The Seattle Seahawks offered one of the shockers of the first round of the NFL Draft Thursday night, making San Diego State running back Rashaad Penny the 27th overall pick.
After Saquon Barkley, Penny was not the second-best running back in this draft for most analysts. But he did lead the country in rushing last year with 2,248 yards (7.8 yards per carry) and he had 23 touchdowns on the ground (28 total touchdowns). Over his career at San Diego State, Penny returned seven kickoffs for touchdowns.
Penny is very well-regarded by Pro Football Focus among the running backs in this year’s class, and he was even pointed to as a first-round talent.
The Seahawks select Rashaad Penny, the second highest running back on the PFF big board #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/wDcd37Fla3
— PFF (@PFF) April 27, 2018
Rashaad Penny forced 80 missed tackles, which led all FBS running backs, and also racked up 30 runs of 15-plus yards last season. #Seahawks pic.twitter.com/J6L7HEWg7k
— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) April 27, 2018
Among all Combine-invite RBs, Rashad Penny ranked:
1st in yards per carry (7.27)
2nd in yards after contact per attempt (4.17)
3rd in missed tackles forced per attempt (0.24)And was our most-difficult RB to tackle on first contact (just 58% of the time)
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— Scott Barrett (@ScottBarrettDFB) April 27, 2018
— PFF (@PFF) April 27, 2018
Penny only had 19 receptions as a senior, and concerns about lower-level competition in college were dispelled with his performance in the Senior Bowl game after an unimpressive practice week by all accounts. He ran a 4.46 40 at the NFL Combine, at 5-foot-11 and 220 pounds, along with a 10-foot broad jump.
Thomas Rawls is gone (to the New York Jets), leaving C.J. Prosise, Chris Carson and J.D. McKissic on the running back depth chart for Seattle. Prosise can’t stay on the field, Carson suffered a broken leg last year after a promising short stint and McKissic is nothing more than a passing down back (34 catches last year). So there should be no doubt about Penny’s place in the pecking order as an incoming first-round pick.
Penny is in line to be worth drafting as a middle to low-end RB2 in 12-team standard leagues, with that value maintained but not notably boosted in PPR formats. But if Seattle shifts back toward a more run-based offense, to protect a depleted defense and after losing Jimmy Graham and Paul Richardson in free agency, Penny could very well finish as a RB1.
Rashaad Penny 2018 Projection: 235 carries for 990 yards, 6 TDs, 35 receptions for 315 yards, 1 TD
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