7 running backs the Carolina Panthers could select in the 2022 NFL Draft
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers could select Pierre Strong Jr. (South Dakota State)
Measurements:
- Height: 5-foot-11 | Weight: 207 pounds
2021 Stats:
- 1,673 rushing yards (7.0 YPC)
- 18 touchdowns
- 150 receiving yards (22 receptions)
- 0 receiving touchdowns
- 85.5 PFF grade
Even though Pierre Strong Jr. doesn’t come from a heralded college program, the running back has generated a substantial amount of momentum in the lead-up to the 2022 NFL Draft. He was a workhorse at South Dakota State that had no trouble making a significant difference despite opposing defenses focusing primarily on stopping his influence throughout almost every game.
Strong by name and strong by nature. The prospect is a devastating runner that is difficult to stop once he finds the right seam and the player is almost impossible to bring down in the open field to further enhance his overall chances at the next level.
Couple this with outstanding vision and a knack for finding the end zone, it’s not hard to envisage Strong having a solid professional career and it’s probably why teams have reportedly surged him up draft boards since the evaluation process began.
The numbers are exceptional, obviously. But Strong hasn’t been tasked with the most elite competition in college and there are also some issues when it comes to pass protection that cannot be ignored.
However, if the Carolina Panthers want to add one more productive running back to go along with Christian McCaffrey, D’Onta Foreman, and Chuba Hubbard later on in the draft, then Strong represents a high upside individual that appears tailormade for Ben McAdoo’s system.