Am I the only one that wants Judkins over Hendrerson?
Maybe. I think both are going to be available in the 2nd.
I like Judkins, I'd take Kaleb Johnson over him though as far as the big backs. Hampton, too. I'd take Henderson though over Judkins because of the fit to this offense. I love the idea of an explosive guy who runs up the middle in a RPO heavy offense,
Here is some of the comments from scouts from the McGinn stuff on these guys, I'll focus on the guys we all talk about most. I'll try to focus on the positives because the negatives are usually over the top.
Hampton (2)
“I’m going to sound crazy saying this but I like him over Boise (Jeanty),” said one scout. “Athletic, strong mover with burst. Stays low on contact. Runs with vision. Average twitch, but he’ll run through some tackles. Hands are fine. Makes plays in space. Pass pro is good.” Tested well with a 38-inch vertical jump and a 10-10 broad jump. “He is a punishing runner but he also has exceptional contact balance to stay on his feet through those collisions,” said a second scout.
Henderson (3)
“Ran pretty fast. He’s really, really well-liked. He’s undersized. Does he run good? Yeah, but people value other positions more than running backs. I don’t think he’s going in the first.” Missed games in 2022-’23 with a variety of injuries. “The durability is the big question for him,” said a second scout. “He has to stay healthy. He went through injury problems a year ago, which really hurt the team. He’s got good feet. I don’t know if he has elite vision like some other guys. I wouldn’t put him in the first but because his hands are good enough and he’s a big-play threat I could see him going in the second. He’s a great guy. He’ll be great in the locker room no matter where he goes. I never saw him as having great vision to be a consistent inside runner.”
K. Johnson (4)
Lot of explosive runs of 25-plus yards,” one scout said. “Had a few that were 50-plus. Has a burst to run stretch and get downhill. Is able to exploit inside run lanes. Shows good patience for (following) blockers. Capable of running behind his pads and showing leg drive and contact balance. Limited targets out of the backfield but showed reliable hands. Can still improve in pass protection. Kind of a one-year full-time starter.” Led the Big Ten in 2024 with 1,537 yards and 21 TDs. “He’s smooth-moving with really good vision,” a second scout said.
Judkins (5)
“More of a slasher,” a second scout said. “Not really a natural runner. Not much wiggle. Just kind of a one-cut, run-as-hard-as-you-can into something. Brings some energy. Maybe second round.” Ran a much faster 40 than more than one personnel man anticipated. “Frickin’ tough guy,” a third scout said. “He’s a short-yardage back. I’d go with Judkins over Henderson because I’d much rather have a guy who can grind out first downs. It is close.”
Skattebo (9)
“I’ve never seen anything like this guy,” one scout said. “It’s a train wreck every run. I don’t know how long he’s gonna last. He can play, though. He’s got great vision and balance. He can find little creases in there. He’s got some niftiness. But after that, when it’s contact time, every run is bang-bang-bang! He’s fighting and somebody else hits him in the back, and then he lines up again. It’s incredible. Never seen a back like this. One guy compared him to Mike Alstott, but he was 250 pounds. If you can get him through a couple years without him getting hurt, you’d love to have that kid’s energy on the team.”
Tuten (10)
“He ran that 4.2 and you see that on the field,” one scout said. “He is the most explosive of all these guys. Runs hard, too. You get him in a crease or the open field and it’s over with. He’s the closest one to (Jahmyr) Gibbs as far as, if there’s a crease, it’s over. He’s in the mix as my No. 2 running back (in the draft).” Tuten’s vertical jump of 40 ½ also led the position. His broad jump was 10-10. “I’m a big fan,” another scout said before the combine.
Sampson (11)
“He’s fairly similar to Etienne,” said one scout. “Slippery between the tackles. Good foot quicks. Like his vision and timing. Has pass-down value. He may slide to the fifth. Etienne’s a willing blocker. This guy, they don’t even seem to use him as a blocker. He doesn’t do special teams. You like the runner. He was productive this year in the Southeastern Conference. That counts for a lot. But the lack of versatility … it’s hard for me to say this guy is a true starter.
James (13)
Said one scout: “He’s OK. Everybody’s going to bump him up because of the (Oregon) kid last year (Bucky Irving, fourth round) who stirred everybody up in Tampa. He had a good rookie year so I think it will spook everybody to give him a (long) look. Third day.”
Harvey (16)
Said one scout: “Kind of a poor man’s Bucky Irving. Kind of built the same way. Really like his demeanor. Compact guy. He’s shown he can catch the ball out of the backfield. He’ll be a solid, efficient, productive No. 2 back that can ascend into a heavier role with more experience.”
Scouts compare him to Bijan Robinson, Emmitt Smith & LaDainian Tomlinson. They say he was robbed of the Heisman, too. Now, teams must figure out when to draft the Boise State star back (and all RBs).
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