Former LSU standout Leonard Fournette could be one of the highest draft picks for a running back in recent history. The talented ball carrier is expected to go somewhere in the top 10 in the upcoming 2017 NFL Draft, potentially even in the top five.
It’s Fournette’s combination of speed and power that has experts around the football world amazed. It will also likely lead to his named being called near where Ezekiel Elliott was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys last year.
But if you ask NFL Media draft expert Lance Zierlein, the best comparison for Fournette is former two-sport star Bo Jackson — among many other greats of the game.
“We’re talking about elite size and speed. When I say elite size and speed, I’m saying Bo Jackson, Herschel Walker, I guess you could say Eric Dickerson, really, because he was bigger than people think, and he was definitely fast,” Zierlein said, via NFL.com. “And then Adrian Peterson. We’re talking about a very select group of running backs there, spanning a few decades, and Leonard Fournette falls in that group.”
That’s some mighty high praise right there from a respected NFL draft mind.
Fournette is coming off a junior season at LSU that saw him put up just 989 total yards. It’s readily apparent that his head wasn’t in the college football game. That’s evident by the fact that Fournette sat out the Tigers’ bowl game.
The previous season saw Fournette put up over 2,200 total yards with 23 touchdowns. This is more indicative of what the 6-foot-1, 230-pound running back might be able to bring to the table in the NFL.
In terms of these otherworldly comparisons, the prospect best seems to match Walker’s frame. The College Football Hall of Famer stood at 6-foot-1 and weighed 225 when he went pro back in the mid 80s.
Fournette is projected to go as high as No. 2 overall to the San Francisco 49ers. He likely want fall out of the top 10 unless something comes up off the field or there are concerns over a potential injury.