Christine Michael RB Texas A&M #33
Wt: 221
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Size/Athleticism: Prototypical size and all-around athleticism for a feature back.
Vision: Demonstrates the vision to be a strong between-the-tackles runner, but trusts his athleticism too much. He tries to create too much on his own and needs to do a better just of taking whats given him. But when he isn’t trying to be Barry Sanders, he’s does have the ability to be very patient and wait for the hole to open up.
Power: Willing to lower his shoulder to pick up some tough yards. He does a great job running low to the ground and using leverage to deflect would-be tacklers. He can hit holes with a burst, and at his size he’s tough to slow down on first contact. Even when he’s well contained, he’s able to fall forward or push the pile for a yard or two. Never stops moving once he hits the hole; he keeps his legs churning and consistently picks up the extra yardage that can really add up over the course of a game.
Speed/Agility: He’s deceptively fast and can pick up chucks of yards when he gets into the open field. Sneaky athleticism. He’ll slip through some holes between the tackles that you don’t expect a guy his size to be able to maneuver through. Gets out of control occasionally, he’ll lose his balance on a spin move sometimes, or when trying to juke a defender at full speed.
Passing Game: Contributes as a receiver, but needs to work on his technique. He catches with his body a lot, and at the next level he’ll have more contested passes and be more likely have them broken up. He’s not a great athlete when it comes to adjusting to the ball. He has the perfect compact build for a feature back, but it definitely hinders his fluid athleticism and ability to adjust to poorly thrown balls. Has the size to be a much better blocker than he’s shown. It appears to simply stem from a lack of effort and dedication to learning the nuances of being successful in pass protection.
Intangibles: By his own admission, struggled to get along with coaching staff in 2012 and wasn’t happy with his role in the offense. To his credit, he has publicly owned up to his mistakes in handling the situation and spoke openly about how he needs to improve in this area at the combine. Worked hard to come back two major injuries.
Durability: Suffered season-ending broken leg in 2010. Suffered season-ending turn ACL in 2011.
Comments: Michael’s stock will depend a lot on how he checked out medically and how he handles himself in interviews. He didn’t respond well to a change in offensive philosophy at Texas A&M during his senior year and it resulted in him effectively being benched in the final game of his career (zero carries in the Cotton Bowl). Ignoring the off-field stuff (injuries and character), a case could be made for Michael as the most talented all-around running back in this class – and worst, he’s right behind Eddie Lacy. If a team is comfortable with his medical report and the “coachability” concerns, he could definitely be given a shot to earn a starting role and contribute in a big way from day one. But when you factor in these concerns, he is definitely a bust risk.