Rasheen Ali 2024 NFL Draft Profile
The 2024 NFL Draft profiles are coming at you hot, and with Trey flying through the running backs I figured I would jump in with the two I want to discuss from the Senior Bowl this year. We’re going to be talking about Marshall’s Rasheen Ali. Ali stole the show during the first practice in Mobile and was on his way to skyrocketing his stock before a brutal biceps injury. What does his draft profile look like? Let’s talk about it.
Rasheen Ali did not see the field much his freshman year at Marshall, but his sophomore year is where he showed his true potential, rushing for 1400 yards in 11 games and scoring 23(!) times. An injury cost him his junior year, but he would bounce back last season, rushing for 1,035 yards and 14 touchdowns.
The juice is there. I developed a bit of a crush from the limited time I watched him in Mobile, so I made it a point to dive into his tape. Man, there is a ton to like with Ali. As I mentioned, the initial burst jumps immediately. He has home-run speed and can make quick cuts behind the line to get where he needs to be. Always seems to be running behind his pads and the legs always churn forward. He can be dangerous in the screen game as well, as he can be a nice option out of the backfield.
The footwork is there, as well. He can be a weapon in the open field. The biggest knock on Rasheen Ali is ball security. Ali had 11 fumbles during his two healthy starting years at Marshall. That simply can’t fly at the next level. While the legs do churn, he finds himself in situations where he has to do that because he runs too upright at times, not allowing him to be as agile as he really can be.
The biceps injury crushed his momentum to gain some traction leading into the 2024 NFL Draft. However, I think he should still be a guy teams should look to snag on day three. From what we have seen from him this off-season, I would give him a late-fifth, early-sixth-round grade. Ali is someone I definitely want on my roster as I think he could be a difference maker in the right system.
