Bernman wrote:midranger wrote:He looks slow to me.
He's not. Runs a 4.49 and breaks away from people.
Productive back - Ran for 1,734 yards on 6.1 ypc this past year
Value - Scott Wright graded him as a 2nd or 3rd round back. His #5 back overall.
Balls2TheWalls wrote:McGinn:
5. JOHNATHAN FRANKLIN, UCLA (5-10, 200, 4.50, 3) - Came out of South Central L.A. to break Gaston Green's school record with 4,403 yards (5.6) in 788 carries. His goal is to become mayor of Los Angeles. "What a great kid," said Phil Savage, executive director of the Senior Bowl and former Browns GM. "He's a team player. There's no downside to taking him on your team. I really like him as a role contributor." Runs hard for his size. "Good little back," one scout said. "He's small and slow. You like the vision and run instincts and production. But he's not a starter." Also caught 58 passes for 517 (8.9). "Nice little player," said another scout. "Not overly fast. He's just got great vision and just makes yards. Understands angles. Plays hard."
I'm really surprised by the comments about his speed. There are extensive videos of his carries in college, and his speed looks very good. He had the 4th best 40 time amongst RBs at the combine this year at 4.49. What are people expecting? If he ran a 4.39, he would have shot up in the draft and would have likely been a 1st round pick because 4.4 speed (or less) is elite for RBs and he clearly has excellent running instincts and is a threat as a receiver. Anything under 4.5 is quite good for an NFL RB with clear instincts and skills for the position, even if he is only in the 205-210 range in terms of weight.
I think we got a steal because his abilities as a rusher and receiver are clear, but scouts, apparently, downgraded him due to a lack of speed that really isn't all that apparent.
Here is how Franklin matches up to LeSean McCoy athletically. Also, McCoy's numbers are from his pro day compared to Franklin's numbers which are from the combine.
Height: 5100
Weight: 205
40 Yrd Dash: 4.46
20 Yrd Dash: 2.53
10 Yrd Dash: 1.54
225 Lb. Bench Reps: 18
Vertical Jump: 31 1/2
Broad Jump: 09'07"
20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.31
3-Cone Drill: 6.89
Height: 5103
Weight: 204
40 Yrd Dash: 4.50
20 Yrd Dash: 2.59
10 Yrd Dash: 1.52
225 Lb. Bench Reps: 17
Vertical Jump: 29
Broad Jump: 08'11"
20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.18
3-Cone Drill: 6.82
Beyond that, ESPN has had ongoing articles about the potential impact of draft picks.
Franklin is lighter (by 26 pounds) and faster than Lacy (a 4.49 time in the 40-yard dash versus 4.6). Those attributes helped make Franklin one of college football's most prolific breakaway tailbacks over the past two seasons, but you might also be surprised with how nifty of a runner he was as well.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, Franklin accumulated 30 rushes of 20 or more yards since the start of the 2011 season, tying with Wisconsin's Montee Ball for the most in the FBS over that period. Last season, meanwhile, he averaged 7.4 yards per carry on runs outside of the tackles. That average was substantially higher than Ball (6.2) and Lacy (4.5), among most other college runners.
But Franklin didn't amass those runs as a speedster. As the chart shows, he ranked fourth in college football last season with 765 yards after first contact. He also led the country with 23 broken tackles, based on ESPN Stats & Information analysis.
http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_ ... n-franklin
In watching the extensive highlights of Franklin on youtube, I am really surprised he lasted until the 4th. He shows high level instincts and vision to go along with very good receiving abilities. Beyond all of that, he clearly has the speed to finish runs or receptions for big gains or TDs.
