5 running backs the Vikings could select in the 2019 NFL Draft

ORLANDO, FL - JANUARY 01: Miles Sanders #24 of the Penn State Nittany Lions runs the ball against the Kentucky Wildcats in the second quarter of the VRBO Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium on January 1, 2019 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - JANUARY 01: Miles Sanders #24 of the Penn State Nittany Lions runs the ball against the Kentucky Wildcats in the second quarter of the VRBO Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium on January 1, 2019 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
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(Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) Devine Ozigbo
(Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) Devine Ozigbo

Devine Ozigbo (Nebraska)

Measurements:

  • Height: 5-foot-11 | Weight: 222 pounds

2018 Stats:

  • 155 carries, 1,082 yards (7.0 average), 12 touchdowns
  • 23 catches, 203 yards (8.8 average)

Ozigbo is a thickly built bruiser who doesn’t get the attention he deserves. He’s got a very thick trunk and he is a load to bring down.

He runs with power and he rarely goes down on the first tackle. Ozigbo is a patient runner who has excellent vision to find the open hole and make the first man miss. He has good top-end speed for a guy his size and he can turn the corner and be gone in a flash.

Ozigbo was a four-year starter at Nebraska, but he surprisingly still has a lot of tread on the ol’ tires. He toted the rock just 419 times in college. 2018 was his most productive season as he rushed for 1,082 yards and 12 touchdowns.

He can be effective through the air also as he caught nearly 50 balls during his time as a Cornhusker. It really feels like this guy’s best football is still ahead of him.

The Vikings have already met with Ozigbo and they are clearly very interested in him. He can get the tough yards in goal-line and short-yardage situations, but he could also handle the load if Cook were to miss an extended period of time in 2019.

Ozigbo should come off the board sometime between rounds three and five and he could end up being a steal for the team that drafts him.

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