I’m very curious to see how the Battlehawks use their running backs because they definitely have a type. Spoiler: They are BIG.
Leddie Brown:
23 years old
6’ 0”
212 lbs
West Virginia 2018-2021
Chargers 4/2022-8/2022
Think of a caricature of a running back in 1980: A big ol’ dude that runs down the middle of the field actively trying to get hit by guys just so he can bash them into the ground.
That’s Leddie Brown pretty much. I’m not knocking him for being the downhill-running guy. I actually love it. He can punish guys who have bad form when they tackle and break through arm tackles. If you’re 23 years old, 6 feet tall, and can run in a straight line at a high level, then that’s great. Be that dude. It’s just not exactly sustainable nor is it super useful on every down and distance.
He’s not going to be doing any runs where he’s juking someone out of their pants. He’s going to try to hit and get hit, and that can be tough on your body. In his last year at West Virginia, he fumbled 6 times. If you’re trying to run through guys, you need to protect the ball better than that.
He also doesn’t get to the edge fast enough and his blitz protection could use some improvement.
Leddie Brown: Bruiser
Mataeo Durant:
23 years old
6’ 1”
195 lbs
Duke 2018-2022
Steelers 4/2022-8/2022
The best thing about Durant is that he gets to the hole quickly and gets through the hole quickly. He’s decisive, stays low, and doesn’t spend time going left and right, just north and south. He has the big-play ability when he gets moving.
Unfortunately, it’s the “getting moving” that can be tough for him. The way Leddie Brown plays can be frustrating because he’s trying to smash his face through a wall. Durant’s style can be frustrating too, because you see him be very decisive but he’s been easy to bring down. He’s also not spectacularly agile which hurts him when he’s trying to make defensive backs miss tackles.
Durant can be very exciting, and when he is, it’s great. When he’s not… it can be aggravating.
Brian Hill:
27 years old
6’ 1”
219 lb
Wyoming 2014-2016
Falcons 2017
Bengals 2017
Falcons 2018-2020
Titans 2021
Browns 2021
49ers 2021
CFL 2022
When I saw Brian Hill on this roster I was like, “Oh yeah, I remember him from fantasy in 2020 and I picked him up for some reason or another and then he did nothing.”
BUT, I’m not going to let that sully my opinion of him now.
27 years old is typically when we see running backs lose some steam. Hill hasn’t exactly had a typical career though. He was in the NFL for 5 years and he only had 209 rushing attempts. From 2017 to 2021, you would look at Hill and think, “Sheesh, this guy must not be very good because he’s not getting any opportunities.”
Now we’re seeing these numbers and saying, “We can get an NFL veteran who is 27 years old, but he has very little wear and tear? I’m in.”
I think Brian Hill has a lot left to give but is running out of time to give it.
Kareem Walker:
24 years old
6’ 2”
225 lbs
Michigan 2016-2017
University of Southern Alabama 2021
Walker is another guy with not much out there.
He committed to Ohio State, then de-committed and committed to Michigan. Now, he was 18 years old then, so I’m personally not going to hold that against him, but if you’re an OSU person, I get it if you’re mad about it.
He said that he wanted to start as a freshman, then he had 20 total carries during the season and transferred to a Community College. Then he transferred to Mississippi State and got no touches, and then he transferred to USA.
Now he’s here.