Classic Player Scouting Profile 1: Kevin Martindale

Kevin Martindale (Sr.)--5’9”, 215 lbs.

Hometown: Lanett, Alabama

Power—20/25

Speed—25/25

Vision—24/25

Receiving—23/25

Overall—92/100

Projected Draft Position: 4^th-7^th Round,

Actual Draft Position: Priority UDFA

Strengths—Great functional speed (again this is what we actually see on the field, not just what the numbers appear to be), outstanding vision (probably the most underrated skill/attribute for any running back on both the college and pro level), slightly slippery running style, decent to good elusiveness

Weaknesses—Major mileage/heavy carries in college which leads to concerns of overuse, one major injury in college, not ideal size (although this has never been as huge of a disqualifying/limiting factor for running backs with speed)

Pro player comparison: CJ Spiller (Giovanni Bernard would work as well) 

Historic comparison: Emmitt Smith

Conclusion: Honestly, this is an extremely productive player with high-end speed but he has some limitations and major red flags for the NFL.  First of all, he has a significant amount of mileage on him due to his high usage in college. This is always a concern for the pros, and Martindale has been used for at least 2 seasons as a work horse. More importantly, Martindale did suffer a major, season-ending injury so these concerns are even more acute. He was spelled by his fellow backfield mate, Alonzo Holland, during his final season which helps slightly. The other concern is the fact that there does not appear to be a great deal of room for improvement with this player. He seems to have reached his athletic and skill peak. There is nothing necessarily wrong with this and players who appear to have already reached their ceiling can transcend it (Emmitt Smith is a good example of this—a player who looked like a very good college running back who would be about the same on the next level, but who went on to become an all-time great, productive NFL running back), but it is rare.  Martindale does have top end speed and he is reportedly a great teammate. His ceiling comparison for a current pro player would likely be CJ Spiller, while his floor would be Fozzy Whittaker. Work ethic, coachability, intelligence, vision and speed count heavily on the next level, so if Martindale gets with the right team he might well be able to become a starting running back. On the other hand, if he is drafted by the wrong team, he might get buried on the depth chart and struggle to stay on the team. The current running back by committee approach helps him, though, and he should solidly make a roster and see substantial playing time.