Mikel LeShoure Scouting Report

Running back Mikel Leshoure, while relatively unknown a season ago, is now widely considered a top prospect at his position due to his fantastic combination of size and speed.

Leshoure is a tough runner with fast feet and a tremendous burst. He hits top speed very quickly and for his height, he is a powerful runner who can break through tackles. This running back draft class does not have many backs who could potentially carry a big workload, but Leshoure is one of them.

There aren't many knocks on him yet but that mainly has to do with him being under the radar. 2010 was his only big season. There are concerns about weight and him maintaining it. On third downs, he will need to develop in his pass protection, but he does do very well catching the ball with soft hands and getting upfield. His biggest flaw may be always trying to go for the big play. If he can't get going north and south, he tries to force the play by running east and west. Also during his freshman year, he got into an altercation with a teammate and ended up with a broken jaw.

Leshoure is a good one-cut runner as he doesn't make big sudden movements to find daylight. He puts his cleat in the ground, finds a path and runs at it hard. What will make him successful at the next level is his ability to keep his feet moving after contact and through traffic. The comparison is a bit obvious, but former Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall displays this same talent and has really blossomed for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In this year's draft class, many teams don't have a pressing need at running back as teams have moved toward a more specialized group of runners rather than relying on a single back. This has pushed the premium value on running backs down. Leshoure is projected as a late-first round to second round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.