Miles Sanders is Primed and Ready to Take Over the Eagles Backfield
The Eagles have featured a surplus of running backs over the past few seasons, but that hasn’t materialized into elite quality. Miles Sanders has an opportunity to change that.
Do you know what’s extremely challenging? Being called upon to be the following act to Saquon Barkley, the Penn State running back who left behind a meteoric NCAA legacy. However, that’s exactly what Miles Sanders did in his junior year at the same school. After being used sparingly his first two years at Happy Valley, Sanders broke out in a big way this past season. And even though he piled up 1,274 yards and 9 touchdowns, Sanders still remained one of the most underrated running backs in the entire nation.
As Penn State continued to falter from their typically elite standards (finishing the season at 9–4 and losing to #16 Kentucky in the Citrus Bowl), the country never really got the chance to see Miles Sanders in the spotlight. Though he wasn’t a household name by any stretch last year, NFL scouts certainly knew him. As he started to climb up draft boards in March and April, the Philadelphia Eagles swooped him up 53rd overall, making him the second running back taken in the 2019 NFL Draft.
The 2018 Season
Sanders certainly had his moments throughout the season. He notched 200 yards and 3 TDs against Illinois, 159 yards and a TD against Wisconsin, and then he torched the #1 run defense in the country, Michigan State, for 162 yards and a TD on just 17 carries (9.5 yards per carry). Still, there was only one thing that (unfairly) stayed in the back of people’s minds: “He’s not Saquon Barkley.”
Coming into the 2018 season, Penn State fans had their sights set on a playoff birth after missing out the year before. Even with the loss of Barkley, quarterback, and Heisman Award hopeful Trace McSorley was to be paired with Sanders to lead a very explosive Nittany Lions offense.
The team held up well throughout the season, but ultimately, losses to Ohio State, Michigan State, and Michigan sealed their fate as they missed a New Year’s 6 Bowl for the first time since 2015. It was a disappointing season in many facets, but the silver lining of it all remained Miles Sanders’ ascent to relevance.
What Makes Him So Good?
At 5’11”, 211 pounds, Sanders is reminiscent of another Eagles legend, LeSean “Shady” McCoy. But it’s not just the size or stature; Sanders also possesses excellent top-end speed. His 4.49 40-yard dash time doesn’t do justice. Just watch the tape. When you’re talking about Sanders, it’s his elite level shiftiness and balance that really catch your eye.
Watch a Penn State University game and you’ll see it. Sanders makes sweet cuts, essentially “crossing up” defenders. He was the most elusive back in the country. It’s this shiftiness ability that allows him to carve up extra yards that most running backs simply cannot.
Another thing that separates Sanders from the McCoy though, is the discipline to stick with a “North-South” running style. For all the great things McCoy does, he often tries to break contain and go for the big play, which can lead to a ton of negative plays. Sanders seems more adept to be able to run downhill and navigate through the hole for those tough, gaudy yards. Sanders also possesses underrated strength as a runner and can really help push that heavy pile better than people realize. With his solid vision and patience, paired with his eye-popping start-stop and jump-cut ability, Sanders is really the total package as a runner. It’s a beauty to watch this guy play.
As a receiver, Sanders was also heavily involved. He did a ton of damage on swing passes and wheel routes, but he was equally adequate lining up in the slot. It’s a feat that figures to be extremely valuable in the NFL. The ability to line up out wide creates mismatches that can exploit defensive coverages.
The issue most people have with Sanders is his explosiveness or lack thereof. To me, that feels like more perception than anything. He may not possess the “snap-quick” acceleration of Saquon Barkley, but you don’t need that to be a successful runner. Le’Veon Bell, Ezekiel Elliott, and David Johnson, some of the most talented running backs in the league, are great at building up breakaway speed with solid acceleration.
The truth is, running backs aren’t running 50 yards down the field most plays. They’re grinding away near the line of scrimmage, trying to shake one, two, three tackles. Elusiveness, cutting ability and the other traits mentioned are worth so much more than just straight-line speed. That’s where the specific skill set that Miles Sanders possesses becomes so valuable. While he doesn’t tend to burst out of the pocket like a missile, he still remains solid in that aspect. You could even make the argument that Sanders running at the more moderate pace (a la Bell), allows him to make those game breaking cuts. And when Sanders does decide to kick it up a gear, he can outrun just about any defense.
The Eagles Backfield Is For The Taking
Since Doug Pederson took over as the Eagles head coach back in 2016, the team has been featuring a true “running back-by-committee” approach, with three or four backs almost exclusively. While there’s generally been a lead back, the highest total yardage output for one running back has been 173 yards. Then again, those three running backs were Ryan Matthews, LeGarrette Blount, and Josh Adams. Neither one of those guys screams “bell cow.”
Fast forward to 2019, the Eagles are returning with a stable of solid backs. The aforementioned Josh Adams may not even make the 53-man roster, but Wendell Smallwood and Corey Clement should now settle in more as depth pieces rather than featured runners. Ultimately, none of those guys are quite talented enough to be the number one back in this offense.
However, during this offseason, the Eagles did make a trade for former Pro Bowl running back Jordan Howard. But he might be more of a namesake than anything. Since a stellar rookie season in 2016, where he averaged 5.2 yards per carry, Howard saw his average actually dip to 4.1 in 2017, before sputtering to 3.7 in 2018. He looks more and more like a plodding two-down grinder by the week. Add to the running decline his inability to catch passes, and that makes him a poor fit for almost any NFL team.
Sanders gives the Eagles something they haven’t had since Brian Westbrook and/or McCoy. A true three-down back. And with a funny twist of irony, the last running back the Eagles drafted 53rd overall, back in 2011, was indeed LeSean McCoy. In comparing, I feel that Sanders is already the most talented and complete back on this roster. The rookie should be able to swoop in and snag the starting job with relative ease.
Final Thoughts
Miles Sanders provides just about everything you could ask for in a complete running back. In addition to all his talent as a runner/receiver, Sanders is also considered to be an excellent blocker in the backfield. More importantly, he’s a willing one. If you hope to play all three downs in the NFL, you best believe you need to block.
As has been chronicled, the running back shelf life in the NFL has been dying out. Teams are focusing more and more on fixing up their offensive line over getting a top tier running back. There’s a ton to back that philosophy. Running backs take such a beating, that injuries become a concern after just a few years. Just last season, Todd Gurley was considered the best running back in the league, and while he still might be, some people are talking like his career is over. And the Injuries really do take their toll. Which makes the fact that Sanders only 276 carries to his name while playing behind a guy like Barkley, an actual advantage. He proved that he can take on a full workload with 220 carries in 2018, with the lighter college workload being looked at as a plus.
Even with running back depth at an all-time high, the impact of having a Melvin Gordon, Christian McCaffery, or someone of that caliber in your backfield is a huge bonus that can elevate your team to a new level. Sure, you can attempt to plug in any competent running back behind an elite offensive line, but those top-shelf backs take your offense to new heights. Just ask the Steelers whether they’d rather have James Connor or Le’Veon Bell after the missing the playoffs for the first time in five years. Sanders could be that guy for the Eagles.
Miles Sanders will bring stability to a backfield that hasn’t had it since McCoy was traded. In one of the most creative offenses in the NFL, he will get the chance to bookend Carson Wentz while running behind one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. The stars are aligning for Sanders, but will he grab what’s there for the taking? Yes, I believe he will.
All statistics courtesy of Sports-Reference.
