The Los Angeles Rams may be looking to add depth at the RB position considering their pre-draft visits. Florida Atlantic RB Devin Singletary is on their list and could be a player the Rams end up drafting. But, is he the right fit?
College Statistics and Honors:
2018: 1,348 rushing yards, 22 touchdowns and averaging 5.2 yards per carry.
Career: 4,287 rushing yards, 66 touchdowns and averaging 6 yards per carry.
Honors: First-Team All-Conference honors (2017). Second-Team AP All-American (2017). Led the nation with 32 rushing touchdowns in 2017. Playing in 38 games in three seasons at Florida Atlantic. Rushing for over 1,000 yards, including rushing for nearly 2,000 yards in 2017, (his Sophomore season).
Strengths:
Leading the nation in rushing touchdowns in 2017, Singletary did impress by 22 touchdowns this past season. Singletary clearly has a knack of finding the end zone. The FAU RB has great field vision. He has a quick sense of short distance acceleration to avoid tackling. Singletary is excels at jump cuts as a result. In other words, don’t let this guy have any room to hit the open field.
In addition to excellent sprinting skills, Singletary has excellent balance. Singletary maintains his balance even after getting hit. As a result, he can become elusive and fights for every yard despite his small frame. His low center of gravity does make him a little more difficult for opposing tacklers to bring him down.
Weaknesses:
Singletary is not the largest RB. At 5’7″ and weighing 203 pounds, he is not a big RB by NFL standards. He ran a 4.66 at during his Pro Day, which is definitely mediocre at best. As for pass protection, Singletary did not do much of it. Identifying who to pick up in the pass rush did challenge him. In addition, Singletary did not catch many passes during his time at FAU. Managing only 26 total receptions in three seasons. It may seem like a luxury, but the NFL does desire more versatile RBs.
Although Singletary is a finesse runner in sprints, he lacks stamina for long-term speed. This is likely what concerns most teams. This limits Singletary’s usage, and there are other factors that limit his production already.
Draft Projection:
Singletary will likely go in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. As a third or fourth string backup to Todd Gurley and Malcolm Brown, he can flourish in limited playtime. He could come in when both need a quick breather or serve as a substitute should an injury arise. Gurley’s knee problems are a concern too if true. Singletary could be a good insurance policy if Gurley’s knee becomes a problem again in 2019.
Sources: NFL.com, Sports-reference.com
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