clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

NFL Draft Profile: Tyler Badie

Tyler Badie is a perfect mid-round target for a team needing a running back who can play three downs.

NCAA Football: Missouri at Arkansas Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
NCAA Football: Senior Bowl Practice Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

Profile:

Name: Tyler Badie

Position: RB

Age: 23 (02/07/1999)

Height: 5 foot 8 inches

Weight: 197 lbs.

Arm Length: 29 3/8”

Hand Length: 9 1/8”

Draft Projection: 3rd to 5th Round


NFL: Scouting Combine Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Pro Day Measurables:

40-Yard Dash: 4.45

Vertical Jump: 33.5

Broad Jump: 121’

Player Comparison: Kenneth Gainwell (PHI), Darren Sproles, Maurice-Jones Drew


College Statistics:

Games Played: 46

Total Starts: 12

Career Carries: 513

YPC: 5.3

Total Rushing Yards: 2,740

Rushing TD’s: 23

Total Receiving Yards: 1,149

Receiving TD’s: 11


College Accolades:

  • 2021 Walter Camp, Sporting News, 247Sports, CBS Sports All-America (second team)
  • 2021 PFF All-America (third team)
  • 2021 AP, Coaches’ All-SEC (first team)
  • 2021 USA TODAY All-SEC Team
  • 2019 SEC All Academic Team
  • 2018 SEC All-Freshman Team

Overview

Strengths:

Adequate decisiveness to process the front and hit it. Maintains optimal spacing from defenders as inside runner. Relaxed runner to shoot through tight creases. Low center of gravity with plus contact balance. Open-field burst catches pursuit off-guard. Two fumbles lost on 513 carries. Experience to run expanded route tree to exploit matchups. Catches with natural hands inside/outside the frame. Difficult to bring him down quickly after the catch.

Weaknesses:

Runs in segments rather than one continuous flow. Below-average “one-cut” talent for outside zone. Fails to recognize back-side cutback opportunities. More reactive than proactive setting up tacklers. Not built for tough, short-yardage carries. Lacks size and strength to drive through arm tackles. Could struggle to stand in and deliver in blitz protection.

Outlook: Badie came to Columbia, MO as a relatively unknown three star running back out of Memphis and immediately made his presence known, forcing his way onto the field as a true freshman. This itself would normally be an outstanding feat, but to find a way to secure a sizeable amount of the workload with two entrenched, talented running backs in Damarea Crockett and Larry Rountree III is a different kind of deal.

After his freshman season and into his sophomore and junior seasons, Badie became the lightning to Larry Rountree’s thunder. He was the all-purpose back who was pretty effective on the ground, but out of the backfield and in space was a deadly pass catching threat. He kind of got “typecasted” by some because he wasn’t asked to ever carry the load for a team. It was never his fault, but just a symptom of the depth at running back during his tenure at Missouri. That said, in 2019 and 2020, with two totally different play callers, the Missouri offense felt like it was better when Tyler Badie was a bigger part of the gameplan. There were even times where Drinkwitz acknowledged as such. In 2021 though, his usage was far from an issue.

He was the SEC’s leader in rushing yards, scrimmage yards, and total touchdowns. #2 in carries, too. He did all of this in the best conference in football, and a lack of any semblance of a vertical passing threat. There was nothing defenses had to worry about except stopping Tyler Badie, and they still could not do so. He was the best running back in college football when you weigh the circumstances, and the only reason he didn’t receive more attention was because he was on a 6-6 team. Take Tyler Badie off of the 2021 Missouri Tigers and you’re pretty damn close to a 2 win team.

I’m not betting against Tyler Badie at the next level. I’m just not.

He has the perfect set of traits that make him attractive to teams as a three down back. His receiving skills will be attractive to teams. He has a relatively low level of wear and tear on his body. He’s played elite competition, and he’s done it through the transitions of a new coaching staff in a pandemic. He’s by no means a perfect prospect, but Badie is a perfect mid round candidate that could have immediate value for a team.