Broncos Draft Prospects: RB Doug Martin

One prospect who has been widely connected to Denver in the first round, is Boise States Broncos running back Doug Martin. Martin who is listed at 5'9 223lbs, tallied 4885 yards of total offense and 48 total touchdowns. That's including 3141 yards rushing, 715 receiving yards and 739 yards as a kick returner.

As a senior last year Martin totaled 1299 yards rushing on 263 attempts, and 16 touchdowns. Also he contributed in the passing game with 28 receptions for 255 yards and 2 touchdowns. Martin was named the MVP of the Maaco Bowl Las Vegas after returning a opening kickoff 100 yards to the house and a getting 151 yards and a touchdown on the ground. During his career at Boise, the Boise State Broncos posted a 50-3 and record, including winning every bowl game they participated in during Martins tenure.

Martin Impressed many Scouts at this years Senior Bowl, then grabbed their attention again at the Scouting Combine.

• 40 Yard Dash: 4.55 seconds
• Bench Press: 28 Reps
• Vertical Jump: 36 inches
• Broad Jump: 120 inches
• 3 Cone Drill: 6.79 seconds (Was a top performer in that drill)
• 20 yard Shuttle: 4.16 second
• 60 Yard Shuttle: 11.29 seconds (Was a top performer in that drill)

Combine Profile

OVERVIEW

Martin is a two-year starter in Boise State's electric offense, in which he has had great production toward the end of his career (1299 yards and 16 TDs in 2011). He has strong athletic ability, with his footwork being his most outstanding trait. He can make people miss in the open field and in tight spaces. He is an effective runner between the tackles and can burst through the lane to take it the distance. What stands out most about Martin is his decisiveness as a ball carrier; he often hits the hole hard. He is a natural with the ball in his hands and will bring value to an NFL team as a special teams player, either as a return option or a contributor in the coverage game. Though ball security has been a concern in the past, Martin is an overall solid back and should expect to be selected in the second round because of his ability to contribute early in several different ways.

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS Martin is a highly productive back with a polished all-around game. He looks and plays like a starting NFL back. He has a lot of experience carrying the ball and has been a reliable runner when closing out games for Boise State. He is careful with the ball and a very savvy runner between the tackles with the athletic ability to break it outside.

WEAKNESSES Martin is a very traditional back who is not extremely explosive. He is good in all facets, but some scouts will knock him for not being "outstanding" in any one particular area.

CBSSports.com has Martin ranked as the 2nd best Running back in the class behind Trent Richardson, and the 34th overall player in the entire 2012 draft class

Analysis:

Inside: Bowling-ball runner between the tackles. Flashes a burst into and out of the hole. Lowers his pads and delivers a blow into the chest of defenders. Falls forward on nearly every run due to lean. Finds creases with jump-steps and bounces into open on some plays, but buries his head too soon at times. Short build makes it difficult for defenders to find among lineman. Does not always read blocks correctly from pulling guards. Holds ball high and tight when inside. May not be big enough to move piles at the next level, but gets low and gives great effort to pick up short-yardage plays.

Outside: Good acceleration and straight-line speed to break off long runs. Cuts hard to his left and right equally well to avoid hard-charging safeties. Flashes setting up straight-on defender with inside-out cut which freezes them. Strong stiff-arm denies oncoming tacklers. Shows patience on stretch runs, plants foot and accelerates to avoid penetrating defenders or once finding a hole. Does not always move ball to outside hand. Ball gets away from his body when running at full speed; fumbled three times in 2010, twice in 2009 in limited carries. May not break away from NFL defenders as regularly as he did against non-BCS conference competition.

Breaking tackles: Low center of gravity, strong lean, and powerful legs let him bull through arm and shoulder tackles. Good balance to spin off a hit, maintain balance and continue downfield. Lowers pads on contact and churns through cut tackles in space. Cuts quickly and even jump-cuts through traffic and past second-level tacklers. Plays through the whistle.

Blocking: Does not offer much in terms of pass protection. Often subbed out in obvious passing situations, best help for the quarterback is as an outlet receiver. Does not anchor against oncoming blitzers. Poor cut tackler, defenders easily elude him. Lacks height but possesses strength, build and attitude to improve with more coaching.

Receiving: Solid receiver in the flat, capable of running through tackles on the edge to move the chains. Flexible enough to catch passes thrown behind him. Effective on center screens, makes first man miss to get into space. Rarely goes out of bounds (unless time requires), cuts inside tacklers to get extra yardage.

Intangibles: Offensive weapon with defensive mindset. NFL body comes from excellent weight room work ethic. Teammate Matt Slater referred to Martin as a "muscle hamster" due to his compact build.

From Mocking the Draft

Doug Martin

5'9, 219 pounds | Running back | Boise State

Acceleration/burst: Martin has very good run instincts and foot quickness to make precise cuts. He uses his very good acceleration to get to the perimeter quickly on tosses and pitch plays and then shows a good burst to turn the corner. He has the acceleration and burst to out run the angle defender.

Elusiveness: He has plenty of wiggle and good natural flexibility in his lower body to avoid tacklers in the open field and in tight areas. He is a very elusive back that runs with his pad level low. He does a god job of making the first tackler miss in the backfield consistently.

Pass blocking/catching: He is a bit undersized and his technique can get a little messy, but he gives a super effort to keep his assigned man from pressuring the QB. He has good hands to catch the ball then secure it well. If he gets more opportunities to show his abilities in the passing game he would be dynamic on screen plays with his quicks and speed.

Power: Martin has the playing strength to deliver a blow to the defender and drive him backwards on initial contact. He is built like a bowling ball with a strong lower body. When he runs with his pad level low he can drag or carry tacklers for extra yards and is effective at running inside.

Speed: He has a good combination of foot quickness, agility, and speed that helps him to accelerate quickly on perimeter plays or outside runs. Martin has good hand-eye coordination to catch pitches and then accelerates fast to turn the corner then uses his speed to get downfield in a hurry.

Vision: He is a very good cutback runner who finds the hole well with good vision then shows a very good burst to get thru quickly. He sets up his blocks well by following his blockers consistently then cuts sharply off of their blocks to gain positive yards. He keeps his eyes on the pass well when receiving then secures the catch and has good vision to find the opening.

Final word: Martin will get his chance at the NFL Combine to show scouts, NFL teams, and football fans what is meant by the song, "Teach Me How Too Dougie" by Cali Swag District. Martin has been a very productive runner since his sophomore season. He has a knack for finding the endzone where he has reached at least 12 rushing touchdowns in three consecutive years. He has rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2010 and 2011. Martin is outstanding attacking the outside and more than capable with his strength to run inside. Overall, Martin has the talents to be a productive professional in the NFL and would be great in a dual backfield roll. A team like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be a good fit for Martin where he could supply the speed and change of pace to go along with a power back type starter.

Mike Mayock on Martin

“I love him at the end of the first round, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he slid into Round 2,”

From nflmocks.com Jesse Bartolis

This is our Doug Martin Scouting report. Martin is a talented running back out of Boise State. For all of our other scouting reports

Measurables

5’9 223 pounds. 30.5 inch arms, 9 inch hands

4.55 forty yard dash, 28 bench press reps, 36 inch vertical jump, 120 inch broad jump, 6.79 3 cone drill, 4.16 20 yard shuttle, 11.29 60 yard shuttle

Pros

Really good compact build…patience with good field vision are probably his best attributes….pretty good receiver…durable…shifty…some kick return ability..productivity, work ethic, drive, finisher, big play ability, always gives 100% effort, shifty…

Cons

Doesn’t have great top end speed…plays in a kind of goofy offense…On his build you think he’d break even more tackles, loses his balance quickly when hit, though he can make defenders miss, and he does break arm tackles (not a big knock more of an observation)…competition level

Player Comparison: Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos

Jesse’s player comparison: His build instantly reminds you of Maurice Jones Drew has will his versatility and field vision. Jones is more powerful than Martin though, and a touch faster. A Poor mans’ Maurice Jones Drew, I guess.

Round Projection:

2nd-3rd

Thoughts

There’s a lot to like about Martin. He can catch the ball a bit, he’ll be a pretty good weapon in the screen game. He really has good field vision and he’s shifty. He’ll break arm tackles, and is a guy who can carry the ball 15-20 times a game and keep the chains moving. A really solid all around prospect. He’ll pick up the blitz as well and will find himself drafted sometime during the second day of the draft.

NFLmocks presason bio

Extremely productive running back and will be in his third year starting for the Broncos. Martin is the type of guy who will be an excellent value pick in the draft. He is not the biggest running back, but he is capable of breaking the game wide open with a big run. Powerful running back who is not afraid to stick his shoulder down and challenge anyone willing to take him on. Probably one of the most underrated running backs in the country because Boise State is not a running offense. As pass oriented as the BSU offense is, this guy has been extremely productive from the RB position, and is a solid receiver to boot. Shifty and speedy with a thick lower body, he will be the kind of guy who NFL teams hate to play against because he gives so much effort and can do so many things for your team. Has incredible potential as a zone runner, and could be a major steal on draft weekend. Over the last two years, he has carried the ball 330 times for 2,025 yards and 27 touchdowns, averaging over six yards per carry in the process. Also had 28 receptions for 338 yards and two more touchdowns last year as a junior. Will not go down without a fight, and seems to pride himself on getting yards after contact.

My take: I view the running back position as a weakness on the team. McGahee will be 31 and Moreno is on the roster bubble i believe. Every QB's best friend is a solid running game behind him, John Elway knows this better than anyone, and i believe Doug Martin would help Manning out tremendously. Martin is a solid at everything type of back. Will run hard between the tackles, take it outside, and help out in the passing game as a solid outlet receiver. Doug Martin at 25 is a very real possibility i think.