April 18, 2016
Running back was somewhat of an underrated need before the Eagles were able to unload DeMarco Murray's contract on the Tennessee Titans. Now it's obvious. Heading into the draft, the Eagles' depth chart at running back looks like this:
| RB1 | RB2 | RB3 |
| Ryan Mathews | Darren Sproles | Kenjon Barner |
Mathews has a long history of injuries, while Sproles will turn 33 in June and is in the last year of his deal. Barner, meanwhile, has not shown he is consistent enough to be counted on as a reliable member of a running back rotation.
The Eagles are expected to add a running back in the draft, whether that be an immediate starter type (Ezekiel Elliott, for example), or in the mid- to late-rounds for depth or a potential future starter.
Here are five running backs who could make sense for the Eagles:
One of the most hotly debated and polarizing players among Eagles fans in the 2016 NFL Draft has been Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott. According to Elliott himself (via James Walker of ESPN), the Eagles are the team that has shown the most interest in him.
Elliott has a chance to be a special talent. However, when you factor in the value of his position, drafting Elliott at pick No. 8 just isn't worth it to some (self included). Working against Elliott is that running backs have extremely short shelf lives in the NFL and that they are not safe picks (in terms of bust probability) any more than most positions.
More specific to drafting a running back 2016, Elliott is the only sure-fire first round pick. In 2017, there is an absurd number of really good running backs who will be eligible to enter the NFL Draft, such as LSU's Leonard Fournette, FSU's Dalvin Cook, Stanford's Christian McCaffrey, Oregon's Royce Freeman, Georgia's Nick Chubb, and the list goes on and on. Is is better value to draft Elliott with the eighth overall pick, or get one of those other very talented backs a year from now at a much more palatable spot in the draft?
That's what the Eagles may have to decide.
Draft projection: Top 15 pick, possibly top 10
Dixon was really impressive during the week of Senior Bowl practices, especially as a receiver out of the backfield. He'll enter the NFL a more polished receiver than most of the running backs already collecting paychecks in the NFL. Safeties and linebackers couldn't cover Dixon, and often looked silly trying. If Pederson's offense is anything like Andy Reid's, he'll want his running back to be a weapon in the passing game. Dixon can be that for the new regime.
As a runner, Dixon is tough and physical, as evidenced by his nose for the end zone. These TD numbers are ridiculous:
| Year | Rushes | Yards | YPC | TD |
| 2012 | 200 | 1194 | 6.0 | 27 |
| 2013 | 151 | 917 | 6.1 | 4 |
| 2014 | 253 | 1299 | 5.1 | 22 |
| 2015 | 197 | 1070 | 5.4 | 19 |
| TOTAL | 801 | 4480 | 5.6 | 72 |
If Dixon somehow lasts until the third round, the Eagles should be all over him.
Draft projection: Second round
Prosise was moved to wide receiver from safety early in his career at Notre Dame, before eventually landing at running back. Over the last two seasons, he racked up 55 catches for 824 yards, a 15 yards per catch average. Prosise has receiver skills, but not a lot of experience in the backfield, as he had just 166 career carries in college. However, he made the most of his time at RB, gaining 1158 yards (7.0 yards per carry), and 12 TDs.
As a player new to the position, the biggest concern teams will have with him will be in pass protection, which is a must have skill in a west coast type of system. Prosise would make a ton of sense as a mid-round guy the Eagles could develop for 2017 and beyond.
Draft projection: Third round
Perkins carried the load for UCLA over the last two seasons for the Bruins.
| Paul Perkins | Rush | Yards | YPC | TD |
| 2014 | 251 | 1575 | 6.3 | 9 |
| 2015 | 237 | 1343 | 5.7 | 14 |
| TOTAL | 488 | 2918 | 6.0 | 23 |
However, it is unlikely he'll be used as a workhorse back in the NFL. Perkins has a lot of LeSean McCoy in his game, as he is a very shifty runner who often makes defenders completely whiff on tackle attempts. Here is my personal favorite example, against Stanford:
Juke, hurdle, juke, juke, open space.
Perkins is also effective as a receiver, as he had 80 receptions over his three-year college career, although those mainly came on simple short passes.
Perkins is probably not a three-down back, as he is not a runner who is going to consistently fall forward after contact. That is likely going to force him off the field in short yardage and goal line situations at the pro level. There will also be concerns about his ability to pass protect because of his small size, although he was a willing blocker at UCLA.
Because he is likely to "only" be a back who is part of a committee, that may push him down some draft boards, but he could be very good as a committee back, and would constitute good value in the fourth round.
Draft projection: Third-fourth round
Drake was stuck behind Heisman Trophy winning Derrick Henry in 2015, and had to find other ways to get on the field. Alabama used Drake in a variety of ways, including as a running back, a slot receiver, a kick returner, and on coverage teams. He's probably not an every down back in the NFL, but he has some Brian Westbrook-like qualities to his game, in that he's versatile and tougher than you might expect.
In his three seasons at Bama, Drake averaged 12.4 yards per reception, which is excellent for a running back. If the Eagles were to draft Drake, they'd likely have to add another back to the stable in 2017, but Drake could serve as an added weapon on offense.
Draft projection: Fourth round
