RB, Clemson
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 210 lbs
Class: Senior
Many were expecting Etienne to declare for the 2020 Draft, but he decided to return to Clemson for his senior season. He would have been my RB1 in the 2020 Draft and nothing has changed here. He’s as close to a can’t-miss prospect as you are going to see at the position. I’m not sure any running backs will make it in the first round this year, but if anyone does it will be Etienne.
You can read more of my 2021 NFL Draft content here.
Strengths
The obvious place to start with Etienne is his outstanding production throughout his college career. His 4,733 career rushing yards is an ACC record and his 68 rushing touchdowns ranks seventh on the all-time list. He also holds the FBS record for consecutive games with a touchdown at 44. This is not just the result of sheer volume as you might expect. Etienne has just 648 carries over the course of a four-year career, an average of 12.4 carries per game.
Etienne has averaged 7.3 yards per attempt throughout his career, with 62 per cent of that coming after contact. His elusiveness is one of his standout traits and he has 204 forced missed tackles, working out at a rate 0.31 per attempt. His rate of 0.43 per attempt in 2019 was the highest rate that Pro Football Focus have ever recorded at the college level.
Etienne has excellent speed to and could potentially run a sub-4.4 40 at the Combine. This makes him a home run threat on every single play and he isn’t going to be caught once he’s reached the open field. He showcases great change of direction ability, with stop-start explosiveness that makes him difficult to contain.
Modern running backs also need to be capable as a receiver and Etienne ticks that box too. He has at least 35 receptions in each of the last two seasons, with 943 receiving yards in that period. His career passer rating when targeted figure is at 127.4 and he has forced 27 missed tackles on 94 receptions. He might not run the most diverse route tree, but his hands and after the catch ability make him a solid receiving weapon.
Weaknesses
Etienne is clearly an excellent player but as always there are areas for improvement. The first and most glaring issue is his vision. He is one of those running backs with a constant focus on the big play and making the home run. The plus side of this is the highlight reel plays and big touchdown runs. The negative is that far too often he ends up running laterally, trying to bounce out when there are yards to be had up the middle. He has succeeded with this approach in college, but more discipline in this regard would benefit his game in the NFL.
The other notable concern will be his ability in pass protection. He doesn’t lack for effort, but his technique can be sloppy and he can be slow to process his blocking assignments. This is a common issue with rookie running backs, but his problems will only be exacerbated at the next level.
It is also notable that he has never had a huge workload in college. This can be viewed as both a positive and a negative, but some teams will be concerned as his ability to take a heavier workload has not been tested.
Bottom Line
Etienne is not the perfect prospect, but he is head and shoulders above the other running backs in this class. His record speaks for itself and his elusiveness and elite speed are always going to be sought after in the NFL. If he can show some improvements to his vision he has the potential to be one of the league’s best running backs.
Big Board Rank: #27
Positional Rank: #1
