellent athleticism.
This year’s crop of running backs is filled with athletic running backs, in contrast to a disappointing set of testers in 2017 and 2015.
Check out which players at other positions have tested like Minnesota Vikings
Saquon Barkley, Penn State
You may have heard about how Barkley posted one of the best Speed Scores in the past decade, a testament to how incredible it is to run a 4.40-second 40-yard dash at 233 pounds. But even more impressive than that was his 41″ vertical leap, which stands in rare air among running backs his size.
In the past 15 years, only Jackie Battle in 2007 jumped over 40 inches in the vertical while weighing over 230 pounds. Barkley followed that up with a faster-than-average short shuttle and a great bench press, solidifying his solid combine performance.
It is extremely unlikely that the Vikings get within sniffing distance of being able to draft Barkley, but it’s something they may consider, even with Dalvin Cook ready to go. Barkley has been compared to LaDainian Tomlinson and the Vikings might think that a two-headed rushing attack could cure what ails them at quarterback.
Kerryon Johnson, Auburn
Johnson didn’t run a 40-yard dash at the combine, but is projected by NFLDraftScout to run a 4.45. At that speed, he’d definitely be on the Vikings’ radar, especially given the fact that he could go anywhere between rounds one and four of the draft. Though his agility scores were average, his explosion scores (40″ vertical and 10’6″ broad jump) fit well within the Vikings mold of running back.
There are concerns with Johnson’s frame and the hits that he takes, but his attitude as a runner is more likely to endear evaluators than cause worry. A good pass protector and solid pass-catcher, he could be a complementary back to Cook or a starter in his own right.
Nick Chubb, Georgia
One of the freakiest athletes to come out of the high school recruiting circuit, the legend of Chubb’s athleticism kept growing until an injury early in his college career cut it short. While he may not have all of the athletic potential he once had, he’s clearly still one of the most explosive running backs in this class, his combine calling card will be the 38.5″ vertical leap and 10’8″ broad jump — the second-highest among running backs at this year’s combine despite weighing a hefty 227 pounds.
He profiles as a goal-line runner in a complementary role and as an inside zone runner as a primary back with some outside capability. Georgia’s offense didn’t feature many throws to running backs — all four combined for 32 receptions — so it’s an open question what Chubb can provide as a pass-catcher. He doesn’t seem like the kind of dynamic, shifty runner one often sees catching passes on third down, and his slightly-above-average agility scores paint an OK but not overwhelming picture of untapped potential there.
Royce Freeman, Oregon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHw9b6bQhz8
Freeman was incredible as a sophomore and many thought he would be battling Leonard Fournette, Christian McCaffrey, Dalvin Cook and Joe Mixon as the top running back selected in the 2017 draft. But an unfortunate 2016 campaign, marred by injury, nixed those plans.
He has regained much of his dynamic athleticism, and at the combine displayed top-tier agility in the form of a 6.90-second three cone and 4.16-second short shuttle. His explosion and speed scores were about average, but passed the test for a Vikings running back. Should the Vikings consider him as a mid-round prospect, they’ll hope he improves in pass protection but should be comfortable with his work in the Oregon passing game.
Bo Scarbrough, Alabama
Lost in the shuffle amid the glut of elite Alabama running backs, Scarbrough won the broad jump outright despite a 229-pound frame with a leap of 10’9″. He followed that up with a 40″ vertical to match Barkley’s and Johnson’s — something only seven percent of running backs have done — and ran a solid 4.52 40-yard dash, beating out the average over the past decade of 4.55.
Scarbrough would replace Latavius Murray in the Vikings offense, should the Vikings move on from him. Despite his explosive numbers, his injury worries and problems avoiding tacklers in the backfield lead one to assume he would be a goal-line running back excelling from the long runways that I-formation running provides. He can turn short-yardage situations into long gains with his buildup speed and he loves contact, though he runs high, like Murray.
Kalen Ballage, Arizona State
An athletic phenom who should have done great things at Arizona State, Ballage’s four-year, 1984-yard career can only be called disappointing. Never cracking more than 700 rushing yards in a year and only grabbing more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage once, Ballage never broke out like many expected him to.
Even so, his athletic testing lives up to the hype. A blistering 6.91-second three-cone is unheard of for a player of his size, and pairing that with a blazing 4.46-second 40-yard dash is icing on the cake. Throw in his 10’2″ broad jump, and you have the makings of an athletic freak.
Ballage is a 6-foot-2, 228-pound scatback. While David Johnson was saddled with that descriptor at Northern Iowa and broke out of it, Johnson demonstrated the quick lane-reads and intuition for running lanes that Ballage didn’t at Arizona State. Luckily, Ballage’s incredible athletic ability, fantastic route-running and great hands make him a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield. Pair that with what was the best pass protection performance all week at the Senior Bowl, and Ballage is a perfect third-down back who could moonlight as a goal-line line pile pusher when needed.
Justin Jackson, Northwestern
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbAUdNJ77qk
The Vikings have only acquired one running back who weighed less than 200 pounds at the combine, and it was street free agent Henry Josey. That might be a pattern, and if so, it bodes ill for Jackson. But if Jackson is on their board, his athletic testing should make them stand at attention.
Though he started off his workouts relatively weak with a 4.52-second 40-yard dash and 13 bench press reps, he destroyed the rest of it, headlining it with obscene agility scores — 6.81 seconds in the three-cone and 4.07 seconds in the short shuttle. He had the second-fastest three-cone and tied for the fastest short shuttle, while also jumping 38.5″ in the vertical leap. His 10’2″ broad jump also beat the positional average (9’10”), giving him credence as a bonified athlete.
His elusiveness and pass-catching prowess should make him a good third-down option to replace McKinnon, and though he has some work to do in terms of catching technique, his productive career at Northwestern speaks to his three-phase potential. Protecting better than one would expect of his thin frame, Jackson could grab a third-down back role. As Northwestern’s most productive rusher, he also has experience running the ball up the middle or to the outside, though he doesn’t run with enough power to make that a consistent option.
Chase Edmonds, Fordham
Edmonds is the only running back to beat Jackson in the agility drills, tying him in the short shuttle with 4.07 seconds and just barely beating him in the three-cone at 6.79 seconds. Edmonds’ combine profile doesn’t include anything else otherworldly, though his agility alone should be a good point of emphasis. A 10’2″ broad jump beats the positional average, but his average 40-yard dash time and limited vertical leap don’t make him an all-around athlete. Still, at 205 pounds, he passes the Vikings’ potential 200-pound threshold at the position.
Edmonds was on pace to set the FCS all-time rushing record — a record held by the “other” Adrian Peterson — but injury cut those aspirations short. Nevertheless, his sharpness as a runner and quickness in open space suit him well as a potential third-down option, and he could develop into a very good route-runner. Though his injury history and workload should raise eyebrows, he should be fine as a complementary back. He doesn’t really have the power or vision to be a full-time running back, but his experience there is nice to have.
Best of the Rest
Derrius Guice tested well as a straight-line runner, but by opting out of the broad jump and both agility scores, his mediocre vertical leap weighs him down from the perspective of composite athleticism. He should do well at his LSU pro day, however. It’s one of the last on the schedule, on April 4.
After running a blazing 40-yard dash, Nyheim Hines from North Carolina State was middling on the rest of his drills, and had a poor short shuttle showing of 4.35 seconds. Don’t be surprised if the Vikings are still interested, though, because Hines showed incredible athleticism on tape and his standout speed might be enough to obviate the rest of his test results. He could be a good candidate to replace McKinnon.
San Diego State standout Rashaad Penny should be happy with his 40-yard dash result, but with a poor performance in the vertical leap, his overall score gets dragged down — especially without agility drills to help boost his stock. On March 19, he’ll have the opportunity to put some agility numbers in some scouting notebooks and bring himself back on top. It’s not often that a 220-pound running back could serve as a scatback option.
Sony Michel only completed two workouts, but is on track to have a great set of numbers if he chooses to complete them at his pro day in Georgia on March 21. Michel is arguably the better of the two Georgia backs and could prove to demonstrate more agility. Though he wouldn’t be a likely pick for the Vikings, he’s worth considering if he goes through one of the surprise falls that seems to happen every year.
