FanPost

Why I think Burkhead was a steal.




Okay, I keep hearing that Rex Burkhead is destined for the practice squad or to be cut. I disagree.

He didn't play a full season his senior year due to an injury, but it wasn't a major injury (knee sprain). If you go back and look at his 2011 stats, he's a solid RB:

-284 attempts for 1357 yards (4.8 avg) and 15 TDs.

-Caught 21 passes for 177 yards and 2 TDs.

-He also threw 3 TD passes (in 2010), which indicates he can run a HB Option play with decent accuracy on a pass.

The kid is tough, and he is difficult to take down. I'm probably the only person who would say this based on what I've seen of him: I would be comfortable with him being the starter if necessary.

In 2012 he increased his YPC to 6.9, gaining 675 yards on only 98 attempts. He also made the longest rush of his career that season, with a 73 yarder. He did not play a full season in 2012, which is why he was available in the 6th round. Had he played a full season,I'm fairly confident he would have been picked up by someone as early as round 3 or 4 (round 4 most likely). We got him in the 6th round, and I think he was a steal for where we got him at.

Best RB in this draft class? No, I wouldn't go that far.

Much better than he's being given credit for? Absolutely.

If you're one of those people who needs measurables, here are his combine stats:

40 Yard Dash: 4.73 seconds (improved to 4.54 at his pro day, which is .01s slower than Bernard's 40 time)

Bench Press: 21 reps (No. 13 overall)

Vertical Jump: 39" (No. 2 overall)

Broad Jump: 10'5" (No. 2 overall)

3 Cone Drills: 6.85 (No. 4 overall)

20-yard Shuttle: 4.09 seconds (No. 2 overall)

60-yard Shuttle: 11.51 seconds (No. 2 overall)

Notice that the only stats he was not in the top 5 (out of 37 RBs) in were the 40 yard dash and bench press.

I know combine performance isn't everything. How a player performs during a game is more important. Fortunately, Burkhead's game tape backs him up in that regard too.

You'll see during pre-season. This kid was an absolute steal in the 6th round.

Mayock's comments: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svoH64zKoeM

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Cincy Jungle's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan, which is as important as the views of Cincy Jungle's writers or editors.