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The Jacksonville Jaguars have a lot of options open to them with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. An edge rusher like Derek Barnett could be the move. If Myles Garrett is (miraculously) there, he’s obviously the pick. A versatile defensive lineman like Jonathan Allen or Solomon Thomas is picking up momentum. Heck, even a safety has been predicted to the Jaguars at the top of the first round.
But what about a running back?
The only two backs worthy of a top-five selection are Dalvin Cook and Leonard Fournette and choosing between them is simply a matter of scheme fit and personal preference.
Brett Kollmann of Battle Red Blog put together two scouting videos on Cook and Fournette — enjoy!
Dalvin Cook: The ultimate weapon
According to Kollman, Cook is an incredible prospect and “scheme proof” in today’s NFL.
If you want to run zone, he can run zone. If you are a power-oriented team, he can do that as well. As a receiver, he is just as deadly out of the backfield as guys like David Johnson and Le'Veon Bell. Hell, with his All-World straight line speed he might be even MORE dangerous than those two in the open field, believe it or not.
Bottom line — Dalvin Cook is a scheme proof running back. In today's NFL landscape that focuses on versatility and flexibility, he may just be the ultimate modern offensive weapon.
Leonard Fournette: The human sledgehammer
Fournette grades out higher than Cook and, according to Kollmann, grades out higher than most any draft prospect he’s ever studied.
Blessed with an absolutely terrifying combination of size, speed, and power, Fournette has been able to (mostly) bully his way through the toughest conference in college football for the last three seasons (Alabama not included, of course). His physical skill set is not just rare, it's downright unheard of. 230 pounds, legit 4.4 speed, and enough power to bury single tacklers alive with ruthless aggression — he's got it all.
Simply put, this kid might just be on the great Bo Jackson's level in terms of athletic freakishness. Will he ever match Ezekiel Elliott's rookie season or Adrian Peterson's total career production? That remains to be seen. However, what we do know is this - if there was EVER a running back prospect who could be given the benefit of the doubt just on physical gifts alone, it's Leonard Fournette. He's that special, folks.
What do you think? Who’s the better prospect — Dalvin Cook or Leonard Fournette?