Draft Stock - Profiles

Strengths: Tough interior runner. Good vision and patience.
Weaknesses: Lacks elite breakaway speed.

Statline: 1,999 yards from scrimmage and 19 touchdowns as a junior, including 1,681 rushing yards and a 6.4 yards-per-carry average.

Technique: Better between the tackles than outside, but has vision and burst to excel in any system.

Known Injuries: None.

Combine / Workout Assessment: COMING SOON

Analysis: Mendenhall rushed for 155 yards in the Illini’s Rose Bowl loss, then opted to skip his senior season for a shot at the NFL. He’s solid, with a low center of gravity, and while he may not possess jaw-dropping speed to the corner he is more than capable of bursting through the hole and into the secondary. He’s more quick than fast but still picks up yardage in chunks. Mendenhall is also a good receiver and willing pass protector, and that versatility will help him stay on the field in any situation. Aside from his lack of breakaway speed, the knock on Mendenhall will be that he’s only had one productive season; he accumulated just 151 touches in his two previous seasons, but did turn them into 1,104 yards and eight touchdowns. A low-mileage back with Mendenhall’s skills will be a highly sought-after commodity on draft day, and in the right situation he could have the same type of immediate impact as Marshawn Lynch.