Detroit Lions Draft: Early Seven Round Mock

Oct 17, 2014; Boise, ID, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Jay Ajayi (27) runs for a first down during the second half verses the Fresno State Bulldogs at Albertsons Stadium. Boise State defeated Fresno State 37-27. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports

Round Three

Jay Ajayi – Running Back – Boise State

Strengths:

Jay Ajayi is a very explosive back who is extremely light on his feet and has superb acceleration and quickness. His ability to cut on a dime and make defenders miss while maintaining his speed will continue to make scouts keep a close eye on him as the season progresses.

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Ajayi has a strong lower base and doesn’t stop driving his legs into the ground until the final whistle blows. He welcomes contact and muscles through it to gain plenty of yards after contact.

Ajayi simply just makes plays whenever he has the ball, and also makes a huge impact in the passing game as well.

Weaknesses:

Ajayi’s aggressive running style can get the best of him at times. I’d often see Ajayi hold the ball with his inside arm when bouncing to the outside, and his issues with ball security may be a turn off for some teams.

As a blocker, he is extremely poor in pass protection. There were a few plays I noticed where Ajayi was lined up with a defender and completely whiffed on the block entirely, leaving his QB out to dry. He has a lot of work to do in this area of his game.

Why He Fits:

This may be the best running back class we’ve seen in a while, and Jay Ajayi stands out as a solid day two option for the Lions. He provides a nice balance of speed and power that the Lions could use to eventually replace Bush in a couple of years.

The running back position for the Lions has underachieved all year aside from Theo Riddick, and it’s about time they start looking for some more young talent.

Game Tape:
Jay Ajayi vs. Ole Miss (2014)

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