Wayne Gallman, Clemson

Height: 6’0”
Weight: 215 lbs.
40-yard dash: 4.60 seconds
3-Cone drill: 7.17 seconds
Broad jump: 10’0”

As mentioned in my wide receiver scouting reports, I always start watching running backs in order of their consensus ranking in the industry. I’ll start by saying that Gallman shouldn’t be as low as he is. His consensus ranking was the No. 10 running back, but I’d argue that he should be considered a top six prospect at the position.

Gallman was definitely overshadowed by Mike Williams and Deshaun Watson while playing in Clemson, but it’s quite possible that all of them made each other look better. He is a natural football player who plays with a certain amount of excitement. He’s a solid runner, solid receiver, and is more than willing to throw a block on a blitzing linebacker. When NFL teams are looking for a potential solution at their running back position, Gallman could be the answer.

Starting with his awareness, Gallman changes his approach to the line of scrimmage depending on game situation, and while this may seem like a no-brainer, most running backs have one mentality when handed the ball. When backed up to the goal line, Gallman puts his head down and hits the hole hard. But when in between the 20’s, he isn’t afraid to be a bit more patient, and sometimes bounces runs outside looking for a cutback option. With that being said, his speed is the biggest concern at the NFL level, as he may not be able to make it to the edge.

Upon initial contact Gallman doesn’t go down, but rather bounces off defenders. He was a coach’s dream fighting for extra yards, especially when watching his game tape against Alabama, a team that caused a lot of running backs problems. There are also times in the open field where Gallman will lower his shoulder and completely run over a defensive back. Plain and simple, he’s not the easiest guy to tackle. Considering his lack of speed, it’s an area where he needed to impress.

As mentioned earlier, he’s able to get it done as a receiver, too. He wasn’t asked to do very much in the receiving game, but when he did, he made some plays. His hands are solid enough to stay on the field for third-down, but his blocking will require some work. He is a very willing blocker that can make some great plays, but he will also whiff on a blocking assignment at times because he drops his helmet sooner than he should. This seems like it should be an easy fix, making Gallman a solid three-down running back.

Potential landing spot

There are plenty of teams that will be waiting at running back this year, and Gallman is the type of running back that you can draft in anticipation of the future, or someone that’ll be good enough to contribute right away. An intriguing spot for him to land would be the 49ers, as Carlos Hyde hasn’t been exactly what you would call durable in his first few seasons. It also worked quite well for Kyle Shanahan to use multiple running backs in Atlanta, so he could contribute right now. The reason it makes sense is because he would be a luxury pick for them later in the draft, as they have a lot of necessity picks in the first two days of the NFL Draft. The Colts are also a team that could build their defense early in the draft, taking Gallman later as a potential Frank Gore replacement.

NFL comparison

It was really disappointing to see how slow Gallman ran the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine (did improve to 4.56 seconds at his pro day) but it also made me think about which player he reminded me of, and that’s the Jaguars T.J. Yeldon. His measurables are nearly identical through the 40-yard dash and 3-cone drill, though Gallman looks quicker on tape, while Yeldon is a bigger body. Both are not the easiest backs to bring down, using spin moves and bouncing off defenders. Gallman is a bit more elusive, but similar to Yeldon, he may lack the speed to be a truly elite option in the NFL.

To read up on some of the other high-profile NFL Draft prospects, check out the links below:

Leonard Fournette – (RB, LSU)
Joe Mixon – (RB, Oklahoma)
Christian McCaffrey – (RB, Stanford)
Dalvin Cook – (RB, Florida State)
Alvin Kamara – (RB, Tennessee)
D’Onta Foreman – (RB, Texas)

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Mike Tagliere is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeTagliereNFL.