Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M RB

Games Watched: Florida, Alabama, South Carolina

Pros:

  • Great size and frame
  • Power back who can push for extra yards
  • Very effective in short yardage situations
  • Phenomenal contact balance to bounce off arm tackles
  • Great change of direction ability
  • Makes sharp cuts
  • Decent play speed for his size
  • Good vision to make the correct read most plays
  • Shows flashes of using footwork to move defenders
  • Catches the ball well in stride as a receiver
  • Looks for work as a blocker
  • Strength allows him to get push when blocking

Cons:

  • Slow get off out of the backfield
  • Not great long speed to finish runs
  • Not incredibly elusive to evade tackles
  • Doesn’t see holes to the outside occasionally
  • Not incredibly patient as a runner
  • Ball skills need work
  • Needs to show a sense of urgency in receiving game when not the first read
  • Scared of stronger and faster players when blocking

Summary: Isaiah Spiller is a big running back who has decent movement skills for his size. He changes directions well and he can bounce off weak tackles and push for extra yards consistently. Other than the speed/elusiveness concerns which aren’t too bad, many of his issues are fixable. He has the upside to be a great every down back.

Hopeful Improvements: Being involved as a receiver every play and working on his ball skills would go a long way to helping him become an every down back. Needs to develop more patience as a runner and not push forward for a few yards at the first sight of a free defender. Manipulating defenders consistently would also help.

Grade: For now I have Isaiah Spiller as an early Round 3 guy. His athletic profile is phenomenal and he’s shown flashes of putting it all together. A little more consistency and proving he can get it done when his line isn’t opening up massive holes will help move him squarely into Round 2.