RB — Mark Walton 6.87
Scout- Ryan Goudy
College: Miami
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 188 lbs
40-Time: 4.6
Bench Press: 18
3-Cone: TBD
Athleticism
Q.A.B. 7.25 Quick and agile, good balance after first contact.
Flexibility 7.25 Very flexible to lean off of contact, good bend for someone who has a thick lower body.
C.O.D. 7.00 Smooth fluid hips, has to take a gather step rather then a plant and explode when hitting hole.
Explosion 6.75 Good not great explosion, better at getting to the corner then plant and explode.
Top End Speed 6.50 Plays faster on tape, but does get caught, testing numbers are worrisome for a player his size
With Ball in Hands
Vision/Instincts 7.00 More decisive with a lead blocker, good at looking for cutback lanes
Cutting Ability 6.50 Fluid in hips, but has to take gather step when cutting, isn’t a quick cutter.
Elusiveness 6.75 Breaks tackles more than makes people miss.
Yards After Contact 7.25 Always falls forward, drops pads to get extra yards.
Ball Security 8.00 Went the last 274 carries without fumbling.
Receiving
Hands 7.50 Good hands, will be a back that can be used on all three downs.
Route Running 7.00 Able to flip his hips and explode through cuts. Good route runner.
Ability In Space 6.75 Will get caught from behind. but will get yardage.
Ability to Separate 6.75 Gets separation by using his cuts in routes, not on speed. Good at this level, question at the next.
Blocking
Lead Blocking 7.00 Not asked to lead block a lot, but shows a willingness to put his nose into linebackers.
Blocking In Space 7.00 Likes to block, will at least slow someone down.
Pass Blocking 7.00 Good and willing blocker, sometimes will get lost on who the free guy is, but attacks more than catches blitzers.
Situational Awareness 6.75 When he picks up his duty, he makes first contact, does wait for them
Competitiveness
Toughness 6.50 Plays tough, likes to mix it up, missed last 9 games due to ankle injury.
Production 6.50 Numbers look good, a lot of them come from less competition.
Consistency/Motor 6.50 Good motor, 2016 tape is more of what he is when healthy.
Team Player 6.50 Local kid who wanted to stay home, shows a willingness to sell out blocking for his team.
Intelligence
Instincts 6.50 Likes to try to bounce things to the outside rather then put head down for yardage. Indecisive on inside runs.
Learn/Retain 6.50 His tape is consistent throughout, only thing that changed was healthy.
Versatility 7.25 Can be used on all three downs, wasn’t used in return game.
Strengths
Mark is a fluid runner. He has the ability to quickly open up his hips and change directions. He creates yards sometimes where there isnt any to be gained. Mark is a good receiving back, with good hands and plus route running. He is someone that likes to deliver a blow and usually takes more than one person to take him down. He is a willing pass blocker who likes to take on blitzers.
Weaknesses
Walton is coming of of an ankle injury that hampered and ultimate cut short his 2017 season. While he breaks tackles, he isnt overly elusive with the ball in his hands. Walton like to bounce runs to the outside, rather than following blockers into the hole. He isnt a quick cutter, has to gather his feet before he makes his move. For a player his size, gets caught from behind to frequently.
Big Picture
Walton is a short, but compact running back. He has a solid frame and carries his weight well. Walton is a plus receiver out of the backfield, and has what it takes to be utilized on all three downs. As an athlete, when healthy, he shows good enough burst and quickness that he should be used in a zone run scheme. He likes to look for contact rather than run away from it. In a loaded running back class, his lack of elite traits could cause him to fall to the middle rounds. Look for him to outplay his value if he gets put in the right spot.
