The Halfbacks are Plentiful..                                                                                                   

In the 2008 NFL draft one of the areas with the most amount of talent is at halfback.

You could see as many as 8 to 9 halfbacks drafted in the first two rounds, and my highest rated player in this draft is Arkansas halfback Darren McFadden.
 

The Talent... Darren McFadden-Arkansas… The most talented player in the draft class of 2008. McFadden has sprinter’s type speed and explosive openfield moves and breakaway ability. All the guy did was rush for 4,590 yards in 38 games in the toughest conference in college football. While McFadden isn’t as physical a runner, or as strong in the lower-body, as former Oklahoma and current Minnesota Vikings rookie star Adrian Peterson, he is faster, and a more explosive openfield threat. Ran a (4.33) 40-yard dash time at the Combine workouts…

Mr. Thunder and Lightning….Jonathan Stewart-Oregon.. No runner in this draft class brings the hard-charging style and breakaway ability combo that Stewart does. He may have been hidden a bit in the Pacific Northwest, but not to the NFL scouts. Stewart, who rushed for 1,722 yards, is a powerfully built runner, who has excellent body lean and long distance running skills. He is also a pretty doggone good receiver coming out of the backfield. At a sturdy 225 pounds Stewart ran a (4.48) 40-yard dash time.

The Speed.. Chris Johnson-East Carolina.. Johnson blazed the fastest 40-yard dash time of any running back at the Combine workouts with a timing of (4.23).. That’s pretty fast. Chris is a top all-purpose running back who averaged 212 yards per game as a runner, receiver and a punt/kickoff return specialist. While he lacks great size and bulk strength, Johnson is quite an offensive threat and he scares the daylights out of opponents each time he touches the ball. Look
for his name to be called early in Round 2.

The Hidden Talent.. Matt Forte-Tulane..  The guy has been one of the best hidden secrets in all of college football, but when you closely watch him play, you really are impressed with his running style and hard-charging manner. Without much of a supporting cast Forte ran for 2,127 yards and scored 23 touchdowns as a senior. He is also a very good receiver coming out of the backfield and he reminds me so much of former LSU Tiger and current Indianapolis Colts halfback Joseph Addai. Proved many of the outside critics wrong by running a (4.46) 40-yard dash time at the Combine workouts.  Forte should go off the draft board in the early to mid part of Round 2 and he will make a football club very happy so many teams passed on him.

Watch Out For… Chad Simpson-Morgan State… This speedy former South Florida transfer is quite a talent from a small school. He was the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2007 rushing for 1,402 yards and scoring 14 touchdowns. He also averaged 25 yards per kickoff return as a senior. Super quick athlete, who ran a (4.42) 40-yard dash time at the Combine workouts and he is a real tough runner for a 198 pounder. 4th to 5th round draft projection, and he could really be a good football player if Chad learns how to catch the ball cleaner.

The locals… We already mentioned Forte, but one runner to keep in mind in the later rounds is former St. Augustine High School in New Orleans and Ole Miss Rebel halfback BenJarvus Green-Ellis. This hard charging back is a North-South no frills runner, who is very physical and productive. Tough, real sturdy, performer who would be a perfect #2 back in the NFL.

5th to 6th round projection…Calvin Dawson-UL-Monroe Excellent all-purpose performer, who has good running instincts and the ability to turn the corner. Effective receiver coming out of the backfield. His off-the-field problems which occurred in December may sink his draft status. 7th round pick or free agent signee.

The Top Halfbacks

1. Darren McFadden-Arkansas  Top Ten pick
2. Jonathan Stewart-Oregon  mid 1st round choice
3. Rashard Mendenhall-Illinois  mid 1st round choice
4. Felix Jones-Arkansas   Late 1st round choice
5. Chris Johnson-East Carolina  Early 2nd round choice
6. Ray Rice-Rutgers   Early 2nd round choice
7. Matt Forte-Tulane   Early to middle 2nd round choice

Saints priority-Medium to High Range… The one constant all year long was that the Saints rarely had a consistent running attack and with a 29-year old Deuce McAllister coming off his second knee surgery in three seasons and uncertainty about just how effective Reggie Bush can be as a heavy-duty runner, the Saints have no choice but to spend an early to middle round pick on a running back if they don’t pick up one via free agency.
 
The draft may mean a trade up in Round 1 to grab USC defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis and then trade back in Round 2 and select someone like Tulane’s Matt Forte or Central Florida’s Kevin Smith.

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