The 2025 working again class is deep. There are a number of worthy candidates to go in Spherical 1, many starting-quality working backs on Day 2 with some upside — and even pool of Day 3 working backs that may fill out a backfield. Each group might take a look at this pool of working backs and determine one that matches their context.
One in every of my favourite working backs on Day 3 is South Carolina’s Raheim Sanders, who will in all probability fall additional than he ought to due to the depth of this class. Right here’s what you want to learn about Sanders:
Background
When Sanders was popping out of highschool as a four-star recruit, he had loads of curiosity. Sanders had 36 gives, together with from SEC colleges like Tennessee, Auburn, South Carolina and Ole Miss. Sanders dedicated to a distinct SEC faculty, Arkansas, the place he performed three seasons.
After not taking part in a lot as a freshman, Sanders broke out in his sophomore 12 months in 2022. In 13 video games, Sanders had 222 carries, 1,443 yards (6.5 yards per carry), and 10 dashing touchdowns. Alongside his dashing manufacturing, Sanders additionally had 28 catches, 271 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Sanders made first-team All-SEC for the Related Press.
Sadly for Sanders, his 2023 didn’t go as nicely. Sanders struggled with shoulder accidents all season, finally resulting in a torn labrum and surgical procedure. Sanders solely performed six video games, and his manufacturing cratered to 62 carries, 209 yards (3.4 yards per carry) and two touchdowns.
Sanders entered the switch portal in 2024, the place he was nonetheless a four-star switch prospect. Sanders had curiosity from most SEC colleges, however selected South Carolina, citing that it was nearer to residence and South Carolina’s offensive coordinator was with him at Arkansas.
Sanders had a robust bounce-back season. He performed 12 video games and produced 183 carries, 881 yards (4.8 YPC), and 11 touchdowns. Sanders additionally had 27 catches, 316 yards, and two receiving touchdowns, making second-team All-SEC.
Sanders measured in at 6’0 and 217 lbs. He examined nice within the 40-yard sprint with a 4.46 40-yard sprint. He additionally confirmed nice explosiveness with a 36.5-inch vertical and 10-foot broad bounce. One regarding space that reveals up on movie is Sanders’ lack of agility. His 7.39 3-cone drill and 4.49 quick shuttle confirmed issues I had watching him.
Strengths and weaknesses
The very best trait Sanders has is his open-field velocity and explosiveness. In a straight line, Sanders appears launched from a cannon and darts upfield with elite acceleration. If he’s capable of get previous your entrance, Sanders can flip any play into a protracted landing. He maintains excessive velocity from the second he receives the handoff, however can construct up velocity in open area.
Sanders is greatest on inside or hole runs the place he can preserve his shoulders sq., choose a spot to run by, solely should make one reduce after which flip upfield. Sanders has good imaginative and prescient and sufficient juice to bounce runs.
One underrated factor about Sanders is his short-yardage skill. He has the scale and physicality to push piles and create first downs. Regardless of being shorter, Sanders is a compact athlete who performs bodily. Contemplating a group will run energy runs with Sanders, the flexibility to win in short-yardage conditions is essential.
One underrated factor about Sanders is his catching skill. He’s too stiff ever to run routes like Alvin Kamara or Christian McCaffrey, however as an outlet out of the backfield, he confirmed delicate fingers, good area imaginative and prescient and has the velocity to create huge performs from the flat. Sanders can also be huge and good in go safety. Positive, Sanders received’t essentially win on choice routes, however as an additional protector who can leak beneath and create huge performs, quarterbacks will belief him.
Sanders’ greatest weak spot by far is his stiffness. Sanders will battle in zone schemes — notably from shotgun — which ask him to have the ability to play with completely different pacing and speeds as he reads blocks. Sanders does have “fly-by” transfer the place he hits the brakes and lets defenders overrun him, however his lack of lateral explosiveness means it’s troublesome for him to chop. Sure schemes received’t worth his dashing type.
How he matches with the Chiefs
Sanders’ slot in Kansas Metropolis is powerful. The Chiefs desperately want explosive performs out of their backfield and somebody who can catch the ball. Sanders is nice at each. Sure, the Chiefs may battle working some run-pass choices with Sanders as a result of he doesn’t run outdoors zone nicely, however they’ll alter for this. By taking part in extra beneath middle and utilizing extra pulling runs, which swimsuit gamers like Trey Smith and Kingsley Suamataia (at guard) nicely, you will get Sanders to make sense.
If the Chiefs drafted Sanders, I really feel assured he would play shortly. Patrick Mahomes would belief him shortly within the receiving recreation — and that will immediately get him on the sphere.
The underside line
Sanders being drafted on Day 3 is sort of completely because of the depth of this working again class. I feel he might sneak into the third spherical in a traditional 12 months. Sadly, most groups don’t draft or signal a number of choices with premium belongings for a place like working again, so good expertise tends to fall.
Sanders does have limitations. His stiffness can be extra profound within the NFL. His manufacturing game-to-game will fluctuate, relying on whether or not he can get out in open area and create explosive runs. I feel Sanders can be weaker relating to effectivity, however after Spherical 4, that’s high-quality. He can catch the ball and switch any run into a protracted landing. That’s onerous to seek out on Day 3. If the Chiefs drafted Sanders, I feel he’d shortly supplant Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt because the beginning working again.
Grade: Spherical 4
