Miles Sanders worth Philadelphia Eagles considering in 2019 NFL Draft
Looking ahead to the 2019 NFL Draft, Miles Sanders is another name worth monitoring for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Although the Philadelphia Eagles traded for Jordan Howard in the offseason, they still may be in the market for a rookie running back.
With Howard on the last year of his rookie deal and Josh Jacobs, arguably the top ranked running back in the draft, most likely being off the board at No. 25, it seems right to look into Miles Sanders, a name that has been strongly linked to the Eagles.
Sanders is a 5-foot-11, 211-pound running back that ran a 4.4 40-yard dash (tied sixth for running backs) as well as put up 20 reps on the bench press at the combine.
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In college, Sanders would take over for Saquon Barkley at Penn State in his junior year. In his final season with the Nittany Lions, Sanders started 13 games while putting up 1,274 yards (second in the Big Ten) and nine touchdowns on the ground as well as averaging 5.8 yards per carry.
Sanders also proved he can handle running against other big name schools, posting at least 100+ rushing yards against Maryland, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, and Wisconsin.
If that wasn’t impressive enough, it should also be noted that Sanders put up 200 rushing yards in a win over Illinois
Sanders’ film provides evidence that he is a shifty and explosive back that keeps his legs moving with feet that seem to glide through the field. He also showed the ability to take on the first defender that meets him and gets through contact using a spin or stiff arm.
Sanders also showed that he keeps his legs moving to gain that extra yard or get into the end zone. Another ability he showed in his tape is being able to burst through the hole and get to his top speed quickly, wasting no time getting to and past the secondary.
Even though Sanders is described as a shifty back, he truly has no problem covering the ball up, lowering his shoulders and pounding the rock directly into and through the defense.
Although Sanders has all that upside, he is still knocked for never passing 51 yards on the ground in key games against strong opponents such as Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio State, as well as having ball security issues.
Sanders also said to have no amazing get away speed when he gets into the open field and has to out run faster defenders. Outside of running the ball, scouts say he could improve his blocking skills and route running, specifically not having the ability to cause separation on wheel routes.
Still, the Pittsburgh native could be the perfect running back to help boost the ground game.
A projected second-round pick, Sanders could be the perfect Day 2 pick for the Eagles, as they could secure a young back that has the potential to be a NFL starter, even giving him a role behind Howard at the beginning.
Plus, the thought of pairing Sanders with former running back and current running backs coach Duce Staley, which should help develop him as a player, seems to have all sorts of potential.
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Sanders could start off as a change of pace running back that could also be used in two back sets to a true every down starter early in his career, so be sure to keep an eye on the former Penn State star once the draft officially gets underway this weekend.