Top 10 running backs in the 2019 NFL Draft

#2 David Montgomery, Iowa State

Montgomery has put together over 3500 yards and 26 touchdowns from scrimmage on five yards a touch

Iowa State has put themselves on the national radar with some of those upset wins over teams like Oklahoma and TCU in 2017 and with them did their emerging star running back David Montgomery.

He has put together over 3500 yards and 26 touchdowns from scrimmage on five yards a touch. Montgomery has produced at a high rate despite lining up behind four different quarterbacks these last two years and he had eight games of 100+ rushing yards last season.

I’m not sure if there has been a more fun watch for me in college football over the last two seasons than this kid.

There was nobody who was able to do more with less than him, finding a way to maneuver around tacklers or just going through them.

Montgomery does some special things in the open field and he has some incredible individual effort runs, where nothing’s there and he just reverses field and is determined to rumble downfield.

There were so many plays during his career with the Cyclones where a defender jumped at his legs from behind or simply had him leveraged with no way to go and he found a way to escape with a surprising burst to the edge.

Montgomery just has a special gift of making defenders miss in tight spaces and not have to completely give up his momentum.

He led all players over the last five years in missed tackles forced for a season, with 104 total in 2017 – that is 15 more than the great Dalvin Cook (according to Pro Football Focus) – and he forced an additional 99 missed tackles in 2018, while just under 900 of his yards came after contact.

To be that elusive and make some of those cuts as a pretty thickly-built back, Montgomery has to have ankles of steel.

With this guy it’s not enough to just wrap up – you actually have you snatch cloth and not let go until he is on the ground, because he will keep fighting and has the power to make you look bad.

Montgomery consistently runs with a forward lean and the shoulder lowered towards the defender. He displays some insane balance and always keeps his feet moving. The three-year Cyclone brings a little attitude to his runs as well by how he finishes runs, as well as the force he can hit defenders with on a stiff arm and shove them a couple of yards off himself.

Montgomery was called a culture-changer by his head coach because of how hard he runs. Despite just under 300 touches from scrimmage as a sophomore, his only fumble came in their bowl game, when I thought the call should have been reversed to a touchdown, and he fumbled just once last season as well.

Montgomery simply has a way of setting up his blockers with pace, change of direction and explosiveness.

He has clearly worked the stumble drill numerous times when you see how often he almost falls to the ground but finds a way to stay alive by putting a hand down. However, Montgomery is not just a one-trick pony, he is a complete player.

He has soft hands and caught several quick targets (71 career receptions). Additionally, in pass protection he squares up his targets and packs a lot of power on that initial punch, giving his QB room to step up into.

While I love how Montgomery refuses to go down, there are a few plays where I would prefer him to just live for another down instead spinning and trying to get away from the defense when he is surrounded by bodies in the backfield.

Moreover, there are some snaps where he already has a good thing going but tries to turn it into a bigger gain by making a move in the open field even though free yardage is in front of him.

While my criticism of him is very slim, Montgomery definitely didn’t help himself at the combine with a 4.63 in the 40-yard dash and just 28.5 inches on the vertical jump.

I truly believe this guy is the total package with vision, burst, balance, start-stop-ability and ridiculous leg-drive.

Montgomery can run any scheme and contributes in the passing game. He might not test very well and maybe even slide to the third round, but I think he is the second best back in this draft and he might find himself in my top 32 when it’s all said and done.