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Maryland RB Anthony McFarland


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Diminutive back at 5'9 but fast with great wiggle and burst. Good hands too. I think this guy will be around in the later rounds. I don't see him as an every down back but I really like him as a change of pace RB for the Jets this year if we can get him in the 5th or 6th round.  

 

PROS: Elite acceleration. If he is given space then an explosive play is coming. Footwork is rapid and he does well to angle himself to attack creases. Cuts, stop/start is sudden. Sees the field well and he generally makes good decisions with the football. Has a natural feel for cutback opportunities and he navigates through crowded spaces very well. Strings moves together effectively and remains in control though twitchy and dynamic jukes. Surprisingly good contact balance and he keeps his legs churning. Has built in leverage and a low center of gravity. Wasn’t overly productive in the passing game at Maryland but he has the traits needed to be an outstanding route runner and his hands seem fine. Love how he sets up tacklers, offering very little surface area and making it difficult for them to square him up. More than willing to explode into contact and get under opponents’ pads. Has a knack for spinning out of contact Urgent, competitive runner. Enters the league with only 269 collegiate touches. 

CONS: Not as much of a “make something out of nothing guy” as expected given his physical traits. Creativity is often lacking for a space player. Won’t be a useful short-yardage back - frequently stood up when used in that capacity at Maryland. Has some diagnosing issues in pass protection, but the biggest concern is that his anchor is soft. Willing blocker but he just doesn’t get square and absorb rushers effectively. Why didn’t Maryland get him more involved as a receiver? 

BEST TRAIT - Acceleration 

WORST TRAIT - Pass Pro, Short Yardage

RED FLAGS - None

NFL COMP - Ahmad Bradshaw 

McFarland is lightning in a bottle with his springy footwork, explosive acceleration and dynamic moves. A home run threat each and every time he touches the football, McFarland thrives in space, wide zone and cutback runs. While he presents a number of challenges to opposing defenses, McFarland does have limitations in pass protection and winning in short yardage situations. He should command touches early in his career, with the upside to thrive as a complementary RB2. 

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Dimunitive... he's the same weight and an inch taller than Barry Sanders, same height and a little lighter than Emmitt Smith and the same weight and 2' taller than Devin Singletary... guys like that do pretty well they get lost behind the Oline & by the time the dline sees them they're gone.... Devonte Freeman is similar size as is Darren Sproles...  Sproles being the shortest of them all & he's only been in the league for 15 years, not too shabby... I would take a shot on this kid.... The Jets Need speed desperately...  you can't teach speed. 

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2 hours ago, sec101row23 said:

Our old friend Tony Pauline mentioned McFarland and the Jets yesterday.  
 

 

Saw that!  There's going to be a very interesting dynamic at play for the Jets with this Draft....How much do they value scheme fit vs. talent/ability?  I have a feeling the Jets are going to make some picks in the early/mid rounds that could leave many casual fans scratching their heads.  Could easily see the Jets passing on some guys, particularly OLine or RB, who are "ranked" higher on major media Draft boards in order to take guys who fit what Gase wants to do on offense.

McFarland could be a good example of that if they were to take him as early as Round 3.  He's a Zone Blocking Scheme back who apparently has good vision, cutback abilities, etc. but he's lacking a little bit in pass protection and pass-catching out of the backfield which could keep him off the field on 3rd down and medium/long distances.  My guess is that some of the more "popular" RB names could be left on the Board if the Jets decided to take McFarland.

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I admittedly knew nothing about McFarland and looked up his stats. Does anyone have insight into why he was used so sparingly?  This kid finished 2018 with a 21-298-2td line vs Ohio State and yet only had one game in all of 2019 with 20 carries?

Seems like he was able to handle the workload against Big Ten teams but was never given a real shot?

He did go from 7 to 17 catches from 2018-19 so there is some improvement there. 

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33 minutes ago, BCJet said:

I admittedly knew nothing about McFarland and looked up his stats. Does anyone have insight into why he was used so sparingly?  This kid finished 2018 with a 21-298-2td line vs Ohio State and yet only had one game in all of 2019 with 20 carries?

Seems like he was able to handle the workload against Big Ten teams but was never given a real shot?

He did go from 7 to 17 catches from 2018-19 so there is some improvement there. 

I'm taking a guess, but he is relatively small, so Maryland may not have wanted to burn him out with a ton of carries. He seems like a change of pace back. 

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1 hour ago, BCJet said:

I admittedly knew nothing about McFarland and looked up his stats. Does anyone have insight into why he was used so sparingly?  This kid finished 2018 with a 21-298-2td line vs Ohio State and yet only had one game in all of 2019 with 20 carries?

Seems like he was able to handle the workload against Big Ten teams but was never given a real shot?

He did go from 7 to 17 catches from 2018-19 so there is some improvement there. 

He was dealing with ankle injuries for most of the year.  Some people had him as a “deep sleeper” Heisman candidate before the season started.   He never really got going though.   We’ll see how he checks medically at the combine, and see what he runs, but I can’t imagine he’ll go any earlier than the 5th round.  

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5 hours ago, Jimmy 2 Times said:

He’s my “go to” fifth round pick on the mock draft sites.

I took him in the 4th during a mock draft that inexplicably dropped Isaiah Simmons into my lap at #11.  Couldn't pass him up but it kinda screwed my plan for getting better OLine prospects.  Interested in the take on this Draft...

 

36011327_ScreenShot2020-02-10at6_59_03PM.png.b34120a77ea18b625deb8a6ea49992d7.png

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Watching a bit of him and he seems like all speed and nothing else. If he doesn't have a gaping hole or a free shot to the corner he's done.

I wouldn't touch him before the 6th but his speed is intriguing. I'd rather Edwards Helaire in the 3rd.....time to invest some draft capital in a RB instead of hoping these other shlubs pan out. 

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1 hour ago, jetstream23 said:

I took him in the 4th during a mock draft that inexplicably dropped Isaiah Simmons into my lap at #11.  Couldn't pass him up but it kinda screwed my plan for getting better OLine prospects.  Interested in the take on this Draft...

 

36011327_ScreenShot2020-02-10at6_59_03PM.png.b34120a77ea18b625deb8a6ea49992d7.png

I would completely lose it if we draft a defensive player in the first and then come back with a center that should go in the 4th. 

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On 2/10/2020 at 9:01 PM, jetstream23 said:

I took him in the 4th during a mock draft that inexplicably dropped Isaiah Simmons into my lap at #11.  Couldn't pass him up but it kinda screwed my plan for getting better OLine prospects.  Interested in the take on this Draft...

 

36011327_ScreenShot2020-02-10at6_59_03PM.png.b34120a77ea18b625deb8a6ea49992d7.png

I’ve never hated a mock draft more. 

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