Out of curiosity RNATB, did you want Perine?
Am I forcing you to have an all-guy-you-don’t-want draft?
I started this draft with 2.04 and 2.06… and the only pick I’ve actually used in the second round is 2.05.
So I had to pick between Perine and Foreman. I own both Miller and Kelley, so both of them are handcuffs and potential usurpers for me. So it came down purely to predictions.
Foreman is clearly the better athletic freak, and that jumps out immediately. He’s got the higher ceiling. He’s faster, he’s got better acceleration, and all the shit that could make him a top end RB.
Perine doesn’t have any exceptional physical attributes. He’s not that fast, not that quick to accelerate, not that quick to change direction, not much lateral agility. He does have top tier balance, though. Look at this - yes, it’s a highlight video, but the non-highlight videos show something similar. Guys are knocking off of him left and right and he never loses his balance or sense of direction and always falls forward.
Another thing that impresses is that he basically always picks the right move to beat a guy. Almost every single time he makes the right call on how to approach a defender. When to try to juke, when to try to bull rush them, when to sidestep, when to simply try to dive around them and fall forward for another yard. His vision at the line seems pretty good, but once he’s through the line he basically always picks the best way to beat the second level defenders.
He’s also clearly very strong. He plays with a low center of gravity with short steps and generating good power through his lower body. He pushes through a shit load of arm tackles and has the strength to always fall forward even through a gang tackle. The CG/leg power actually makes him look a decent bit like MJD.
Most of Foreman’s highlights involve him running really fast through huge holes a dominant O-line opened up for him. He rarely displays special skills or savvy as a runner - almost all of what makes him impressive is simply a big guy running really fast. Which isn’t to say that can’t work - Jamal Lewis would be a good comparison if Foreman can adapt to the pro game - but he’s a guy who clearly got by on a good situation and physical talent, where the pro game needs savvy. Perine clearly already has that savvy.
Which isn’t to say that Perine is a way better prospect. I think Foreman has a chance to have a much better career with a higher ceiling, but has a higher bust potential because he hasn’t displayed skill outside of being big and fast. Perine seems like the sort of high floor guy who’ll carve out a career somewhere because he can always generate positive plays even if his average to below average physical attributes keep him from ever being a top guy.
FWIW, though, Foreman has looked way better in the preseason than Perine which is scary but a very limited sample size.