Quote:Ok, so now that the dust has cleared a little after the draft, I had time to ponder the TJ Yeldon pick. This was not my idea for the Jags at running back, and my initial reaction was disdain. I was seriously pulling for Ameer Abdullah, or even Telvin Coleman, as our new speedy/shifty back..reminiscent of MJD.


But, after having time to return to David Banner status, I was able to be a little less prejudicial in my assessment of Yeldon. After Gurley and Gordon left the board, the talent level seemed to taper off some. Yeldon deserved his place among the rest of the pack, but for whatever reason, was not mentioned much. But, since some thought he was on the rise, it is possible that another team would have selected him before the Jags could get him in the 3rd round. There are several teams that were projected/speculated to have picked up a running back, that did not , or not until later rounds. So, If Dave rated Yeldon as an altogether better back than pack of them that remained on the board, they got the man they thought would do the job for them at running back. I hope they are right. My main knock on TJ, was his combine 40 speed (4.61). He did get a 4.52 at his pro day, for what it's worth. He has drawn some comparisons with some successful backs in the NFL, so I decided to see where he stood with various other backs in NFL, in regards to their 40 time. And here are the results, by name, 40 time, and 10 yard split:


TJ Yeldon 4.61/4.52 1.57

Le’veon Bell 4.6 1.52

A. Foster 4.68 1.65

Eddie Lacy 4.64 1.65

Frank Gore 4.55 None

Alfred Morris 4.63 1.6

Jeremy Hill 4.58 1.61

G. Bernard 4.53 1.56

M. Ingram 4.53 1.54

J. Forsett 4.62 1.51


So, some very similar numbers, of some very successful backs in the NFL.TJ may not be a blazingly speedy back, but apparently, that’s not always the recipe for a successful team (Colts just released Jeff Demps who had a 4.26 40 time). It appears that TJ might have been the complete RB that the Jags were looking for. TJ’s size and ability to catch out of the backfield, and ability to block, makes him standout from a lot of the backs that were available. I guess time will tell if has the ability to be the back that we needed. But I am less pessimistic, especially having gotten another OL that will most likely start. And not to mention, I love the free agency signing of speedster Corey Grant. Hoping he can find his place in the rotation of RB’s.