Philadelphia Eagles: Should Miles Sanders be a ROTY candidate?

Though he’s yet to don a Philadelphia Eagles jersey, Miles Sanders is already a Pro Football Focus front-runner to become offensive Rookie of the Year. But will he have a big enough role to be in serious contention?

When the Philadelphia Eagles use their second selection in the 2019 NFL Draft to select Miles Sanders 53rd overall, it was with the intentions of making him their next feature running back.

Now sure, that might be pretty lofty expectations seeing as the Pittsburgh-native only spent one season as the lead back in James Franklin‘s spread-heavy Nittany Lions offense, but when you look at the numbers, it’s hard not to be excited about Sanders’ fit in Philly.

Measuring in at a prototypical 5-foot-11, 215 pounds, Sanders ran a 4.49 at the NFL combine and highlighted an ability to catch the ball that he was seldom asked to do at Penn State.

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Needless to say, if Sanders can put it all together, it’s entirely possible he could become the team’s first thousand-yard rusher since LeSean McCoy accomplish the feat in 2014; finally shuttering the RB carousel Howie Roseman has been on since losing power to Chip Kelly the following year

But just how quickly will Sanders go to become that feature back we also desperately crave?

Well, if you believe Pro Football Focus, almost immediately, as he ranked second in the site’s Top Offensive Rookie of the Year Candidates video.

Typically, these kind of pre-preseason predictors should be taken with a grain of salt, as there’s absolutely no way of knowing how players going to be utilized until they actually are, but when PFF puts out such a statement, things are a little different.

A premier source for advanced analytics in the world of football, Pro Football Focus utilizes an uber-analytics-driven system to make predictions and rank players. While they too may not know whether or not Sanders will earn more starts, and carries than fellow 2019 acquisition Jordan Howard, clearly the numbers say Sanders has what it takes to get things done in a professional offense.

I mean they have him ranked higher than every other player not named Kyler Murray, including Washington‘s potential starting quarterback Dwayne Haskins, and offensive playmakers with much more defined roles like Josh Jacobs and Deebo Samuel.

So, while we’ll never know exactly what is going to happen until it actually does, what would it take for Sanders to become a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate?

I’m glad you asked.

First and foremost Sanders would need to get on the field early and often. While he doesn’t necessarily have to be the RB1 game-in and game-out, even if it would be helpful, Sanders needs to prove to Doug Pederson and company that he can not only be utilized as a McCoy-esque outside runner but also have value in short-yardage situations, and as a receiver coming out of the backfield.

With Darren Sproles‘ career in Philadelphia more likely than not over, the team could use a consistent pass-catcher coming out of the backfield; a role Sanders could conceivably steal from presumed third-down rusher Corey Clement.

Furthermore, Sanders needs to get in the end zone.

As PFF mentioned in their video, because of the Eagles sheer size and optionality in the red zone, especially after adding fellow second-rounder JJ Arcega-Whiteside, it’s entirely possible that a player like Sanders, with a complete skillset, could (quite literally) fall into his fair share of easy TDs, running between the tackles, on a pitch, or even flexed out wide to receiver.

While Howard and last year’s leading rusher Josh Adams may be better pure power rushers, having a player like Sanders would make the Eagles’ red zone offense much more versatile, and therefore harder to cover effectively.

And even if Sanders is relegated to second-string duty, and only receives, say 70 offense of touches next season, he could still provide value as a return man; becoming the first home run hitter the Eagles have had in the kick returning game since DeSean Jackson earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2010.

Typically players don’t win ROTY honors for returnability alone, but if he were to say finish out the season with a top-10 yards-per-return average and score a few touchdowns, it could be a nice boost to his case to win the award.

That’s what’s beautiful about Sanders; he’s a very flexible player.

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Ultimately whether Miles Sanders comes out of the gate hot and becomes the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, or he struggles with the transition to the NFL and has a largely forgettable freshman campaign, fans in the 215 should be ecstatic about his addition to the team. For the first time in years, the Philadelphia Eagles have seemingly found their long-term answer at running back; a reward worth much more than a silly offseason accolade.

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