Philadelphia Eagles select Donnel Pumphrey with No. 132 overall pick
By Ryan Quigley
Welcome to the Philadelphia Eagles, Donnel Pumphrey!
The Philadelphia Eagles traded their No. 230 overall pick to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for the No. 132 overall pick. With their second fourth-round selection, the Eagles selected San Diego State running back Donnel Pumphrey.
Philadelphia desperately needed to add a running back in the draft. Ryan Mathews is expected to be cut when he is healthy enough to pass a physical and Darren Sproles will retire following the 2017 season.
In four seasons at San Diego State, all Pumphrey did was set an FBS record with 6,290 career rushing yards. At just 5’8″ and 180 pounds, it’s fair to wonder how much Pumphrey will be able to handle at the next level. But despite his size, Pumphrey is an electric playmaker who could reasonably fill Darren Sproles’ shoes in the future.
Here is a scouting report on Pumphrey, courtesy of NFL.com.
"STRENGTHS: Produced at high levels. Patient but decisive when he sees it. Accesses instant turbo burst. Rarely loses races to and around the edge. Plus vision creates ability to navigate shifting run creases like a seasoned veteran. Slaloms through traffic from side to side with seamless, tight jump cuts. Keeps tight track through the gaps, maintaining distance from defensive linemen. Able to string moves together. Razor-sharp cutbacks at challenging angles are his thing. Made a rare 90-degree cut out of a downhill run against South Alabama. Excels in outside zone but has courage to stick it between tackles. Extremely elusive in open field after catch. Used as matchup weapon out of backfield. Good route runner who creates necessary separation.WEAKNESSES: Undersized. Lacks the leg thickness and overall physical strength desired out of an NFL running back. Spirit is willing but flesh is weak. Arm tackles are able to end his journey. Willing to accelerate into defender, but doesn’t have the pop to break tackles or fall forward after contact. Quicker than fast. Will get caught from behind. Body catcher with average hands that lead to double catches. Too small to protect against NFL blitzers as third-down back."