Rookie Profile - Week 9 (Darren McFadden)
Posted 10/29 by Jeff Tefertiller, Exclusive to Footballguys.com
Player: Darren McFadden
College: Arkansas
Drafted: 1st round, 4th overall
College Stats
|
Year
|
Att
|
Yds
|
Avg
|
Lng
|
TDs
|
Rec
|
Yds
|
Avg
|
LNG
|
TDs
|
|
2005
|
176
|
1113
|
6.3
|
70
|
11
|
14
|
52
|
3l7
|
12
|
0
|
|
2006
|
284
|
1647
|
5.8
|
80
|
14
|
11
|
149
|
13.5
|
70
|
1
|
|
2007
|
325
|
1830
|
5.6
|
80
|
16
|
21
|
164
|
7.8
|
57
|
1
|
College Highlights
McFadden became the first sophomore to win the Doak Walker Award in 2006, and joined Ricky Williams as only the second two-time winner after taking home the award again in 2007. McFadden also won the 2007 Walter Camp Award as the nation's best player and was also the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy two years in a row in 2006 and 2007 and is the only two time runner up in history.
Before the 2007 season, McFadden was believed to be one of the top NFL draft picks after the 2007 season if he declared for the 2008 NFL Draft. In Sports Illustrated's website, a photo gallery chronicling the best possible candidates in the 2008 draft was tipped as the number 1 pick. McFadden was also predicted to be a front-runner for many awards, including the Doak Walker, the Maxwell, the Walter Camp Player of the Year, and the Heisman.
McFadden began the 2007 season with five consecutive games in which he gained at least 120 yards. Highlighting these were a 195 yard effort against Alabama, a 151 yard game against Troy, and a 173 yard effort against Kentucky. After this stretch of games, McFadden looked to be a lock for the Heisman trophy, at the top of generally every watch list. But in the next three weeks, McFadden tallied only 43, 110, and 61 yards against Auburn, Ole Miss, and Florida International, respectively. After these three games, McFadden had gone from being at the top of the lists, to near the bottom, or in some cases, off.
On November 3, 2007, McFadden tied the Southeastern Conference single-game rushing record (Frank Mordica, Vanderbilt, 1978 vs. Air Force) with 321 yards rushing against the South Carolina. An 80 yard run highlighted McFadden's day, as well as preserved the Arkansas win.
The next two weeks, McFadden rushed for 117 yards in a loss to Tennessee and 88 yards in a win against Mississippi State.
On November 23, 2007, McFadden led Arkansas to a 50-48 triple overtime victory over the #1 ranked LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, winning the Battle for the Golden Boot for Arkansas. McFadden rushed 32 times for 206 yards and 3 TDs, and completed 3 of 6 pass attempts for 34 yards, also throwing a touchdown to Peyton Hillis. The Wildhog formation was key for McFadden and the Hogs, as the majority of McFadden's yards came when he received the snap.
By any measure, McFadden's 2007 season was a success: McFadden was selected as the Sporting News magazine National Player of the Year, was a consensus 1st Team All-American for the second straight season, won the Doak Walker Award for the second year in a row (only the second person to ever win it twice, Ricky Williams of Texas), was selected as the SEC Offensive Player of the Year by SEC coaches, and he was also awarded the Walter Camp Award (given to the nation's best overall player).
McFadden is second all-time in career rushing yards in the SEC behind only Herschel Walker of Georgia (5,259), and is also currently holds seventh place for the SEC career record touchdowns with 40. McFadden has 1,829 yards rushing on 325 carries and 16 TDs, plus he has thrown for 4 TDs, and has 1 TD reception. He leads the SEC and is third in the nation in rushing yards.
On December 6, 2007, McFadden was announced as the winner of the Walter Camp Award and as the winner of the Doak Walker Award. He became only the second person (along with Ricky Williams) in history to win the Doak Walker Award twice. McFadden finished as the runner-up for the 2007 Heisman Trophy for the second year in a row. He was runner-up to Tim Tebow of the Florida Gators, making him the first person since 1949 to finish second in Heisman voting in consecutive years. Additionally, he was, for the second consecutive season, a consensus All-America selection.
2008 Production To Date
McFadden has been limited by injuries his rookie season. He has been nicked up, and only has two games with at least 10 carries. This has limited his production. Through six games, McFadden has carried the ball 67 times for 341 yards and one touchdown. He also has 10 receptions for 93 yards.
Best Game To Date
McFadden had a huge game in week two against the Kansas City Chiefs. He carried the ball more than in any other game this season, and did not disappoint. The former Arkansas star rushed the ball 21 times for 164 yards and a touchdown. He added a nine-yard catch. This is the only time McFadden has reached the endzone so far.
Situation In 2008
The Raiders use their three runners to wear down defenses. It has not helped that both Fargas and McFadden have battled injuries this season. If there is one in that situation to pursue, it might be Fargas with McFadden's toe injury. He will be the primary rusher until all three are healthy. His skills as a receiver give him a chance to be on the field at all times. McFadden is not a runner to carry the ball 300 times in a season, but will flourish carrying the ball 12-14 times and catching four passes a game. He is a playmaker that the Raiders try to get into the open field. Keep an eye on the toe toe injury. It has bothered McFadden for a few weeks now and could impair his opportunity.
Long-term Situation
The Raiders have Justin Fargas and Michael Bush to go with Darren McFadden. The trio makes a potent committee that allows the team to run the ball often. There were rumors at the trade deadline that Fargas and Bush were on the trade block, but nothing transpired. The situation looks muddled now, but it will be the rookie that is the prominent back when it is all said in done. The other two runners are merely complementary in a long term view.
Potential Upside
McFadden is an exciting player. The Raiders have become a running team and will look to its budding superstar to lead the way once he gets healthy. McFadden has the big play ability to be a top fantasy producer for many years. His speed is top notch and gives him a chance to take every touch the distance. The former Razorback has the potential to be a perennial Top 10 fantasy running back. Also, expect him to take snaps at quarterback to run the formation he ran in college. Miami calls their version the Wildcat formation.
College Profile from NFL.com
Positives: Has a solid, thick build with tapered thighs and calves, athletic physique with a tight waist and hips, low body fat and defined upper body...Has the quick feet and balance to pick his way through trash, doing a nice job of staying upright to power through the initial tackle...Has the pick-and-slide agility to make defenders miss, showing outstanding acceleration and flexibility when changing direction...He has that rare speed and explosive second gear to be very elusive getting through traffic, thanks to sharp lateral cuts...Plays with good toughness, lowering his head and driving hard with his legs after contact...Can bounce off tackles and gives good second effort when his initial move fails...Willing blocker who shows the ability to pick up blitzes and will chip defenders with good intent and purpose...Has the field vision and awareness to find the open crease and excels at anticipating cutback lanes...Looks natural with the ball in his hands, as he is a threat running, throwing or catching the ball, but did have ball-security issues as a junior...Understands blocking schemes but will out-run his protection at times...Highly respected by the staff and teammates, demonstrating a solid work ethic...Might not be able to always push the pile, but has the functional lower-body strength to stay up, bounce off and execute his lateral range with good quickness...Has that initial step needed to accelerate and get to top speed quickly and clear the holes...Gets a quick start, as seen in the way he demonstrates crisp cutting ability and is the type that doesn't need to gear down when changing direction...When he shows patience running with the ball, he has the extra burst to get through trash...He gets off the snap smoothly, thanks to his suddenness coming out of his stance...Has natural running instincts, showing a very nice feel for the rush lanes, as he anticipates openings and has made marked improvement in using his vision to set up his blocks...His vision allows him to see threats well and play the hand that he is dealt (see 2007 Alabama, Kentucky, South Carolina and Louisiana State games)...Has the feet to sidestep trash and the body control to slide through holes, doing a nice job of bursting through tight seams...With his superb balance, he is very smooth when changing direction, showing a sudden burst out of his cuts...Lowers his head and squares his shoulders to compete for extra yards after contact...Has the speed to get outside, make the cut and turn it up the field, as he uses quick footsteps when running in-line...Maintains acceleration bursting past the line of scrimmage and is more than just a one-cut runner...His acceleration allows him to separate and his body controls allows him to maintain balance throughout his runs...Makes quick decisions, especially on the jump-cut...Has outstanding lateral range to slip off tackles in the open...Has the speed to get downfield in a hurry on pass routes and is fluid and quick getting into his patterns...Understands coverage and where he fits catching underneath throws...Does a good job of reaching and plucking the ball, especially on screens...Natural hands catcher who can snatch the ball outside his frame work...Will take on the blitz and has developed good cut-blocking skills...Will not hesitate to face up and stone the opponent blocking in-line...Very easy for him to change direction with his balance and plant-and-drive agility.
Negatives: Has very good field vision, but needs to show more patience waiting for his blocks to develop (will outrun his protection, at times)...Strong open-field runner, but needs to develop better ball security and protect the ball closer to his body, as fumble issues posed a big problem in 2007 (15 fumbles, five turnovers, see Chattanooga, Troy, Florida International and Louisiana State games)...Has good inside running skills, but must improve his lower-body strength...Will sometimes get upright in his stance, allowing defenders to clog the rush lanes (see 2007 Chattanooga, Auburn, Mississippi State and Louisiana State games)...Protects the ball well in traffic, but most of his turnovers come on improper ball distribution in the open...Also has a high amount of fumbles fielding the kickoff, as he tends to run before securing the ball...Was hurt in an off-field fight in July, 2006, undergoing surgery to repair a left toe fracture...Has natural hands as a receiver, but needs to improve extending for the pass away from his frame...Sometimes drifts in his routes and needs to show better cutting ability on his breaks.
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