Oakland Raiders 2018 NFL Draft: 5 mid-round running backs to target
By John Buhler
In terms of bang for the buck, the Raiders are not going to get a better mid-round running back prospect than the Georgia Bulldogs’ Sony Michel. His game translates wonderfully to the NFL level, as he is great running off tackle and can catch out of the backfield. Barring injury, there is little chance he busts in the NFL.
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Michel is 5-foot-11, 215 and ultra-explosive with the ball in his hands. He’s the type of player than can take it 75 yards to the house in a well-designed gadget play. Michel is the versatile running back teams need to win in the red zone. He can find pay dirt in a multitude of ways.
What makes him such a compelling NFL prospect is that he is both seasoned and fresh. Keep in mind that he split carries all four years in Athens with his best friend in running back Nick Chubb. Many saw Michel as the lightning to Chubb’s thunder. Though Chubb had more notoriety than Michel for most of their college careers, Michel will likely end up being the better pro.
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Michel left school with 3,613 rushing yards on 590 carries for 33 touchdowns. As a receiver, he had 33 receptions for 621 yards and six touchdown grabs. Michel is likely to go in the third or fourth round of the draft. In the third round, he’d be a great pick. Should he fall to the fourth round, that’s just stealing money from the other 31 teams that didn’t pick him. Michel could be really special for the Silver and Black.