Philadelphia Eagles: Keep and eye on Baylor RB Abram Smith

Just for 2020, Nick Sirianni had the privilege of coaching a rookie running back out of Wisconsin by the name of Jonathan Taylor.

Have you ever heard of him?

Despite being the third running back off the board behind Clyde Edwards-Helaire and D’Andre Swift, Taylor quite literally ran away with his rookie season, going for 1,169 in 13 games while helping to lead the Indianapolis Colts to an 11-5 record.

Did Taylor’s hard-nosed, North-South running style rub off on Sirianni? Did the elevation of Jordan Howard allow the former Colts OC to dig back in his bag of tricks to fold some Taylor plays into the Philadelphia Eagles‘ offense? Who is to say? But it’s hard to argue that the Eagles’ rushing attack doesn’t look decidedly different with Howard on the field instead of Miles Sanders, even if theoretically the latter could be used similar to the former if a coach committed it into existence.

Even if the Eagles decided to stick with Sanders next season, which feels 50-50 at this point, Howie Roseman would be wise to secure the services of a young, high-upside power back with a bruising running style between the tackles. Fortunately, there’s a player who firmly fits that bill available in the 2022 NFL Draft who will be playing one of his final games with the Baylor Bears this weekend; a player who fits the Philly style to a T.

Philadelphia Eagles fans would instantly fall for Abram Smith.

Coming into college, Abram Smith wanted to play running back.

A two-time all-state running back for Abilene High School, where he is also the school’s leading rusher, Smith initially joined the Baylor Bears as a three-star recruit and found some limited offensive success over his first two seasons in Waco. While running the ball 12 times over 10 games for 46 yards isn’t much to write home about, eventually incumbent starter JaMycal Hasty would graduate, and the Bears would have to turn elsewhere for offensive production, right?

… or Smith would be offered an opportunity to switch to the defensive side of the ball and try his hand at playing linebacker versus some of his former Big 12 peers.

While Smith actually showed up and showed out very well for the Bears in 2020, where he picked up 48 total tackles, five tackles for a loss, and a sack in only five games of action, Dave Aranda opted to bring his emerging linebacker back to the offensive side of the ball and was rewarded handsomely with Baylor’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Terence Williams accomplished the feat back in 2016.

And did I mention Baylor still has football left to play? Because they do.

On the field, Smith runs the ball like, well, like a linebacker, embracing contact with the ball in his hands while fighting like heck for every little bit of meat left on the bone. Though he only stands 5-foot-11, 221 pounds, Smith has a little bit of LeGarrette Blount in his North-South game and could really take his game up a notch with a few more pounds on his relatively slender frame.

If that happens, Smith might not become the next Jonathan Taylor, as few players possess that sort of generational rushing ability, but he’ll certainly be a better option in 2022 than an almost 28-year-old Jordan Howard.

Assuming he doesn’t turn in an all-time performance at the 2022 NFL Combine, which probably won’t happen in speed/agility drills but could happen in tests of strength, Smith will likely be available in the middle round of next year’s draft, with most teams likely looking at him more as a viable rotational runner than a true starter. Considering how the Philadelphia Eagles tend to divvy up carries to rookie rushers, even to ones drafted in the second round, that would probably be Howie Roseman’s prerogative too, but unlike, say Kenneth Gainwell, who has all of his production predicated on offensive touches, Smith could also be a darn good special teamer, as that year playing linebacker could come in handy on open-field tackles.

Throw that all together, and what do you have? An instant Philly fan favorite.

If the Philadelphia Eagles really aren’t sold on Miles Sanders, they have oh so many ways to address the position in 2022. They could trade for a really good player if one becomes available, sign a perfect scheme fit in free agency, or draft a player like Breece Hall, who many consider the clear-cut best running back in this year’s class in their late first-round pick via Jonathan Taylor’s Indianapolis Colts or their own second-round pick. But if Howie Roseman instead wants to use his premium picks, assets, and cap space on other areas of the team, drafting a player like Abram Smith in the middle-rounds could make the team better in a variety of different ways, as the Abilene, Texas native has shown a willingness to do whatever it takes to help his team win.