RB, UCLA
Height: 5’8″
Weight: 189 lbs
Class: rs-Senior
Felton was not one of the biggest names in college football, but he put himself on the map with his performance at the Senior Bowl. He looked excellent throughout and will have shot up draft boards everywhere as a result. He offers a truly unique skillset, with the ability to play either running back or wide receiver in the NFL.
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Strengths
Felton is without question the best receiving back in the 2021 class. He actually began his college career at wide receiver, before transitioning to running back in 2019. UCLA liked to use him as part of their receiving game and Felton accounted for 92 targets through the past two seasons. He is comfortable running routes out of the backfield, or being flexed out wide.
Whilst he showed encouraging signs as a receiver in his college career, his work at the Senior Bowl was particularly impressive. He took part in the wide receiver drills and stole the show. His ability to run a diverse route tree and to consistently create separation against defensive backs is a huge plus point. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Felton ends up as a starting slot receiver in the NFL.
He has the hands too and is more than comfortable making catches outside of his frame. Whilst his lack of size means he will obviously never be a contested catch receiver, he rarely drops the ball. Felton has logged just four drops on his 80 catchable passes since the start of 2019. His ball skills and security extend to the running game two, where he has just two fumbles on his 234 career carries.
On the ground, Felton is a shifty runner, with quick feet and elusiveness. He’s not going to power through contact, but his stop/start ability and quick change of direction mean that he routinely makes his opponents miss in space. In 2020 he logged 42 forced missed tackles on his 154 touches, with 14 in a single game against Arizona. He also showed that he can handle a higher workload this season, accounting for 20+ carries in four of his six games.
Weaknesses
The obvious concern with Felton is his lack of size. At just 5’9″ and 189 lbs he is undersized as a running back and he will likely struggle to acclimatise to the physicality of the NFL. Whilst he showed he can force defenders to miss, he isn’t going to plough through defenders. His lack of size means he isn’t much of a force on runs between the tackles either.
The other concern is his ability in pass protection. It wasn’t for a lack of effort, but Felton was a liability as a blocker. At his size, this isn’t something that is likely to improve either. All of this points to a player whose future is at receiver, but that comes with its own problems. As impressive as Felton was at the Senior Bowl, his experience as an actual receiver remain limited. He played just 27 snaps out wide or in the slot this season.
Bottom Line
Felton is one of the most interesting projections in the draft. He will be coveted by teams who use their backs in the passing game, but his lack of size and strength raises questions about his ability to play as a running back in the NFL. He is elusive though, and the kind of player who can create opportunities with the ball in his hands. I think that a switch to slot receiver makes a lot of sense and would best utilise Felton’s strengths at the next level.
Big Board Rank: #99
Positional Rank: #7
