Boise State Running Back Jay Ajayi Visits Baltimore Ravens

Dec 31, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Jay Ajayi (27) runs for a 1 yard touchdown during the first half against the Arizona Wildcats in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl at Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

The media has spent a ton of time discussing the possibility that the Baltimore Ravens take a running back in the upcoming NFL Draft, but typically the backs being covered are all likely first round picks. A much more likely scenario is that the Ravens will take a back in a later round, perhaps somewhere around 3-6.

One back that currently carries a second to third round grade and who might be a target for the Ravens is Boise State’s Jay Ajayi, who visited the team last week. The former soccer player had a highly productive college career, capped by a 2014 season that saw him rush for 1,823 yards and score an astounding 28 touchdowns.

We discussed Ajayi before as a potential target of the Ravens, and he might just be the most complete running back in the draft. Ajayi is the only player in FBS history to rush for 1,800 yards and collect 500 receiving yards in a season. He has a nose for the end zone, which is obvious from his statistics, but he lacks the “special” skills that would otherwise propel him into the first round.

Jay Ajayi’s running style and body type have drawn some Mikel LeShoure comparisons, which isn’t by any means a flattering thing. But where LeShoure lacked the character to last in the NFL, Ajayi climbed his way out of the doghouse at Boise State following a 2011 arrest to become one of the best players in school history.

Ajayi has everything you want from an every down back, which is a rare thing in today’s NFL. He needs some time to develop, particularly in ball security and pass protection, however. He fumbled 11 times over his last 597 carries, which is a concern. But both of those are correctable problems that up and coming college backs face all the time as they transition to the pro game.

If the Ravens decide to take Ajayi in the second round, or if he falls to the third, I feel like it would be a solid pickup for a team that doesn’t urgently need a running back at the moment. With Justin Forsett locked in for at least one more year and Lorenzo Taliaferro behind him, the Ravens can afford to take a guy like Jay Ajayi and let him develop for a year.

Next: Our Staff Makes Their Draft Choice For the Ravens

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