I think prior years often teach lessons in the NFL Draft. Christian McCaffrey was the number one running back on my list in 2017. Most experts had Leonard Fournette. My reasoning was because McCaffrey was the best pure mover in the draft and at the end of the day that’s what matters most. Now McCaffrey is a very rich man. Fast forward to the 2020 NFL Draft. D’Andre Swift has to be the RB1 of the 2020 NFL Draft… because he’s the best mover and that’s what matters.
Like McCaffrey, Swift affects the passing game. Nobody is a better receiver in this draft than Swift. It’s hard to gameplan for Swift because you never know which play is coming based on Swift in the backfield. That makes him more valuable. Swift only had 24 receptions on the year but when he got the ball in his hands, the play more often than not looked like this. There’s something to be said about dudes who make plays after the ball is in their hands. That’s where Swift excels.
I can’t stress this enough. I talked about it on the big NFL Draft show I did with Caleb. Swift is the best mover. He has to be RB1. In terms of cuts and make you miss, the Georgia back is your guy. That extra twitch you look for is just there. He also has more than enough speed at 4.48 to hit the home run. The make you miss ability is just off the charts. Spin, juke, power, any move you can think of, Swifty has it.
That’s what puts Swift over the top. You can’t teach that. Nobody else makes people miss like that. I’m not saying he’s McCaffrey, but that’s sort of what Swift brings to the table. Yes, Swift had a great offensive line which helped him. Andrew Thomas is my number one tackle. Solomon Kindley and Isaiah Wilson will also get drafted high this year. Still, there’s no denying the make you miss ability and that’s what matters.
At the end of the day, the talent isn’t hard to spot. Swift was a 5-star recruit out of Philadelphia. Georgia trusted him as a true Freshman stealing carries from Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. Who else is doing that? The Bulldogs back averaged 6.6 yards per carry during his career which is a more than healthy mark.
I know running backs are devalued now. I don’t believe in taking running backs in the first round, but I’d take Swift in the first round. JK Dobbins, Cam Akers, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire are 3 other backs I love in this class. I could see any of those 3 being the best in the class. However, nobody moves like D’Andre Swift and that makes him RB1 in the 2020 NFL Draft.
