Positional ranking: #1

Big Board ranking: #6

 

Overview

Position: RB

College: Clemson

Class: Senior

Age: 21

 

Measurables

Height: 5’10 1/8″

Weight: 215 lbs.

Arm length: 31 1/8″

Hand size: 9 3/8″

 

Athletic testing

40-yard dash: 4.41 sec.

Vertical jump: 33.5″

Broad jump: 128.0″

Bench press: 18 reps

3-cone drill: N/A

Short shuttle: N/A

 

Strengths

Phenomenal contact balance. Elite overall explosiveness. Top-notch acceleration. Home-run speed when he hits the second level. Easily rips through arm tackles. Almost immediately back to top speed after making a move or taking a hit. Very decisive and intelligent runner. Excellent patience. Allows blockers to set up and cuts off them. Great vision behind the line of scrimmage. Tremendous overall feel as a ball-carrier. Destroys pursuit angles of defenders in space. Packs impressive physicality between the tackles. Just needs a sliver of space to make a hole. Doesn’t dance and won’t bounce runs unless there is nothing there. Runs with extreme determination and toughness for his size. Always seems to maneuver for additional yardage when getting tackled. Stiff arm is quick and powerful. Possesses a tight spin move. Great in the passing game. Deadly on screen passes. Runs advanced routes out of the backfield. Able to line up out wide. Great hands. Does a quality job in pass protection. Covers up the ball in traffic. A+ football character.

 

Weaknesses

Could be better identifying blitzes in pass protection. Credited with a fumble in four consecutive games this season.

 

NFL comparison

Alvin Kamara

 

Conclusion

Overall, Etienne is a top-tier running back prospect with the ability to significantly impact the game as both a runner and pass-catcher. The on-field talent combined with the intangibles makes him well worth a premium selection, and Etienne could quickly transform an NFL offense.