Blame Eddie Lacy. Or maybe you should thank him. If I hadn’t been looking at his game log earlier I might never have found Cincinnati running back George Winn. While inspecting Lacy’s season I noticed that he had a number of games where he ripped off runs longer than 20 yards (seven games to be exact). But then I noticed he had two other games with a long run of 18 yards, meaning that in 64% of his games (9/14), he managed to make an explosive run of 18+ yards. This got me wondering which other running back prospects had a knack for busting loose. What I discovered is that George Winn might be the most explosive and underrated running back in the 2013 NFL Draft.
Because non-BCS conferences have some major defensive voids on their schedule, the following chart contains only runners that played in BCS conferences which presumably have many more NFL-caliber defenders.
|
RB |
Games |
Games w/ 18+ yard run |
% |
|
George Winn |
13 |
10 |
76.9% |
|
8 |
6 |
75.0% |
|
|
11 |
8 |
72.7% |
|
|
10 |
7 |
70.0% |
|
|
Marcus Lattimore |
9 |
6 |
66.7% |
|
14 |
9 |
64.3% |
|
|
14 |
9 |
64.3% |
|
|
14 |
9 |
64.3% |
|
|
13 |
8 |
61.5% |
|
|
13 |
8 |
61.5% |
The list reads like a who’s who of 2013 running back prospects and there’s George Winn at the top! Maybe it’s a scheme thing, maybe it’s a talent thing, but whatever the case, it’s hard to deny a back who consistently finds a seam and runs with such authority. In his first year as a featured starter after the graduation of Isaiah Pead, Winn broke out to the tune of 1,334 yards and 13 touchdowns. For as productive as Winn was, he was consistent too, rushing for at least 70 yards in all but one game.
So, what about the physical profile? He looks to be in the same class as several notable NFL backs.
No, Winn doesn’t have rare attributes, but he has a solid physical profile that has served other backs well in NFL. The other good thing is his minimal college workload (321 career carried), which should mean there is plenty of tread left on the tires. It’s also interesting to note that his cousin is wide receiver Derrick Mason, which leads me to believe that he’ll have a strong understanding of professional life. Still not interested, check the footage, and be sure to keep an eye on George Winn during draft weekend and beyond.
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