STRENGTHS
D’Onta reminds me a lot of LeGarrette Blount. He’s a power running back with
quick feet to make the necessary cuts in the whole and to break tackles. He has
good speed and inside the red zone he’s a touchdown maker able to run with the
pad level and leverage that allows him to move the pile. He is very discipline
when he runs, moving forward, following blocks and looking for mistakes in a
defenses gap control and making them pay for it. D’Onta shows excellent hand/eye
coordination to catch balls out of the back field and easily handles tosses on
sweeps. D’Onta doesn’t strike you or give you the impression on film of being a
big play back. But that is deceiving because all he does is gain over 100 yards
most every game and score touchdowns once his team is past the 50 yard line.
D’Onta is a really good running back and with a few improvements to his overall
game his running style suggest that he could be a franchise back and last longer
than most running backs last in the NFL.
CONCERNS
D’Onta must become a better blocker in the passing game. Right now he does an
“ok job” getting in the way but he is not aggressive enough and doesn’t hold his
blocks long enough. He has to do more than just get in the way of a blitzing LB
and be more aggressive when helping out his offensive line or they won’t block
for him! D’Onta also has to eliminate fumbling. He has a bad habit of (after he
breaks a tackle) holding the ball out and that means his opponent will see that
on film and attack him with 1st man in wrap up him up, 2nd man in strip the
ball. If he wants to be the 4 minute back for his team, working the clock in the
4th quarter he cannot fumble the ball. If he does he will be sitting on the
bench because he is not a break a way, running with lightning like speed…
player.
BOTTOM LINE
When you watch D’Onta on film he is a bit boring and methodical gaining five
yards a carry and once in a while breaking a play and gaining a chuck of yards.
He just doesn’t give you the TREAT of a big play back. Nevertheless as the game
goes on those five yards total out to over 100 yards for the game and scoring 2
or more touchdowns and you have to go back to the film to figure out how the
hell he gained 100 yards and scored 2 touchdowns? Then you start to watch the
film and you appreciate his quick foot ability to magnify the mistakes in the
lack of gap control of your defense. Then you watch and you realize how much he
falls forward for two yards on almost every carry. Then you see him bounce the
play outside but still go north/south and not go east/west. Then you appreciate
his ability to out run players once he is past the 50 yard line and score a
touchdown or move the chains on third downs. It seems that every time this kid
carries the ball he makes positive yardage and sometimes in chunks. So he’s not
a big play running back, he’s just a big “positive play” running back. I’ll take
that any day.
Drew Boylhart
MAR.2017
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