Mikel Leshoure NFL Draft Scouting Report

5’11 5/8” 227 pounds | Running Back | Illinois

Running Ability/Speed: Mikel runs with his head up when in the open field, which causes him to run up right and expose his body to hits. However, he does a good job of breaking down in preparation for contact and most times delivers the blow to the defender. Does a good job of compacting his frame when moving through traffic. Mikel isn’t a burner, but he shows explosion when he hits the running lane and through contact.

Field Vision: Does a good job of running behind his blockers, but he can get lost sometimes and miss cutbacks. Isn’t always patient waiting for holes to open and will run up the backs of his blockers or miss hole completely trying to bounce outside.

Balance/Breaking Tackles: Keeps his legs moving through contact and breaks arm tackles with ease. Has a good center of gravity which makes it hard for solo tacklers to get him down on their own if they don’t get leverage. He isn’t a shifty back and won’t make too many defenders miss in the back/open field unless he runs over them.

Pass Catching/Blocking: Is a surprisingly good pass catcher out of the backfield. He catches the ball away from his frame and catches it cleanly. Much like his running style, Mikel has a high stance when in pass pro. While he is a more than willing blocker, he was susceptible to bull and speed rushers. Still better than most running backs coming out.

Games Viewed: Michigan, Northwestern, Missouri, Baylor

Final word: Leshoure is the best of the big running backs (220+lbs) with the potential to be the lead back on a teams committee. There are some flags though, as 2010 was the first year since high school that Leshoure wasn’t injured. He also gave up lots of carries to Daniel Dufrene and Jason Ford (another big back) over the last three years which indicates that he may be best suited for shared duties in the running game. He isn’t elite at any one thing and will likely come off the board at some point in the second round.