May 30, 2024
Ken Ruinard/USA Today Sports
New Eagles running back Will Shipley during his time at Clemson.
As we do every offseason, we'll be comparing each of the Philadelphia Eagles' rookies to current or former NFL players. Today we'll find a comp for fourth-round running back Will Shipley.
ROOKIE COMP SERIES
CB Quinyon Mitchell | DB Cooper DeJean | EDGE Jalyx Hunt | RB Will Shipley | WR Ainias Smith
Shipley was an immediate contributor in Clemson's offense as a freshman, and he had a big sophomore season when he rushed for 1182 yards and 15 TDs. His junior season was somewhat disappointing on a Clemson team that was no longer the powerhouse it once was. His career numbers as a runner:
| Will Shipley | Rush | Yards | YPC | TD |
| 2021 | 149 | 739 | 5.0 | 11 |
| 2022 | 210 | 1182 | 5.6 | 15 |
| 2023 | 167 | 827 | 5.0 | 5 |
And as a receiver:
| Will Shipley | Rec | Yards | YPC | TD |
| 2021 | 16 | 116 | 7.3 | 0 |
| 2022 | 38 | 242 | 6.4 | 0 |
| 2023 | 31 | 244 | 7.9 | 2 |
Shipley had an impressive pro day, running a 4.39 40, to go along with 1.54 10 yard split. As you can see in the highlight reel below, he runs with speed and balance, and is able to stack multiple cuts in succession to make defenders miss.
The way that Shipley is able to slalom through defenders reminds me a bit of the running style of the Bills' James Cook. If you watch Shipley's highlight reel above and then Cook's immediately thereafter, you can see the similarities.
f*** it.
— The Wandering Buffalo (@TheWanderingBuf) April 13, 2024
James Cook highlights.#GoBills | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/kHgXpQUJ8R
Neither back is going to be a pile mover, but both guys can squirm for extra yards after they're already wrapped up.
Their size and athletic measurables are also quite similar:
| Measurable | Will Shipley | James Cook |
| Height | 5'11 | 5'11 |
| Weight | 206 | 199 |
| 40 time | 4.39 | 4.42 |
| 10-yard split | 1.54 | 1.55 |
| Vertical jump | 38.5" | 33" |
| Broad jump | 122" | 124" |
Both Shipley and Cook were thought of as "complementary" backs coming out of college, because neither player possesses ideal size, though Cook carried the ball 237 times for 1122 yards and caught 44 passes for 445 yards for the Bills in 2023.
Next up: WR Ainias Smith.
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