While he won’t go in the top-five like his former collegiate teammate Leonard Fournette did, former LSU Tigers running back Derrius Guice could be that mid-round tailback gem every NFL team is looking for. One could argue that Guice was a more consistently dynamic runner than Fournette in the SEC.
Guice leaves Baton Rouge with 3,074 carries for 471 yards and 29 touchdowns. Though his receiving numbers were not great out of the backfield, do keep in mind how terrible the Tigers passing offense has been for the last decade plus. We can’t rule out entirely if Guice can’t make plays out of the backfield as a receiver.
At 5-foot-11, 218 pounds, Guice has the frame to win both between the tackles and off-tackle with his dominating running style. There is a chance he could be a bell-cow back in year one, but may work best in a complementary role in year one. It would not be shocking to see him rush for over 1,000 yards in 2018 and be NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
The only with him going to the Raiders is that he may not be available in round three. Guice feels like a guy that will go in the first 64 picks. He may be worth moving up to get late in the second round. He’s not the surest thing at the next level. That being said, Guice might have the best year of any rookie tailback in the NFL in 2018 if he lands in the right offense.