Deneric Prince 2023 NFL Draft Profile
Deneric Prince was invited to the 2023 NFL Draft Combine.
Prince was a three-star recruit coming out of college and committed to Texas A&M University and only played one game as a freshman. For his sophomore year, he transferred to Tulsa for the rest of his college career. Since then, he’s played at least eight games every season for Tulsa, eclipsing 450 yards rushing each year and boasting a yards per carry average of 5.3 or greater each season. His senior year was his best year, as he rushed for 734 yards with a 5.8 yards per carry average.
Prince looks everything like a stereotypical running back: thick lower body, great size to him, tough runner. He’s very patient and waits for his blocks, taking what his offensive line or the defense gives him. He will run downhill most of the time.
However, I am not the biggest fan of Deneric Prince, in fact, his size is really most of what I like about him.
He has little to no wiggle to him, runs upright and almost looks as stiff as a board when he runs. I think he is a downhill runner cause that’s all he can do. He doesn’t have the speed to kill you, in fact, he looks slow on a lot of plays. He is willing to lower his pad level if someone gets in his way, but that’s about it. Prince won’t make his defenders miss.
I’m not sure if he will be able to succeed at the next level against better talent and bigger size. His size has been his strength in college, but he’s not big enough to scare anyone in the NFL.
If he has any chance of success in the NFL, he needs to be a pass blocker or strictly a goal-line runner. Unless the defense has a breakdown or his offensive line is really good, I don’t see Prince making solid plays for you. He needs almost everything to be perfect for him to have a good play and is inconsistent in the passing game.
My official prediction for Deneric Prince is a UDFA, and a training camp hopeful. Passes the eye test as far as how stereotypical running backs look at face value but won’t have much or any success in the NFL. Might make a team for running back depth or a practice squad guy. Not hopeful about Prince, and other NFL teams shouldn’t be either.
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