BUY
By Rob Tribbett
War Room Report Editor

Opinions differ on Brian Leonard


War Room Report Staff and Contributors

SELL
By Matt MacCoy
War Room Report Scout

Brian Leonard has made a statement with his off-season workouts that he can be a playmaker in the NFL. Too many draft “experts” are using Leonard race to determine his position, not his skills. Brian Leonard is worth a Round 2 pick in the 2007 NFL Draft because the NFL is evolving and a smart offensive coach will use his talent to create mismatches for opposing defenses.

Leonard served notice with his 4.49 40 yard dash that he does have the speed to be a one back in the NFL. Leonard’s time was faster than “fast” backs Darius Walker and Kolby Smith. In the 3 cone drill to test agility, Leonard’s performance eclipsed that of 2^nd ranked RB Marshawn Lynch and top five RB Kenny Irons. Brian Leonard also posted the most reps of any RB at the combine, with 28.

The Rutgers football program was one of the successes of the 2006 season and a Brian Leonard was a huge part of their success. Leonard did what he thought was best for the team, and moved to a fullback role, after three seasons as the primary ball carrier, to make room for top RB Ray Rice. Leonard still averaged 4.5 yards a carry and scored 5 touchdowns. The fact that Leonard is willing to contribute wherever possible will be huge for the team that drafts him.

In his career at Rutgers, despite playing behind a substandard offensive line, Leonard had over 4,500 combined yards and scored 45 touchdowns. He will be able to carry over his versatile skill set to the NFL.

Reggie Bush. Joseph Addai. Cedric Benson. Laurence Maroney. What do those names have in common? All were first round picks that split carries in the 2006 season for teams that went to the conference championship games. Creative offensive minds like Sean Payton and Ron Turner are using the skilled offensive players they have to attack opposing defenses. I am not suggesting that Brian Leonard is the athlete that Reggie Bush is, but he has a unique set of skills that will cause problems for rival defenses.

Brian Leonard is a great route runner for a running back and has outstanding hands. He can pass block and run block effectively, which should get him on the field immediately. As evidenced by his senior season at Rutgers, Leonard is willing to put the team above himself. He is much more athletic than the critics will lead you to believe and he will be a difference maker in the NFL, which is why he should be selected in the middle to end of Round 2.

 NFL franchises are not made over night; rather they are built over time. Just as homes are built with a strong foundation, as are NFL teams, but the “foundation” of these franchises are the players they select in the first day of the NFL drafts, especially the prospects selected in rounds one and two. For continued success in this league the players you select in the opening two rounds, sooner rather than later, must evolve into full-time starters and produce at a high level. This is where the controversy surfaces when discussing RB/FB prospect Brian Leonard.

Brian Leonard has some good tools that could translate to continually improving skills in the National Football League, but the question still remains, will he ever be a full-time player at the next level? My position is that he doesn’t fit your prototypical RB, nor does he fit your prototypical FB, therefore, he will never progress to the point where he will be a full-time player.  

There is no way to approach this issue tactfully, so this statement may come off as harsh, but it is a topic that should be discussed—does a white RB have what it takes to be an every down back in the National Football League? 32 NFL teams, with 32 African American starting running backs, do not feel that a white RB have the necessary speed and more importantly, doesn’t have the necessary elusiveness to carry the ball 20+ times in the NFL, even if they won’t say such a statement openly. 

It is a really tough sell for someone intending to diagnose why Brian Leonard should be a full-time starter or a 1^st-2^nd round draft selection in the 2007 NFL draft while he was not the primary back this past season at the University of Rutgers. Ray Rice was the primary back and Heisman Trophy Candidate, not Brian Leonard.  

To conclude the debate, I feel that Brian Leonard is a decent prospect and has some upside potential, but I feel he will be best used in certain situations, therefore, his potential impact has to be scaled down. He will make some plays for a team, enough plays to merit a 3^rd-4^th round selection in the NFL draft, but he will fall quite short of making enough plays to merit a 1^st-2^nd round selection in the 2007 NFL Draft.