Demarco Murray Scouting Report

DeMarco Murray fought his way into a crowded backfield as a redshirt freshman in 2007. On a team with Allen Patrick and Chris Brown, it was Murray who emerged as the most explosive and dynamic running back on Oklahoma. Both Patrick and Brown got more carries than Murray, but he had a better yards-per-carry average and tallied the most touchdowns with 13. In 2008 Patrick was out of the picture and Murray and Brown split carries. Again it was Brown who got more carries and yards and, in this case, touchdowns, but it was Murray who was always a threat to break the big play. He finished the season with 1,002 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. He also added 395 receiving yards and four more trips to the end zone through the air.

The 2009 season did not go quite as well as opposing defenses keyed in on the ground game after the injury to quarterback Sam Bradford. Murray's yards-per-carry average went down a lot, but he still proved to be a dangerous back that is always a threat to get to the end zone. In 2010 Murray finally got the ground game all to himself. Through ten games he has not disappointed and has rushed for 911 yards on 207 carries. Murray has also caught an impressive 52 passes and has accounted for a total of 17 touchdowns.

What separates Murray from Brown -- besides the fact that Brown is more of a downhill runner -- is Murray's ability to catch the ball. His explosiveness makes Murray a great secondary back and that could be enough for him to sneak into the first round. However, Murray is more than just an explosive back. In 2010 he proved that he can carry the ball 20 to 25 times per game and be the workhorse in the backfield.

2/10 Update: Murray finished the 2010 campaign with 1,175 rushing yards, 595 receiving yards and 20 total touchdowns. However, he seemed to lack the big play explosiveness that he possessed earlier in his career. During the Senior Bowl, the story was pretty much the same. The lack of explosiveness is a concern and Murray is slipping down to the third round.

4/6 Update: Showing off his speed at the NFL combine has given Murray another small push up the draft boards. If a few running backs start going off the board in the late first and early second round, Murray could sneak into the end of the second round. His hands are great and his speed is amazing, but NFL teams are not convinced that he has the vision to make the most out of those skills. The result will likely be a third round selection come draft day.