2019 NFL Draft: 3 Running backs on the rise after NFL Combine performance
By Cory Kinnan
Miles Sanders, Penn State
Backing up Saquon Barkley before 2018, Miles Sanders never had his chance to shine. That was until the 2018 season and on Friday at the Combine.
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In his one and only season as the starting running back at Penn State, Sanders tallied nearly 1,300 yards and nearly nine touchdowns in 2018; great production going against Big Ten defenses, including Michigan, who was ranked top five in the nation.
Breaking into the 4.4-second-40-yard dash club, registering a time of 4.49 seconds, Sanders showed his speed at the combine on Friday. Benching 20 reps on the bench press, he showed plenty of strength, even if he did not rank in the topfive of the class. He also registered at 10.33 feet on the broad jump and registered only .05 seconds off of the mark that former teammate Barkley hit just a year ago in the 3-cone drill.
Sanders shined on the field as, on a day where it appeared that running backs had butter on their fingers, Sanders did not drop a pass and looked great on his cuts and footwork. Look for Sanders to skyrocket into a third round pick and could hear his name called as early as the third round moving forward; great improvement from a back considered as a Day 3 prospect.