2012 NFL Draft Results: Cincinnati RB Isaiah Pead Selected By St. Louis Rams With 50th Pick

With the 50th pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the St. Louis Rams selected Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead. Pead is the ninth-rated prospect at his position, according to Mocking The Draft’s rankings.

St. Louis used its first-round pick on Michael Brockers and had selected Brian Quick and Janoris Jenkins in the second round. St. Louis then traded down, swapping with the Bears, before taking Pead.

The 5’10”, 197-pound running back doesn’t have great size, but he is very skilled. Pead’s quickness and receiving ability could make him a solid third-down back at the next level, according to Dan Kader.

Strengths: Pead had good acceleration when planting his foot in the ground and bursting up field. Shows off excellent agility to stop and cut without a wasted motion. When he’s past the line, Pead can often beat defenders on an angle. Maintains good balance on contact. Receiving skill makes him a good third down option. Caught 87 passes for 721 yards at Cincinnati.

Weaknesses: Gets too reliant on getting outside the tackle box and isn’t fast enough to always get to the corner first. Not an especially strong runner. Pead needs to carry the ball higher so it doesn’t get knocked out. Will need to add considerable strength at the next level. Less-than-ideal as a blocker, but he gives good effort.

For more on Pead, be sure to check out the SB Nation blog Down The Drive. For lots more on the 2012 NFL Draft, please visit Mocking the Draft.