Kenjon Barner

Why does "Player B" remind me of Fred Jackson? It begins with how his combine stats mesh with his on-field performance. Photo by Alan Kotok. — Why does “Player B” remind me of Fred Jackson? It begins with how his combine stats mesh with his on-field performance. Photo by Alan Kotok.

This time of year I’m marrying NFL Combine data with my tape analysis. I don’t take a close look until now. So today being one of the first days I’m examining the results, I came across something that – at least to the eyeball test – passed muster in a way that confirmed a conclusion I have formed while studying games. I don’t know if this conclusion fits the consensus or not, but I do have a feeling it goes against the grain.

To begin, here’s a question to answer: Based on these NFL Combine results, and nothing else, which running back is more appealing as an all-around player?

Player	Ht	Wt	Hands	40	10	Bench	Vert	Jump	20 S	60 S	3 Cone
A	5092	196	9 1/8	4.52	1.6	20	35.5	10’02”	4.2	11.33	6.87
B	5102	214	9 3/4	4.73	1.6	21	39	10’05”	4.09	11.51	6.85

Don’t get your slide rule bent out of shape. This is a flawed question. This is not how I rank players.

Yet, I think it’s an interesting jumping-off point for this post.

Player A is just an inch shorter, but 18 pounds lighter. He is also a solid step or two faster at longer distances. Despite the weight and long-speed differences, Player B has more short-area quickness and equal, if not more explosive, change of direction. If these two runners’ skills in athletic wear translated in a football game with pads, I’d say the taller, heavier, and quicker Player B would seem like the better bet.

Oregon running back Kenjon Barner has his fans here. Doug Farrar and Josh Norris believe he's a better prospect than LaMichael James. Photo by Wade Rackley. — Oregon running back Kenjon Barner has his fans here. Doug Farrar and Josh Norris believe he’s a better prospect than LaMichael James. Photo by Wade Rackley.

So you know, Player A is Oregon big-play artist Kenjon Barner. Barner’s combine results relative to this running back class are pretty good. However, Player B appears more appealing in similar ways to quicksters like Kerwynn Williams and Ray Graham and early-down bell cows like Michael Ford and Stepfan Taylor.

With the exception of 40-time and bench press, Player B is physically not too far away from workout darling Christine Michael – a prospect many consider one of the most physically talented runners in this class and a capable of top-prospect production if not for unwelcome bouts of immaturity that have held him back.

Player B might lack the breakaway capability, but if these workout results translate to the field of play I’d think that this mystery player has the size, quickness, and change of direction to produce between the tackles and in space.

In terms of what I see on the field, I think the NFL Combine results encapsulates a lot of the physical talents that I see Player B – Nebraska running back Rex Burkhead – display on the football field. His short-area quickness and agility is a notable positive of Burkhead’s game. If all you can see is the 4.73-40 time then you’re not seeing the running back position in a worthwhile context.

I believe there are plenty of highlights on YouTube to get a gist for Burkhead’s quickness and agility. The best example could be some of the plays I watched in this year’s Capital One Bowl against Georgia’s defense filled with NFL-caliber athletes. While Georgia has its breakdowns in the run game, the athlete-on-athlete match ups are worth a look when examining Burkhead’s physical skills.

Bigger Back, Little Back Moves

Burkhead is not Barry Sanders, but he does know how to layer moves that can freeze defenders while working down hill. Here is a 2nd-and-seven pass with 6:14 in the first quarter that illustrates what I’m talking about.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/NnlOx0njw7A?start=26]

Burkhead gains 16 yards from this 1×2 receiver, 11 personnel shotgun set on a screen pass from the UGA 37 where he releases from the quarterback’s left side, works to the left guard, and then turns back to the quarterback, catching the ball behind his linemen. After he works across the left guard to make the catch with his hands, he works behind the right tackle up the right hash. The is notable, but it’s the subtle head and shoulder fake combination on the defender back coming over the top from Burkhead’s outside shoulder that I value. This move fools the strong safety and forces another defender to chase the running back down.

Here’s a sharp, lateral cut on first-round athlete, Alec Ogletree at the edge on a 1st-and-10 run from the Nebraska 24 with 6:41 in the half.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/NnlOx0njw7A?start=161]

Nebraska runs power to right end with the pulling left guard working on outside linebacker Jarvis Jones, who crashes the line early with penetration. Burkhead dips outside the block, scraping close to Jones’ back so he can get down hill fast and maximize his gain. The inside linebacker Ogletree works free to the edge while shedding the tight end and has a down hill angle four yards from the Nebraska runner approaching the line of scrimmage.

Burkhead takes two small steps and cuts inside the the linebacker at the line of scrimmage and leaves the defender on his silver britches. It’s not a hard plant and cut, but I’m impressed with the quickness and precision of the footwork to change direction and it is similar to the footwork one would see from a shuttle run or cone drill.

Knowledge of Angles Equals Power

Brute force is what most people imagine when the word power is used in the context of a running back. The more important factor is a knowledge of angles. This is why a smaller back with average or even below average strength at the position can thrive when he manifests this knowledge of angles into good pad level, stiff arms, and transforming direct angles into indirect angles.

Burkhead demonstrates this ability to transform angles on the play after he jukes Olgetree to the ground. This is a six-yard gain on 2nd and five at the Nebraska 30 is a 21 personnel, strong side twin, I-formation set. Nebraska sets up a crease off left guard behind the lead fullback.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/NnlOx0njw7A?start=171]

Burkhead does a nice job of turning his shoulders away from Ogletree’s wrap and forcing the ILB to slide away from the runner. Burkhead keeps his legs moving and pulls free of the linebackers wrap and nearly another as he works to the first down marker. This slight turn of the pads is a demonstration why the Nebraska runner is more difficult for defenders to get a hat on than he seems.

Of course, Burkhead also displays the more tradition form of power on this 2nd-and-14 run at the Nebraska 26 for a 10-yard gain with 3:25 in the third quarter. This is a 1×2 receiver, 11 personnel pistol where he flanks the quarterback to the left (strong) side. They run delay with a guard pulling to the right.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/NnlOx0njw7A?start=286]

Burkhead finds a big hole inside the pulling guard and there is also a nice push from the double team of the center and right guard up the middle. The Cornhusker accelerates through that hole and then splits the double team for eight yards. He finishes the run by dragging the Georgia safety and inside linebacker a few more before lowering the pads and chopping his feet through head-on contact. When a back has the size to deliver the hammer, but the quickness to employ the change-up, he can be an effective interior runner at the NFL level.

Stylistically, Burkhead’s rushing and receiving skills remind me of Fred Jackson without the long speed.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/8FFNHZu7wyo]

Will Burkhead have Fred Jackson’s success? With today’s NFL experiencing a glut of talent at the running back position, I’m not confident in Burkhead landing in a situation where it happens. Just remember that Jackson was a Division III star who failed to stick with the Bears, Broncos, and Packers and had to play indoor football with the Sioux City Bandits for $200 a week for two years before he even earned a gig in NFL Europe. It took Jackson five years to earn an NFL start.

Burkhead at least hails from a big-time college program and already has the size that Jackson (195 pounds out of college) – now 216 pounds – lacked. Regardless of Burkhead’s outlook, his game tape reveals a lot of NFL-caliber skill.

For analysis of skill players in this year’s draft class, download the 2013 Rookie Scouting Portfolio available April 1. Prepayment is available now. Better yet, if you’re a fantasy owner the 56-page Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2013 RSP at no additional charge. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. You can purchase past editions of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio for just $9.95 apiece.

Flashes: Oregon RB Kenjon Barner

Kenjon Barner by Wade Rackley — Oregon running back Kenjon Barner showing power on a short-yardage play is the debut of ‘Flashes,” a series devoted to players giving brief exhibits of a skills not usually attributed to them.

Study football players long enough and it becomes clear that we all make assumptions about what they can and cannot do. We base these conclusions on what we think we know about a player’s size, speed, and strength. The truth is that we often underestimate the importance of technique, awareness, and fit with a specific scheme and surrounding talent.

Finding evidence that challenges these assumptions can lead to discovering players who are exceptions to the rule, underrated, or under the radar. This series will be devoted to a single play of a player that illustrates an aspect of his game that is not usually attributed as a strength or weakness.

When I find these plays, I make a note to search for additional plays like them. The goal is to validate or dispel the natural assumptions we all have about prospects. Sometimes I’m unable to do either, but these flashes from a player can help me see how much potential for improvement in a specific area exists. This is equally important, because few players enter the league finished products.

Miami Dolphins running back Lamar Miller is a good example of a player that the general public didn’t think of as a good receiver, but I saw him flash these skills down the road at the University of Miami. Apparently, the Dolphins coaching staff saw the same thing. I have to believe there were other scouts and Internet talent guys who saw it, but according to my colleague Sigmund Bloom I was the only one he saw mention this aspect of Miller’s game.

The Oregon runner’s 321-yard, 5-touchdown performance against USC earlier this month put him on the national radar. Barner is listed as a 5-11, 192-pound running back and it is assumed that he will not be able to add another 10-20 pounds to become a feature back or lead back in a pro-style running game. I may not be at the point where I can win a “guess the height and weight” contest at the local fair, but Barner doesn’t look as big as me and I’m roughly those dimensions.

Another assumption is that Barner can’t break tackles. I’ll readily admit that when I first saw Barner and the Oregon offense, I assumed the same. However, the reason I look at defined criteria is to focus on what a player illustrates and not what I might believe before I see him. The defined process helps me maintain an open mind.

Here’s a third-and-1 play from the California 5 with 2:07 in the first quarter where Barner has forced me to at least keep an open mind about his ability to break tackles. Until I see enough evidence to validate or dispel the notion this two-yard gain did enough delay judgment for me.

BarnerA1 — This is a wind-back play run from a pistol set. The New Orleans Saints loved running this play with Pierre Thomas behind Heath Evans a couple of years ago, but from a traditional offset I-formation set.

A wind-back play is a misdirection run where the offensive line slants in one direction to get the defensive flowing to the opposite side of the eventual path of the runner. The key is the halfback helping to sell the misdirection by pressing to the linemen’s slant and then cutting back to follow the fullback crossing the formation to the backside to open a crease inside his block.

Barner slants with the offensive line as he takes the exchange from the quarterback as the fullback begins his wind back to the backside of the formation. The Ducks hope they can get the linebacker and safety to flow inside just enough for the running back to earn a clean hole for positive yards. Thus far, the safety is staring into the backfield and doesn’t seem poised to follow the tight end to the flat. The linebacker has taken a step inside, but he hasn’t bitten hard on the initial flow of the line. Oregon has run this play at least twice during this quarter and Cal’s defense seems to be catching on .

As Barner begins his bend to the backside it’s not the linebacker and safety that he has to worry about. The edge defender gets good penetration and meets the fullback at the line of scrimmage and spins off the lead blocker’s hit at the same time the front side linebacker gets easy access to the backfield through a lane inside left tackle. We know that Barner has the footwork and speed to avoid tackles, but in a tight area of a short-yardage play can he combine those skills with the pad level and strength to break tackles?

Earlier in this game, I watched Barner get knocked backwards on a wind-back play because as he hit the small backside crease he tried to beat the linebacker through the hole by turning his pads outside rather than lowering his pads through the defender. Barner wasn’t fast enough to beat this defender’s angle – no back would have been – and the linebacker hit Barner under the runner’s pads. The defender forced Barner backwards for a three-yard gain that was as questionable as his height and weight.

On this wind-back play, Barner flashes the technique that he’ll need to show more often if he wants to succeed between the tackles in the NFL. What you don’t see between the last still photo and the next one below is that he squares his pads and hips down hill. This puts him in position to attack the defense or, at least in the case of a smaller runner, minimize his surface area for defenders to hit and increase his chances to squirt through contact.

Barner’s pad level is good enough that when he encounters the safety head-on, his body is in a balanced position to handle the contact. If you look close enough at the still photo below (yes, I know it looks more like a poor attempt at a Leroy Neiman, but I do all this myself), the safety doesn’t have a square hit on Barner. The contact is to the runner’s right side, which gives Barner a shot to bounce off the hit to the inside. If Barner’s pads weren’t square he would have been hit at an angle to the chest that likely knocks the runner sideways.

The hit from the safety knocks Barner sideways, but not the away from the line of scrimmage. The pad level and down-hill angle are the difference between the outcome of the run I described earlier, and this play where Barner earns the first down. Barner isn’t going to be a tackle-breaking stud in the NFL, but the right technique and understanding of angles can give a player of his size slippery power.

Barner maintains his balance and gets his pads down hill in the next frame. His initial angle helps him take the hit and work past the line of scrimmage. Barner has already won because even if No.40 wraps him from behind, there’s little chance the Oregon runner doesn’t fall forward for the first down.

Let’s make it official . . .

It’s not so much Barner’s strength as it is his footwork, pad level, and pad orientation that helps him bounce off two hits at the line of scrimmage, keep his legs moving, and fall forward for the first down on what could have easily been a no-gainer. Barner will need to demonstrate this skill enough to earn consideration as a back capable of a lead role and not just a change of pace in a committee.

He’ll also need to demonstrate that after a physical run he isn’t forced to the sideline. This hand injury forced Barner to the locker room for a couple of series. It could have happened to any runner. It also can generate perceptions that limit a player’s opportunity for a bigger role until he proves this was not a frequent issue.

For more analysis of skill players entering the NFL, download the 2012 Rookie Scouting Portfolio. Better yet, if you’re a fantasy owner the 56-page Post-Draft Add-on comes with the 2012 RSP at no additional charge. Best, yet, 10 percent of every sale is donated to Darkness to Light to combat sexual abuse. The 2013 Rookie Scouting Portfolio will be available for download here on April 1, 2013.