D’Andre Swift

Running back, Georgia Bulldogs
5-8, 212
40 time: 4.48

OVERVIEW

Stuck behind Nick Chubb and Sony Michel in his first year at Georgia in 2017, Swift still made an impact by averaging a gaudy 7.6 yards per carry on 81 rushes. He took over as the primary back in the past two years, handling 359 carries for 2,267 yards and 17 scores, along with 56 receptions for 513 yards and four more TDs. He was limited to just a few touches in the SEC Championship Game and Sugar Bowl by a shoulder injury but still averaged 6.6 yards for his career.

Swift posted a solid 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine (4.48 seconds, sixth among running backs) and impressed in positional drills.

ANALYSIS

Swift has a prototypical build for the position, with a low center of gravity and enough bulk — mostly in his legs — to run with power and break tackles. He also moves extremely well for his size, with light feet, smooth fluidity and the acceleration to pull away and break explosive runs. He can beat defenders with speed, agility or power in the open field, using a wicked dead-leg juke and flashing physicality to finish. He  runs with great energy but also has quality vision and instincts, feeling open creases and hitting them quickly. He’s experienced as a receiver and adequate as a blocker, giving him the skill set of a three-down, feature back from Day 1 in the NFL.

Swift is very gifted, but he’s not quite exceptional as a physical talent. His speed is just a bit shy of elite, and his power and athleticism are very good, but not quite great. That said, the biggest concerns with him have more to do with workload and durability. Even as Georgia’s feature back, Swift didn’t top 200 carries, and he battled a few nagging injuries. While he’s reliable as a receiver, he wasn’t used extensively in this way and could stand to expand his route tree. Ball security is also worth watching — he had seven fumbles on 513 career touches (one every 73.3 touches).

PRO COMPARISON

Tiki Barber, retired — Barber ran with a slashing style, usually beating you with his speed and fluidity, but he could also shake off contact and lower his pads when necessary. Swift shows many of the same characteristics, as he prefers to run to daylight but can break through arm tackles and dish out some physicality. Swift could also stand to improve his ball security, something Barber struggled with for much of his career before solving the issue in his final few seasons.

Projection: First-second round

—Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)