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Part 2 of the 2014 draft class scouting report series.
Player name: Bishop Sankey
H/W: 5'9 209
Position: RB
School/Class: Washington/Junior
Measureables: 4.49 40, 26 bench reps, 126" broad jump, 6.75 3 cone drill
The Tape
Pros:
- Vision - Sankey has above average vision which helps make up for his perceived lack of athleticism. He quickly identifies the hole and takes off. He also has a low center of gravity which allows for sliding in the box and avoiding big hits.
- Athleticism - He has a sudden burst about him once he identifies the hole and goes through the tackle box. Impressive agility and a good set of moves to elude potential tacklers. Tree trunk legs in the mold of a Michael Turner keeps the pile moving after initial contact. Knows how and when to utilize jump cuts to keep going or to go down to avoid the huge collisions.
- Consistent big gamer - Sankey had great games against the vaunted defenses of the Pac-12. Went off against Stanford's much ballyhooed defense to a tune of 269 yards and two touchdowns in two years. Ran over Oregon's defense with 167 yards and two touchdowns. Broke 200 yards three times and scored in every game.
Cons:
- Workload - While proving to be a durable workhorse for the inept and horrible Huskies offense, he racked up a lot of touches (650+) over the past two years. The crazy amount of work makes me wonder how much he has in the tank.
Additional notes:
It's downright criminal negligence by the Huskies for giving Sankey that many touches in two years. They have struggled to recapture the consistency of a perennial conference contender of years gone by. Sankey is a high character and disciplined person, having grown up in a military family. Not a bad word could be said about him by anyone.
Summary:
I really like this pick but it surprised me that he was the first back chosen. I believe that Sankey has the potential to be the best back in this class because of his versatility. Tre Mason comes from a gimmick spread offense and is the LaMichael James of 2014. Carlos Hyde has off the field issues and has to shake the Big 10's poor history of running backs in the NFL (I don't think he can do it). The one thing I do worry about is his workload in college. How much does he have left on the tires? Can he carry the show in the event that Shonn Greene cannot recover in time from offseason knee surgery? Sankey reminds me of shorter LaDanian Tomlinson. If he can have even half the career that LT 2.0 had, I'd call that a major success.
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