Shady 2.0
Shady 2.0
I read somewhere that D'andre Swift stylistically compares to LeSean McCoy, and now, I can't unsee it. The comparison is uncanny. So much so, that I decided to name this article Shady 2.0. The film is the same, their build is the same. The only difference is Swift holds the ball high and tight rather than away from his body like McCoy. I #Truthfully enjoyed watching this film, and here is exactly what I saw.
Lateral Quickness
If my prediction is right, Swift will be the cause of several ACL tears in linebackers knees. And possibly his own, because his dead leg move is ridiculous. He can stop on a dime. Swift has the most lateral quickness in this class, and it's not close. His hips are looser than my ex wife’s. Sike. But seriously, he can change directions faster than google navigation after you miss a turn.
Receiving Ability
D’Andre Swift will excel in the screen game. He has a great set of hands, and transitions from the catch to accelerating downhill very quickly. He is dangerous as a route runner. He is a mismatch for linebackers and most nickel backs at the next level because of his burst. He is above average in the open field, not elite. But that isn't because of his physical ability. He just makes bad decisions on occasions, and doesn't have the track star speed to make up for it.
Short Area Quickness
D’Andre is very swift at changing directions and accelerating in tight spaces. (see what I did There?) He doesn't have the long speed for game breaking ability, but you don't necessarily need that at the running back position. When he gets met in the gap by an unexpected defender, his ability to change directions on a dime, is what makes him so elusive. This reminds me a lot of Devin singletary. I think him being labeled as “not physical enough” is a bit suspect and unfair as he doesn't invite contact but he doesn't seem afraid of it either. He is going to be very difficult to bring down in tight spaces. His quickness in congestion is no match for defensive lineman and linebackers, but I don't think it will translate quite the same for defensive backs.
Concerns
Look, we are splitting hairs at the top of a very talented RB class, but there are a few minor concerns.
- He doesn't have game breaking speed as previously stated so don't be looking for a bunch of long scores.
- Speaking of scores, he doesn't seem to have a knack for getting into the endzone at the goal line either.
- I had to watch about 15 minutes of film before i saw him in a single pass protection scenario. That tells me his coaches didn't trust him in those situations. However, he didn't appear to be a huge liability in the few situations I did see him in. We will see, right?
- His open field decision making isn't the best.
Without knowing his landing spot, he is still worth a top 5 rookie pick in non SuperFlex leagues.
Bottom Line
Swift will be a great back in the right system, and a good back in any system. I see him as a “between the twenties” type of runner as he does not excel on the goal line. 17 rushing scores over the past 2 years against some of the nations top defenses is nothing to scoff at, but I can't imagine him as a double digit TD type of guy. He will be excellent in the receiving game so there's that. I can see him hovering in the low RB1 to High RB2 range for years to come.