5. Derrick Henry – RB – Alabama
Adrian Peterson has crossed the dreaded 30-years-old line and could start declining at any moment, Jerick McKinnon might not be durable enough to take on the role of workhorse back and Matt Asiata is Matt Asiata. So what if the Minnesota Vikings decide this is the year they better identify and draft their running back of the future? Derrick Henry (6-3, 247) might be a very intriguing option.
How big is Derrick Henry? He makes Eddie Lacy look like a little kid. Keep in mind of course that this is the new slimmed-down Eddie Lacy. He was much larger in the gut area a few months ago.
Not only does Henry have freakish size for a running back, he also has very good speed. Henry however does not possess the niftiest feet in the world and he’s not a great cutback runner. He’s also not a particularly accomplished receiver.
Despite all the negatives, Henry is obviously a beast as a running back and could step right in immediately and give the Vikings an absolutely insane one-two punch alongside Adrian Peterson. And down the road, if Peterson broke down, Henry could slide in and become a workhorse back.