Scouting Report: CJ Spiller, RB, Clemson

Ht: 5'11 Wt: 196 40: 4.27

Strengths: Pretty good size for a running back; muscular. Terrific speed, he has that second gear that can take it to the house. Tremendous playmaking ability, he is a homerun threat. Can be very elusive. Has great juke moves (spins, cuts, etc.) Very instinctive. Patient; waits for blockers and holes to open up. Good cutback. Underrated toughness, able to break tackles. I love his vision; he can start inside and bounce it outside when the lanes open up. He also knows when to turn it up, not afraid to lower his pads. When outside the tackles, he is at his best. Able to start and stop quickly. Keeps his feet moving when first contact is made. Soft hands, great receiver coming out of the backfield. He can provide the offense with great mismatches in coverage. Amazing ability after the catch. Uses his hands to catch. Extremely good punt returner. No off the field issues.

Weaknesses: Will struggle with ball security. Not a great pass blocker, can deliver hits but not big enough to stand and block. Some question whether he can carry a full load in the NFL. He will not always be able to break it to the outside and out run everyone like he did in college. Had a nagging foot injury in 09, however did not miss a game.

Summary: CJ Spiller is an electrifying homerun threat every time he touches the football. He has elite speed and runs harder than people give him credit for. I think besides his speed, his two biggest strengths are his instincts and vision. When I watched tape on Spiller I saw an extremely instinctive back. He is patient, able to make great cuts\moves and can break tackles. For his vision, it really compliments his instincts. He sees what players are going to do and he reacts to them. He follows his blocks and knows when to turn it up or bounce it outside. His main weakness is his ball security. He does not protect the football the way you want to see from a top RB. Some will question whether he will be able to carry the full load as a full time starter in the NFL. I believe he will able to and I think he will be a very solid pro in NFL. CJ Spiller simply has way too much potential and playmaking ability which will result in him most likely being an early pick in April.

Draft Projection: Top 10