Mendenhall VS Steward VS Mcfadden 2

[Joey_Potter]

I know I posted this before the combine but now that, that whole ordeal is over I'm doing it again...WITH POLL! Now I want to know who everyone would pick first. Contestants are as seen...

Illinois Running Back Rashard Mendenhall

Oregon Running Back Jonathan Stewart

Arkansas Runing Back Darren Mcfadden

[Matt McGuire]

Nothing changed for me. McFadden is still #1 but not in my 8 players overall in this draft.

Stewart and Mendenhall are even...my #2A and #2B runningbacks.

[Vbsiena]

I read this as a weird question. If all 3 fell to me and I wanted not needed a running back. I'd trade back a few spots if I could so someone could pick McFadden then I'd draft Stewart. That would be the perfect yet realistic scenerio to me.

[Joey_Potter]

Neither of you voted. Shame on you.

[NoNonsenseCoach]

McFadden for the same reasons I posted last time.

[jimmyp]

I voted D-Mac, but my heart isn't in it. This year there isn't a clear cut best RB in the draft like with AD last year. I think barring injury EVERYONE expected Peterson to transfer well to the NFL. D-Mac has just enough doubts surfacing, his personal issues, his seeming dislike of running inside, and his ballskills to raise concern for me.

I would not be surprised at all if 3 years down the track, Stewart or Mendenhall (or indeed a Charles, Rice or Forte) is the better NFL RB. This might be a little like 06 with Bush, Addai, Maroney, Jones-Drew, White & Williams. 2 years post-draft, Addai and Jones-Drew are 1A & 1B (or vice versa) as the best RBs in the class. Maroney 3, maybe Williams or Bush 4.

There was a guy highly touted, with crazy speed and agility and just generally great measurables. Caveat Draftor.

[Dumb Azz Kracka]

I'd take Stewart right now because he just seems like a very steady RB with alot of all around abilities. His one downfall that I think could possibly be a problem is durability, but the thing with that is every single player to ever play football has a durability issue if you really think about it. Any player out there is one bad luck play away from ending his career. Some players just happen to have had some bad stuff happen to them in college and there's no telling if any of that will ever happen again. A guy with no history of injury could blow out his achilles or ACL in training camp rookie year and never be the same again, so it's tough for me to worry too much about an injury history....as long as the guy is good to go RIGHT NOW. There is also Mayock talking about why he doesn't like Stewart and him not having a second gear. Well, Stewart was never caught from behind by a LB who ran a crappy time at the combine when he had almost 15 yards on him to begin with (D-Mac). Stewart is easily quick enough to squirt through a hole and take it to the next level and strong enough to get the tought yards...he just seems to be an all around back where D-Mac seems like he'd be situational.

I'd take Mendenhall next before I'd take D-Mac.

DAK

[Matt McGuire]

Stewart's other downfall is that he doesn't have a 2nd gear, Mayock proved that on film.

[jimmyp]

Stewart's other downfall is that he doesn't have a 2nd gear, Mayock proved that on film.

Film shows funny things. Remember he also showed D-Mac almost getting run down by Ali Highsmith, whose 40 time I could beat.

Film over combine times though.

[tonynyy]

I chose Mendenhall, I love his overall package and the fact that he hasn't played much, so he's fresh. I believe he'll be the no. 1 back in this draft class 3-4 years from now.

[Adam Mac]

I saw McFadden is #1 and gotta have love for my U of I boy. Would love for either or to go to the Bears! Forget about a QB get a RB then some O-line and start from there

[Joey_Potter]

Sorry to say Adam but the Bears like guys who can go up the gut, Mcfadden cant take a hit.

[Dumb Azz Kracka]

Stewart's other downfall is that he doesn't have a 2nd gear, Mayock proved that on film.

As I stated in my previous post about Stewart's supposed lack of a 2nd gear, he's not the only one that has had film showing suspect separation and it was apparently reaffirmed by jimmyp and completely disregarded by matt. I said in my original post that he has been said to have a lack of a 2nd gear, but at least he wasn't caught from behind while having a 15 yard lead from a LB who ran a horrible time at the combine. Also, on this play D-Mac wasn't juking around other players or waiting for a block down field to slow him up. Ali Highsmith also didn't have an angle on him...he came straight from behind to catch him and make the play. I actually remember during one of Mayock's critiques of D-Mac, he was playing the Highsmith clip while addressing his blazing speed and ability to separate in the open field and I remember thinking wtf? Why would they show that play when describing his open field separation ability? The play in itself leading up to that point where he was caught from behind was indeed great but it completely made him look like a dumbazz.

I'm not saying Stewart is faster than D-Mac at all...anything but that, but it's the same thing with statistics that when you take film of something you can prove your point any way you want.

I don't know how many times I've watched Jaws (Ron Jaworski) break down somebody on film, which he does a great job of, and take one or two plays in a game and show what great ability the guy has with his reads or his cuts or his recognition of coverage yada yada, but what wasn't shown is the other 80 plays in that game that showed what a douche the guy was....or vise versa.

It is hard to take stats or film truly to heart because, like I've done many many times, you can make any point you want using them.

Personally, I do think D-Mac is faster than Stewart, but for his size I think Stewart is plenty fast for the NFL, and I also think Stewart has the ability to pound it up the middle for tough yards, take it around the edge, work in goal line offense and pretty much be an every down back...I don't know if I can say the same for D-Mac. That hasn't been proven yet.

A couple stats for you, but once again you can take any stats you want to prove your point...here is an example of me proving my point. This is a bit ironic...I'm using stats to prove my point that stats can prove any point you want...hmmmm.

D-Mac had a season rushing avg of 5.8 to 6.2 for Stewart.
D-Mac had a season long rush of 80 yards to 88 yards for Stewart.
D-Mac had 13 rushes of 20-yards or more to 13 rushes for Stewart.

So, what do these stats tell you? For one they tell you that I chose specific stats that help prove my point, lol, but also that Stewart stacked up with the "elite" speedster of the NFL draft when it comes to explosive plays through the entire season.

DAK

[Joey_Potter]

Well they can't catch him if they are on their backs from being bowled over by him. That is good, but sucks for the defenders.

[animal52]

Let's not forget that Stewart played in a spread offense, which gave him more room to run. I like Mendenhall because of his inside running ability. But I think we are forgetting that D-Mac played on a very average team.

I think he's still the top RB in the draft.