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NFL Draft Profile: Christian McCaffrey RB, Stanford

By Joe Schiller

November 5, 2016; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal running back Christian McCaffrey (5) runs against Oregon State Beavers safety Jalen Moore (33) and cornerback Treston Decoud (14) during the second quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
November 5, 2016; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal running back Christian McCaffrey (5) runs against Oregon State Beavers safety Jalen Moore (33) and cornerback Treston Decoud (14) during the second quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Could the Baltimore Ravens take Christian McCaffrey in the NFL Draft?

Christian McCaffrey is one of the most exciting players in the 2017 NFL Draft. During two years as a starter at Stanford he played up to a Heisman level and broke record after record. He is not your prototypical running back, but he offers much more to the table than just running the ball. He could be a Swiss Army Knife kind of player that could help take the Baltimore Ravens offense to the next level.

Storied College Career

Christian McCaffrey has quite the resume coming out of college. During his first year as a stater, he had a historic season. He broke Barry Sander’s all purpose yards record with 4,683 total yards on the season. Many thought that he was robbed of the Heisman trophy and reminded us of that when he broke the Rose Bowl all purpose yards record with 368 total yards against Iowa.

Stanford had a down year as a team the next season, which seemed to overshadow McCaffrey’s production. Many people thought he dropped off, but that was not the case. It was not another record breaking season, but he averaged more yards per carry and scored more total touchdowns.  After the season, he elected to enter the draft and forego his senior year. He chose to sit out Stanford’s bowl game, which stirred some controversy, but was not a big deal in the big picture.

Related Story: NFL Draft Profile: Zay Jones WR, ECU

Strengths:

  • Great awareness on the field
  • Speed
  • Plays a number of positions
  • Ability to make big plays
  • Almost impossible to bring down in open field

Concerns:

  • Can he handle 25-30 carry work load a game?
  • Must learn how to take hits at next level

Where Should The Ravens Take Him?

NFL Draft experts have McCaffrey going in the late 1st round to mid 2nd round. I have seen a number of mock drafts landing him in New England with the 32nd pick, but he could definitely fall into the 2nd round. The Ravens sit with the #47 pick in the second round and could take a chance if he falls to them. Ozzie and the front office are known to take the best available player on the board.

Next: Baltimore Ravens: 1st And 2nd Round NFL Mock Draft

McCaffrey might not fit exactly in the needs of the Ravens, but he can adapt to a position that could help them. With his smaller size, he could be a very productive slot receiver. I see him as a Julian Edleman type of player that is quick out of the slot that can burn linebackers and cornerbacks with his speed. McCaffrey also has the ability to be a deadly threat in the return game. During his sophomore season, he amassed over 1,000 yards in the return game, which is Devin Hester like. A team will scoop him up fairly quickly in the draft and I think the Ravens should take a chance on him.

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