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Jaguars add depth at running back by selecting T.J. Yeldon

John David Mercer / USA TODAY Sports

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The Jacksonville Jaguars have selected running back T.J. Yeldon out of Alabama in the second round in the 2015 NFL Draft. 

Yeldon is excellent at beating defenders due to his agility and shiftiness in the open field. The 21-year-old is very good at finding space in cutback lanes and may be the next great running back to come out of Alabama. 

The 6-foot-1 back is expected to immediately challenge Denard Robinson and Toby Gerhart for the starting running back position. Jacksonville may feature Yeldon out of the backfield as he's proven to be a very good receiver. Yeldon sported an excellent 5.8 yard-per-carry average at Alabama and should be a productive back on all three downs at the professional level.

T.J. Yeldon Bio

Position: RB
School: Alabama
College Experience: Junior
Height: 6-1
Weight: 226 lbs.
Age: 21

Combine Results

Event Result
40-yd Dash 4.61 sec
Bench Press 22 reps
Vertical Jump 36 inches
Broad Jump 117 inches
3-Cone Drill 7.19 sec
20-yd Shuttle 4.22 sec

Strengths

  • A natural runner who appears to churn up yardage and make sharp cuts with very little effort.
  • Fluid hips. Freezes defenders with subtle wiggle moves.
  • Displays good vision in locating cutback lanes. Ideal for one-cut zone schemes.
  • Enough strength to push the pile.
  • Strong receiver, particularly on swing passes. Can play all three downs.

Weaknesses

  • Runs high, exposing himself to big hits.
  • Arms are too loose, risking fumbles.
  • Good first step but can still take too long to accelerate to top speed.
  • Lacks ideal breakaway speed.
  • Not a tackle-breaker. Knocked off balance too easily.

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