Kenneth Gainwell could be the perfect backup for Christian McCaffrey
By Dean Jones
Kenneth Gainwell scouting report
There isn’t much to go off from a production standpoint where Kenneth Gainwell is concerned. He has just one full season of starting experience at Memphis before arriving in the NFL, but the one year he did gain the majority of carries was eye-catching, to say the least.
Gainwell was one of the stars of the 2019 season to become one of the nation’s top college running backs. The dual-threat weapon has all the skills that are now a hot commodity at the next level and although he didn’t see any action in 2020 after deciding to opt-out of the season after losing family members to COVID-19, this shouldn’t hurt his draft stock whatsoever.
The prospect plays a lot more physically than his 5-foot-11 frame would indicate. He also has assured hands in the passing game, is incredibly elusive in tight windows and open space, in addition to having some nice breakaway speed once he gets in the open field.
His time at Memphis also saw Gainwell line up as a slot receiver, which would also be of use once he gets to the pros. There might be some bulking up needed if the player eventually wants to be a feature back, which is easily done. So the potential is limitless in the right fit.
Gainwell accumulated 2,069 yards from scrimmage from 282 touches when he last saw competitive action. This also came with 16 touchdowns and a yards-per-play average of 7.3, which is sure to make plenty of teams sit up and take notice.