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Leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft starting on April 29th, we will be releasing several draft profiles of prospects who could potentially see themselves on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Next up…
Herbert weighs in at 205lbs, standing at 5’9″ and one of the most underrated running backs in the draft.
Overview:
A lot of people didn’t know who Khalil Herbert was coming into the 2020 college football season, and many still might not have known his name until doing their draft research. Herbert was a 3-star recruit that took his only Power 5 offer when he elected to attend Kansas and play football for the Jayhawks. After four seasons with middling production he transferred to Virginia Tech for his 5th season. This turned out to be a great decision for Herbert as he had his best year to date and is now looking to make a name for himself in the NFL. In his senior season Herbert put up 1,362 total yards and 9 touchdowns on 165 total touches, which was by far his most productive season. Even with his uptick in usage and production, Herbert still has several questions that need answered, but he definitely greatly improved his draft stock.
Pros:
Cons:
Most of Steeler Nation hasn’t necessarily heard of Herbert just yet. As the draft nears closer he might be a name they hear a lot more of if the Steelers look to draft a running back in the middle rounds.
Vison:
Herbert has some of the best vision in the 2021 draft class. He never hesitates when a hole has developed in front of him and has great acceleration to get through it in a hurry. When holes are slow developing he is extremely patient waiting for one to open. He rarely has missed a hole in college, and has also rarely got himself into trouble getting himself out of position. His vision might be best trait as a runner, as it is easy to tell it comes naturally to him. His eyes are always forward and even looking to set up players on the second level so they don’t see what hole he is going to hit.
Running Style:
There aren’t many players with a more balanced running style than Herbert. He has the quickness and acceleration to get up to speed fast, while also being fluid in and out of his cuts. His compact build allows him to break through arm tackles and stay upright without being knocked off course. It also allows him to demonstrate consistent contact balance throughout each carry. He possesses enough power that defensive backs don’t try to take him on high often, but due to his smaller stature, he’ll likely never be someone who runs over many linebackers. In the open field, Herbert takes incredible angles in order to evade defenders. That allows him to overcome his lack of elite top end speed, as he is fast but he isn’t going to be winning many foot races with the faster defenders. He may not be spectacular and flashy with his cuts to make defenders miss, but instead uses his elite vision and ability to take away angles for defenders to make them lose an opportunity to get him on the ground.
Passing Game:
This is likely the largest drawback to Herbert’s game. Due to only having 34 receptions across five seasons of college football, there are a lot of questions if he can handle those duties in the NFL. In his only season at Virginia Tech, he did increase his passing game involvement, but even that only resulted in 10 catches. He did appear comfortable in his limited opportunities and seems to have a good feel for tracking the ball and catching it with his hands and not his body. While he showed some reasons to be confident catching the football, pass protection is another story. He has struggled mightily to this point in pass protection, but it isn’t because he is unwilling. He has always been willing to stick his nose in taking on blocks, but his technique and size have been his downfall. There is some hope here, as he showed a good improvement in this area during the week of the Reese’s Senior Bowl, but that is a practice environment vs. a live game.
NFL Comparison – Devonta Freeman:
From their play style to their size, both Freeman and Herbert are very similar. Both are smaller players who have a great feel for the game as a runner and aren’t limited in many areas by their stature. Freeman was a very good feature back for a few years for the Atlanta Falcons, and Herbert has that same potential. Freeman was a bit more experienced as a pass catcher out of college and very involved in the passing game in the NFL, but did share the same pass protection questions early on.
Draft Projection – 3rd or 4th Round Pick:
Herbert is definitely in the “tier 2” running back group in the 2021 NFL Draft. Even being listed with the second group of players, there is very little reason to worry if he can handle what an NFL Team needs him to. Many teams will likely be looking to add someone like Herbert late on Day 2 or early on Day 3 instead of investing an early pick on a running back in April.
Let us know below what you think about Herbert as a prospect, and let us know what other prospects you could be interested in seeing a profile on!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
Khalil Herbert (Running Back), Virginia Tech, Senior
Herbert weighs in at 205lbs, standing at 5’9″ and one of the most underrated running backs in the draft.
Overview:
A lot of people didn’t know who Khalil Herbert was coming into the 2020 college football season, and many still might not have known his name until doing their draft research. Herbert was a 3-star recruit that took his only Power 5 offer when he elected to attend Kansas and play football for the Jayhawks. After four seasons with middling production he transferred to Virginia Tech for his 5th season. This turned out to be a great decision for Herbert as he had his best year to date and is now looking to make a name for himself in the NFL. In his senior season Herbert put up 1,362 total yards and 9 touchdowns on 165 total touches, which was by far his most productive season. Even with his uptick in usage and production, Herbert still has several questions that need answered, but he definitely greatly improved his draft stock.
Pros:
- Very good acceleration, able to stop, start, and accelerate to full speed rather quickly
- Soft hands when catching the football, looked natural to him
- Possesses very good contact balance letting him stay on his feet more than most
- Decisive runner that will hit a hole quickly when he sees it, but will not press if the hole is slow developing
- Availability, as he has missed very little time with very minor hamstring injuries
- Doesn’t try to do too much, won’t get himself out of position trying to do more than he can with what is available
- Relatively low wear and tear on his body for his age, only 509 total touches
- Ball security was never an issue with only 2 total fumbles in his college career
Cons:
- Passing game, very limited exposure as a receiver with only 34 career receptions
- A lot of room to grow in pass protection. Needs more physicality at the POA and currently slow to diagnose pressure in the pocket
- Not the most elusive runner. Very fluid in and out of cuts showing good body control, but not explosive to consistently make people miss
- Age, already 23 years old
Most of Steeler Nation hasn’t necessarily heard of Herbert just yet. As the draft nears closer he might be a name they hear a lot more of if the Steelers look to draft a running back in the middle rounds.
Vison:
Herbert has some of the best vision in the 2021 draft class. He never hesitates when a hole has developed in front of him and has great acceleration to get through it in a hurry. When holes are slow developing he is extremely patient waiting for one to open. He rarely has missed a hole in college, and has also rarely got himself into trouble getting himself out of position. His vision might be best trait as a runner, as it is easy to tell it comes naturally to him. His eyes are always forward and even looking to set up players on the second level so they don’t see what hole he is going to hit.
Running Style:
There aren’t many players with a more balanced running style than Herbert. He has the quickness and acceleration to get up to speed fast, while also being fluid in and out of his cuts. His compact build allows him to break through arm tackles and stay upright without being knocked off course. It also allows him to demonstrate consistent contact balance throughout each carry. He possesses enough power that defensive backs don’t try to take him on high often, but due to his smaller stature, he’ll likely never be someone who runs over many linebackers. In the open field, Herbert takes incredible angles in order to evade defenders. That allows him to overcome his lack of elite top end speed, as he is fast but he isn’t going to be winning many foot races with the faster defenders. He may not be spectacular and flashy with his cuts to make defenders miss, but instead uses his elite vision and ability to take away angles for defenders to make them lose an opportunity to get him on the ground.
Passing Game:
This is likely the largest drawback to Herbert’s game. Due to only having 34 receptions across five seasons of college football, there are a lot of questions if he can handle those duties in the NFL. In his only season at Virginia Tech, he did increase his passing game involvement, but even that only resulted in 10 catches. He did appear comfortable in his limited opportunities and seems to have a good feel for tracking the ball and catching it with his hands and not his body. While he showed some reasons to be confident catching the football, pass protection is another story. He has struggled mightily to this point in pass protection, but it isn’t because he is unwilling. He has always been willing to stick his nose in taking on blocks, but his technique and size have been his downfall. There is some hope here, as he showed a good improvement in this area during the week of the Reese’s Senior Bowl, but that is a practice environment vs. a live game.
NFL Comparison – Devonta Freeman:
From their play style to their size, both Freeman and Herbert are very similar. Both are smaller players who have a great feel for the game as a runner and aren’t limited in many areas by their stature. Freeman was a very good feature back for a few years for the Atlanta Falcons, and Herbert has that same potential. Freeman was a bit more experienced as a pass catcher out of college and very involved in the passing game in the NFL, but did share the same pass protection questions early on.
Draft Projection – 3rd or 4th Round Pick:
Herbert is definitely in the “tier 2” running back group in the 2021 NFL Draft. Even being listed with the second group of players, there is very little reason to worry if he can handle what an NFL Team needs him to. Many teams will likely be looking to add someone like Herbert late on Day 2 or early on Day 3 instead of investing an early pick on a running back in April.
Let us know below what you think about Herbert as a prospect, and let us know what other prospects you could be interested in seeing a profile on!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
