FSU Football: Dalvin Cook Third Best Running Back In Nation?

Christian McCaffrey

Here’s what the SportingNews had to say about McCaffrey.

"Last year’s Heisman runner-up probably would have entered this year’s draft class if he wasn’t a sophomore. McCaffrey is a versatile, do-it-all back who set an NCAA record with 3,864 all-purpose yards last year, running for 2,019 yards and scoring 15 total touchdowns. The 6-foot, 200-pound back has explosive speed with excellent vision and body control. While he can outrun most defenders, McCaffrey can also power through tackles if required. Assuming they both enter the draft, either McCaffrey or Fournette will be the first running back taken in next year’s draft and both should go early in the first round."

Those numbers are certainly impressive, but McCaffrey went up against some questionable run defenses. If we look at the following stat from Football Outsiders:

• Standard Downs Line Yards per Carry: The raw, unadjusted per-carry line yardage for a team on standard downs (first down, second-and-7 or fewer, third-and-4 or fewer, fourth-and-4 or fewer).

If we average this stat among the 14 teams that McCaffrey faced, he went up against an average of the No. 75 rushing defense while averaging six yards per carry.

Next: Leonard Fournette?