Scouting Report: Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno St.

Ht: 6'0 Wt: 218 40: 4.41

Strengths: Solid bulk. Great speed for his weight. Tough and physical runner. Able to run between the tackles. Shows good strength and is capable of breaking tackles. Keeps his feet moving and shows good determination and hard work. Uses a very good stiff arm. Has a good low center of gravity. He gets very low and has great balance. Fights for extra yardage. Is able to run effective outside; can turn the corner. Has decent break-away speed. Can be elusive in open space, but this is not his biggest strength. He has very good vision; can read defenders. Is patient, waits for the hole to open up. Decent blocker, needs to be more consistent. Can be a receiver out of the backfield, but he needs to be more consistent.

Weaknesses: Struggles with blocking. He can give a good initial pop, but he is not good at sticking to his man. He needs to improve this area. He was rarely asked to run routes other than screens or swing passes. Has minor injury concerns.

Summary: Ryan Mathews is a big back who plays a very physical style of play. My favorite attribute is his determination. He knows how to use his size and strength to gain extra yardage. He runs at a very low center of gravity and possesses great vision. My biggest issue with Mathews is his overall blocking and his receiving skills. These will both need to be improved in order to be a better NFL running back. Overall, Mathews is a strong physical runner who has a great shot at being the 2nd running back taken in this year's NFL draft.

Draft Projection: 1st round