Philadelphia Eagles: An argument for Adrian Killins making their roster

Let’s compare Killins to some guys Philadelphia Eagles fans already know.

Adrian Killins is a five-foot-eight, 164-pound speedster. He’ll need to add a bit of weight to the frame, but he’s not going to be a three-down back in the NFL. He’ll be a role player like he was in college. That doesn’t mean that he can’t be used in a variety of ways such as gadget plays and screen passes.

When you watch Killins break away from defenders in the open field, it almost reminds you of Tyreek Hill. The Kansas City Chiefs star played one collegiate season in 2014 and finished with 102 carries for 534 rushing yards, 31 catches for 281 receiving yards, and five total touchdowns in 12 games. Hill also added 740 kick return yards and 256 punt return yards, a slightly better result than Killins had, but for the most part, their numbers and style of play are all pretty similar.

Nyheim Hines is another guy who comes to mind when you see Killins play. The five-foot-nine swiss army knife was only a role player during his first two years at NC State but burst onto the scene as a junior. Both Hines and Killins played in offenses that utilized a lot of shotgun formations. Hines’ 40-yard dash was clocked at a 4.38, just a tad faster than Killins’ unofficial 4.39 time. There are some striking similarities in their numbers too.

Hines put up 4,639 all-purpose yards on 447 touches compared to Killins 4,348 yards on 524 touches. Keep in mind the fact that Hines is heavier. Hines’ 5.4 yards per rush, 10.4 yards per catch, and 24.7 yards per kick return averages could make any average college football fan think of Killins’ six yards per rush, 12.3 yards per catch, and 21.8 yards per return averages.

Killins can also be compared to a current Eagle, Boston Scott who was used similarly at Louisiana Tech. Scott saw a lot of shotgun and made a lot of people miss with his cuts. He ran inside zones, got open on quick routes, and contributed with screen passes much like Killins did at UCF. Scott looks to engage defenders more often with contact, but these two share more similarities than differences. Scott’s 4.40 forty-yard time is right there with Killins and Hines as well.

In Killins’ last three seasons, he’s ahead of Scott in most statistical categories, but it’s not by a landslide. It should be exciting to see Killins added to the backfield with what the Eagles already have.