The Future 40, Prospect 20: Ryan Mathews Scouting Report

A new series was formed over a month ago here called The Future 40, and the next edition is here! The segment has and will continue to run every other day until late April as we provide you with in-depth scouting reports of some 2010 NFL Draft prospects, giving you information key to understanding some of the players’ strengths, weaknesses, projected round of selection, possibility of being picked by the Eagles, and much more! And because the Draft is an important event for the entire league, some of the top-ranked players not expected to go to Philadelphia will also be reported on. In the first look at a prospect, we evaluated Nebraska’s DT Ndamukong Suh, who many consider to be the best player in the entire rookie class. In the second, we examined powerful RB Jonathan Dwyerand in the other editions that have released, FS Darrell Stuckey, LB Sean Weatherspoon, CB Joe Haden, QB Mike Kafka, OT Ciron Black, DE Greg Hardy, WR Eric Decker, RB Joe McKnight, LB Micah Johnson, SS Earl Thomas, RB/WR Dexter McCluster, TE Aaron Hernandez, DE Brandon Graham, FS Taylor Mays, OG Mike Iupati, DT Dan Williams, and QB Colt McCoy. This time around, we will stick to the offensive side of the ball and look at Ryan Mathews, who was requested to be covered by one of our fans:

• Prospect Name: Ryan Mathews
• Position: Running Back
• College: California State University, Fresno (Fresno State)
• Height/Weight: 6′0″, 218 pounds
• Age: 22 years
• Class Status: Junior

Summary: Ryan Mathews–coming into the early part of the NFL offseason–was considered one of the lower-end members of the top tier of rookie Running Backs, but has steadily improved to be among many scouts’ best rankings at his position. After a sturdy high school career in Bakersfield, California in which he manned several roster spots and was one of his squad’s top offensive contributors, the player joined Fresno State in hopes of becoming their future star at the RB position. In spite of speculation he would receive redshirt status and therefore sit out his first season to learn the Bulldogs’ system, Mathews was on the field in his freshman campaign of 2007 and performed quite well for someone so new to collegiate ball. On 145 carries, he came up roughly 150 yards short of a 1,000-yard season, and added 14 touchdowns. His statistics ranked among the best in the nation, and he immediately began to draw attention to himself, in a positive way. The following year, his production dropped off a bit, primarily as a result of multiple injuries he sustained throughout the year, including a concussion and collarbone pain. In his third season with Fresno State, however, his success elevated above what it had previously been, and he was able to gain an impressive 1,808 yards on the ground. If he were to put up those types of numbers at the professional level, his name would be penciled into the history books in no time. He also tacked on 19 scores and earned All-American honors, which were obviously expected. His stock as a Draft prospect went through the roof with his performance, and clearly that was enough for him to forgo his senior season and declare as a rookie entering the National Football League.

Career Statistics:

Notable Achievements/Awards:

• All-American Honors (2009)
• All-WAC Honors (2009)
• Bulldogs MVP Award winner (2009)

Strengths:

• Utilizes larger frame well and executes runs using his body bulk frequently
• Has great possession skills with the ball (never fumbled in his years of college football)
• Can work in a full-time role as an NFL starting Running Back
• Is an intelligent offensive player who can recognize many defensive schemes
• Has excellent open field vision/locates holes in the defense
• When given space, can explode with good speed
• Plows through his running lanes with passion and strength
• Allows plays to develop and chooses his direction wisely
• Produces frequently and can provide big plays

Weaknesses:

• Is inconsistent as a pass catcher out of the backfield
• Has had some trouble with injuries
• Worked with an incredibly talented offensive line in college (may not have the benefit of this on a mediocre NFL team)
• Rarely eludes tackles
• Tends to shy away from blocking opportunities or assignments
• Might get worn down after an extensive period of time

Projected Round of Selection: 1st-2nd round

NFL Player Comparison: Ryan Grant, Green Bay Packers

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We hope that everyone enjoyed the twentieth report for The Future 40 prospect segment, and urge you to keep checking back for more scouting analysis as the series continues all the way up until the Draft! Also, remember that we will happily take and consider requests from our fans for this series! If you or another Eagle fanatic is interested in seeing a certain player be evaluated in The Future 40, be sure to contact us as soon as possible, and we will attempt to include your selected prospect!

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