Oakland Raiders: Potential running back draft targets
By Austin Gayle
Devontae Booker, Utah
Utah running back Devontae Booker, another back projected to come off the board somewhere in the Day 2 range, is a special talent that is capable of developing into a productive, three-down back in the NFL.
Unlike Henry, Booker is a versatile back in the sense that he can make plays both as a runner and as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. Also, Booker possesses the ideal patience and vision needed for him to hit the appropriate holes and avoid early penetration.
In his two years at Utah, the American River College transfer earned 2,773 yards and 22 touchdowns on 560 carries.
“Booker is a three-down running back who has the toughness and determination to grind out short yardage while possessing the vision and footwork to create for himself when near the line of scrimmage or the second level,” via NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. “Booker isn’t fast, but he plays at a consistent speed and should have enough quickness to be consistently productive as an NFL starting running back.”
On top of the question marks surrounding Booker’s speed, there are concerns about his shelf life as a running back at the next level. Booker will be 24-years-old at the start of his rookie season and is coming off a torn meniscus that kept him from participating in the NFL Scouting Combine. By comparison, Henry won’t be 24 until the start of his third season in the NFL.
Without looking at Booker’s age or injury history, he is easily the second-best running back in this year’s class behind Elliot. If Oakland is willing to take the risk on Booker on Day 2 of the draft, he has the potential to put up strong numbers in a tandem role with Murray or even develop into the No. 1 back in the near future, but McKenzie will have to make sure he can confidently check all of the boxes in the pre-draft process before he takes a chance on Booker ahead of Henry.