The 2018 NFL Draft Prospect series breaks down draft-eligible players, highlighting their college production as well as their NFL potential. Daily fantasy players should know about NFL rookies before they’ve played a down of professional football because they are among the most misvalued assets in all of DFS. People who know NFL rookies have a significant DFS edge. The draft will be held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, from April 26-28.
This piece is on Fordham running back Chase Edmonds.
For more on all the other backs in the class, see our 2018 NFL draft running back rankings.
Updated as of Mar. 4.
Senior | 5’9″ and 205 Pounds | Born April 13, 1996 (Age: 21) | Projection: Rounds 4-5
Combine numbers: 40-yard: 4.55 sec | bench reps: 19 | 3-cone: 6.79 sec | 20-yard shuttle: 4.07 sec | vertical: 34 in | broad: 122 in
A favorite of Rotoworld’s Josh Norris, Edmonds is perhaps the 2018 version of Tarik Cohen — a smallish big-time producer from a small school. Most years, there’s at least one Football Championship Series back who catches the attention of NFL franchises and gets drafted. Last year it was Cohen (fourth round). In 2015, it was David Johnson (third round). In 2014, we had two such backs: Terrance West (third round) and Jerick McKinnon (third round). In 2012, it was Daryl Richardson (seventh round). These guys aren’t always exciting, but they usually become NFL contributors. This year the FCS back of choice seems to be Edmonds, who is just one of two FCS backs invited to the combine, the other being Roc Thomas, who played for two seasons at Auburn before transferring to Jacksonville State.
Given his small-school pedigree, Edmonds was as productive in college as you’d expect. Although he had an injury-impacted down year on an underperforming team as a senior, accumulating just 417 yards and three touchdowns in six games, across his four-year career he still averaged 150.7 yards and 1.67 touchdowns from scrimmage per game. A four-year starter, Edmonds was immensely productive as both a runner (5,578 yards, 65 touchdowns) and receiver (85 receptions, 900 yards, seven touchdowns). Before an injury cut short his East-West Shrine Game week, he received positive remarks from industry scouts in attendance. Given his well-built frame, he has an outside chance of being a three-down player in the NFL. At worst, he should be able to contribute as a change-of-pace and receiving back with the potential to create mismatches by lining up all over the formation. Although his 40 time and jumps weren’t particularly impressive, he led all running backs at the 2018 combine in the agility drills.
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Matthew Freedman is the Editor-in-Chief of FantasyLabs. He has a dog and sometimes a British accent. In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he’s known only as The Labyrinthian.
Photo Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
