New York Jets: 3 Mid-Round Running Back Targets In 2017 NFL Draft

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Sep 17, 2016; Berkeley, CA, USA; Texas Longhorns running back D’Onta Foreman (33) runs the ball for a touchdown against the California Golden Bears in the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium. Cal won 50-43. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports /

3. D’Onta Foreman, Texas

Height: 6-0
Weight: 233 pounds
Projected Round: 3

NFL scouts are already comparing Foreman to Carolina Panthers halfback Jonathan Stewart, so that is high praise indeed. The Texas City, TX native was a consensus All-American last year and the Doak Walker award winner as the nation’s premier back. Foreman paced the FBS with 184.4 rushing yards per game and scored 15 touchdowns for the 5-7 Longhorns as a junior in 2016.

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Foreman is a big man, but is very light on his feet. He is known for his fine lateral movement and his ability to break tackles. Foreman is your prototypical north-south runner with the finesse needed to make sharp cuts from gap to gap. He excels in the red zone as well but there are definite areas where Foreman needs to improve before he can become a solid pro.

Fumbling the football is a huge issue at any level and Foreman coughed the ball up seven times last season, losing six of them. Ball security is paramount in the NFL. He also must do a better job on blitz pickup to protect the quarterback and although he is an outstanding athlete, his speed and burst is just average. Those are some reasons he is not projected to go in the earlier rounds of the draft.

With that being said, Foreman has a wealth of potential. Here is Pro Football Focus’ summation of his abilities:

"Foreman is a bigger running back, but he runs with the finesse of a smaller back. Despite his size, he has very good lateral agility and can make defenders miss. He has good vision to find cutback lanes even if he’s not always patient. Foreman could improve on delivering contact to defenders instead of absorbing it so often, as well as moving piles better. He was an effective pass blocker in college but transitioning to NFL pass protection will be an adjustment."

Don’t be surprised if the Jets tab Foreman in the third round if he is available. They have two picks in that round (Nos. 70 and 107 overall), so they have some additional flexibility to work with.

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