Wednesday, April 12, 2000
Alexander may be first back drafted
Bengals like ex-Boone star, but so do others
BY Neil Schmidt
The Cincinnati Enquirer
As many as four running backs could be taken in the top half of the first round. Ask the 31 teams to rank their favorites, you'll get 31 flavors.
“It's like ice cream. Everybody has a different flavor,” Bengals running backs coach Jim Anderson said.
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TOP RUNNING BACKS
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• 1. Thomas Jones, Virginia. At 5-foot-10, 216 pounds, he's quick and compact. Rushed for 1,798 yards this season. Has been likened to Emmitt Smith.
• 2. Shaun Alexander, Alabama. The Boone County High School grad isn't a physical back, but he has the best all-around ability combining rushing, blocking and pass-catching.
• 3. Jamal Lewis, Tennessee. After a fabulous freshman year (1,364 rushing yards) in 1998, injuries limited him to playing four games as a sophomore and just 816 rushing yards this fall. Could be big hit or big bust.
• 4. Ron Dayne, Wisconsin. The NCAA career rushing leader and Heisman Trophy winner could slip to the second half of the first round. Has had trouble controlling weight; he's currently 259 pounds.
• 5. J.R. Redmond, Arizona State. Strong all-around athlete who can run, catch, return punts and kickoffs and fill in as a defensive back. Not a franchise player, though.
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There's Thomas Jones of Virginia, the Emmitt Smith clone. Alabama's Shaun Alexander, the all-around talent from Boone County. Jamal Lewis, the enigmatic talent from Tennessee. And Ron Dayne, the bullheaded ballcarrier who won the Heisman Trophy.
“Everyone has basically the same group of guys, but they're going to fall in a different order depending on what you're looking for,” Alexander said. “They're all pretty close.”
The Bengals seemingly would be in the market for one of the big four only if they trade Corey Dillon.
Alexander is an intriguing possibility, a local-boy-makes-good scenario.
“Shaun hangs out here a little bit,” said Jim Lippincott, the Bengals' director of pro/college personnel. “Not only is he a very, very good player, but he's a delightful human being.”
Alexander set 17 school records and earned Southeastern Conference Player of the Year honors this fall. He rushed for 1,383 yards, with 323 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns.
Jones is considered more likely to be the first back taken. The first-team All-American rushed for 1,798 yards last year.
Lewis is a powerful runner whose career has been dogged by injuries. Yet he could have the most potential.
The 5-foot-10, 259-pound Dayne, who set the NCAA's career rushing record, could be the last of the four taken because he occasionally has had trouble controlling his weight.
Miami University's Travis Prentice has been pegged the fifth- or sixth-best tailback available and could be a late first-rounder. If he's not, Cleveland might make him the first player picked in the second round.
The University of Cincinnati's Robert Cooper could be drafted later.
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