NFL Player News

The Bengals selected Williams in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 182nd overall.

Williams (5-foot-8, 206 pounds) didn't test especially well at the combine, posting satisfactory marks in the 40 (4.51 seconds) and broad jump (121 inches) while struggling in all other regards, but he put up a lot of production at Texas A&M and at the very least brings a hot motor to Cincinnati. He ran for 3,615 yards (6.0 YPC) and 34 touchdowns in 38 career games, adding 66 receptions for 561 yards and a touchdown. Williams does everything at 110 percent effort and should do fine on special teams if that's how he needs to make the final roster.

The Falcons selected Ollison in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 152nd overall.

It always seemed likely Atlanta would add more competition for the backup job behind Devonta Freeman. Ollison joins the mix as a bowling ball of a prospect who shined as a redshirt freshman while filling in for an injured James Conner at Pitt, but then had two disappointing seasons before exploding for 1,213 yards on 6.3 YPC over 14 starts in 2018. At 6-foot-1 and 228 pounds, it wouldn't surprise anyone if he carves out a short-yardage role in Atlanta.

The Cowboys selected Pollard in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 128th overall.

While a disappointing 4.52 40 time initially dinged Pollard's draft stock, the Memphis product followed it up with a 4.3 40 at his pro day and now appears to be headed to a Cowboys team that was known to be in the market for a young backup to Ezekiel Elliott. With Rod Smith gone and practically only Darius Jackson and Jordan Chunn to compete with, Pollard seems to have decent odds of opening the season as one of the more valuable handcuff running backs in fantasy. After averaging a school record 40 yards per kick return, Pollard would also have boosted value in leagues that count all-purpose yards.

The Steelers selected Snell in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 122nd overall.

This pick doesn't make a ton of sense for the Steelers on the surface beyond adding some depth behind James Conner. Snell's production at Kentucky is beyond question -- he rewrote the school's record books with three separate 1,000-yard seasons. He also picked up 48 rushing scores along the way. The question is how his athleticism, or lack thereof, will translate in the NFL. Snell ran a 4.66 40-yard dash at the combine and his 29.5-inch vertical was in the fourth percentile for running backs. He will have to rely on his vision and physical running style to stick in the NFL, but it's unlikely he'll be on a starter's trajectory at any point.

The Ravens selected Hill in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 113th overall.

Hill (5-foot-10, 198 pounds) doesn't project as a workhorse option in the NFL, but the Oklahoma State product has many encouraging indicators working in his favor. His 4.4 speed, 40-inch vertical, and 130-inch broad jump illustrate his top-shelf athleticism, and in his Cowboys career he ran for 3,539 yards (5.6 YPC) and 30 touchdowns in his three collegiate seasons. There are a couple other contextual details that reflect well on Hill. The first is that as a true freshman he started over Chris Carson, who has of course proven his fitness for the NFL, and the other is that Hill increased his weight from 171 pounds that freshman year to the 198-pound combine weight without losing his standout athleticism. Hill had curiously poor pass-catching production in college, catching just 49 passes for 304 yards and one touchdown, though it'd be odd if a player with his physical traits were unable to develop that skill set. Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards and Kenneth Dixon all pose obstacles in the meantime, but running backs of course get hurt and Hill is unlikely to embarrass himself if he gets an opportunity to play. His selection can't be good news for Dixon.

The Vikings selected Mattison in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 102nd overall.

Mattison (5-foot-11, 221 pounds) is a well-built running back who served as a workhorse for Boise State the last two years, totaling 2,501 yards (4.9 YPC) and 29 touchdowns over that span while adding 55 catches for 457 yards and a touchdown. His rushing production was voluminous but not as explosive as the usual Boise State standard -- a player like Jeremy McNichols was far more effective, for instance -- and Mattison lacks speed overall (4.67-second 40). However, he's at least quite strong and offers some short-area burst (127-inch broad jump), so he could provide useful snaps when the Vikings want to keep Dalvin Cook out of harm's way. Assuming the Minnesota running back depth chart remains unchanged moving forward, Mattison is probably the favorite to serve as Cook's backup in 2019, though Mike Boone should not be counted out for the time being.

The Patriots selected Harris in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 87th overall.

The Alabama product was actually the starter over first-rounder Joshua Jacobs in the Crimson Tide backfield in 2017 and 2018. Harris may lack flash -- he ran a 4.57-second 40-yard dash -- but he's a reliable back who never averaged less than 5.8 yards per carry in any of his final three seasons at Alabama. Harris should mix in behind Sony Michel on standard downs, but his pass-catching ability is unproven to where he may not see many third-down snaps early in his career.

The Bills selected Singletary in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 74th overall.

The man nicknamed "Motor" adds some much-needed youth to a Buffalo backfield headlined by LeSean McCoy and Frank Gore. Singletary's production at Florida Atlantic is second to none compared to his fellow running backs in this class. He racked up 66 career rushing touchdowns in three seasons, highlighted by a 32-touchdown campaign in 2017. Singletary (5-foot-7, 203 pounds) uses his low center of gravity to his advantage and is tough for opposing defenses to find in the backfield. He will have to fight for carries early in his career as long as McCoy, For and T.J. Yeldon are in the fold, but the backfield could be Singletary's by 2020.

The Bears selected Montgomery in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 73rd overall.

Montgomery (5-foot-10, 222 pounds) is a runner who can handle a workhorse burden and offers a clear pass-catching upgrade over Jordan Howard. Free agent acquisition Mike Davis won't be easy to knock out of the running back rotation, but Montgomery should be able to force a stalemate in the meantime, and anything can happen once you get your foot in the door. Montgomery's limitation is obvious -- he was not elusive at Iowa State and might struggle to evade tacklers with his 4.63 speed and 28.5-inch vertical jump. Montgomery works best when he can accumulate carry volume and wear the defense thin with his tackle-breaking ability. At the very least, he possesses standout balance, which makes him a nice fit for a Chicago team looking to amplify its defensive strength with the ability to control time of possession. Montgomery is worth approaching in 12-team redraft leagues, though it's tough to guess now where he should go in the draft order. Perhaps the Chicago depth chart will make itself clearer closer to the season. If Davis does get out of the way, Montgomery would have considerable value.

The Eagles selected Sanders in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 53rd overall.

Sanders had to wait behind Saquon Barkley for his chance to start at Penn State, but he was a hit in his lone starting season in 2018, running for 1,274 yards (5.8 YPC) and nine touchdowns while adding 24 receptions for 139 yards. Sanders is untested as a pass catcher and has ball security concerns, but he's an uncommonly springy athlete whose ability to anchor and change direction explosively gives him interesting upside in a mostly nondescript running back class. Sanders (5-foot-11, 211 pounds) demonstrated his plus athleticism with a 4.49-second 40, 124-inch broad jump, and 11.08 agility score. While he is a longshot to earn a featured role in Philadelphia as a rookie, Sanders is a candidate to evenly split snaps with Jordan Howard and Corey Clement in any given game.