Carlos Hyde is one running back that has stayed on most NFL teams’ radar leading up to the draft. Hyde is a bruiser who played 4 years at Ohio St and is one of several tailbacks looking to get a sack full of cash very soon. Actually NFL teams probably use direct deposit nowadays. Be that as it may, Hyde is about to hit the big leagues and improve his family’s financial status radically.
Mr. Hyde had 100-plus rushing yards in nine straight games in 2013. He racked up 15 touchdowns and averaged 7.3 yards a carry. Not shabby at all. In 2012 he had an ankle injury that cost the young man two games. In 2011 he played in every single game for the Buckeyes. Hyde has the numbers to give GMs something to think over before the draft. With over 1500 yards in 2013, it is obvious he has what it takes to make it in the NFL. He just needs to prepare like a pro and stay out of trouble off the field.
There are reports that Hyde scored a 9 on the Wonderlic test. That is a bad score any way you look at it. That is another area of concern, but running backs do not have to be able to do advanced trigonometry. They need only to run the ball effectively and move the chains.
Hyde had some impressive stats while at “The” Ohio St University in his final year in college football. He rambled for over 1500 yards as a senior. If a team is in need of a finesse runner, then Mr. Hyde is not the guy. He is a mash em up type runner with a quick slash or two when he needs it. His YouTube highlight reel is full of outstanding runs and he is plowing over defenders on almost every single play. On one goal line play it looked like a Clemson linebacker got lodged in Hyde’s face mask after unsuccessfully trying to stop his forward progress. “Grown man” is certainly an appropriate description of Carlos Hyde. He is not going to do much stepping out of bounds in the NFL. Grown men like Mr. Hyde seem to enjoy physical contact.
One blemish on the former Buckeye’s record came in an off the field incident. Hyde was charged with assaulting a female at a local bar and was eventually suspended for three games by Urban Meyer. Even though the charges were later dropped, NFL teams do not overlook such things. They go over every aspect of these draftees’ lives with a fine toothed comb. After all, the teams are investing a considerable amount of shackles in these players. If a guy has had issues with any criminal activity they need to be aware of it, to protect themselves from a situation like the Patriots had with Aaron Hernandez. That guy ended up being an alleged serial killer. The Pats definitely missed some things Hernandez did in college that could have saved them some money had they dug deeper. I am not comparing Carlos Hyde to Aaron Hernandez, but any off the field issues are taken seriously by NFL teams about to sign multi-year contracts.
As far as Hyde being a fit for certain teams, that is not a problem. With his skill set I think he could start immediately on a team without a true go to runner. He is certainly built to take the punishment week in and week out. Almost all five teams set to draft early, could use a running back, excluding Houston. Hyde is projected by some experts to be the second best RB in the draft this year. Who knows what could happen on draft day, though as there are two teams with high picks that should not have them. Atlanta and Houston were expected to compete for a Super Bowl in 2013. When their seasons fell apart, they ended up at the top of a list that is not a proud place to be. So it is hard to say what teams like the Texans and Falcons might try to do when they were supposed to be loaded with talent already.
Hyde is no slouch judging just his numbers. He has plenty of stats to back up his goal of being a high first round pick. One of his best games was against Michigan last year so he can step up in big games. However there are those that would make the case that playing for Ohio St is not that hard given the easy schedule they have in their own conference. The Big Ten is honestly considered a joke by fans in the SEC. Ohio State’s habit of getting destroyed by SEC teams in the National Title game has not helped the rep of the conference. If I were a GM in the NFL and were choosing between Tre Mason and Carlos Hyde I would take Mason based mostly on the competition he faced in the SEC at Auburn. There is a big difference in running against Georgia, Florida, or South Carolina versus racking up yards versus Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota. The NFL is the most competitive place for football on Earth, but the SEC is second in most folks’ eyes.
Hyde is not going to set any speed records, but he can get the job done without breakaway ability. He has the body of a veteran NFL back so no team has to beef him up. He is not what you call elusive but he can shake a tackler here and there when he needs to. Most of the time he prefers to just mash tacklers into the turf and be on his way. The biggest concern is his competition level in college. He did not play elite defenses, like the SEC running backs are up against. But he did play great against the teams that he faced each week. That is all he could do in reality. He can only play the teams on his schedule.
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