Have the Philadelphia Eagles found their potential heir apparent to Darren Sproles?
They might’ve with their second pick in the fourth round as they drafted San Diego State running back Donnel Pumphrey. The Eagles were able to draft Pumphrey by trading their 139th pick and 230th pick in the seventh round to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Pumphrey had an excellent four-year career at San Diego State, which saw become the NCAA’s all-time leading rusher with 6,405 yards. Despite his 5-foot-8 and 176-pound frame, Pumphrey showed not only could he run in between the tackles but carried a large workload.
Over his four-year career, Pumphrey carried the ball 1,059 times, including back-to-back seasons where he had 300 plus carries. This past season, Pumphrey set career-highs in rushing yards (2,133) and carries (349) plus had 17 touchdowns. He also had 27 receptions for 231 yards.
The two-time Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year is an exciting player to watch as he has the potential to break a game open with one move. He is a shifty, fast running back that is not afraid to run inside the tackles.
While people may be concerned about Pumphrey’s durability in the NFL due to his size, he is going to a perfect situation. With the Eagles, Pumphrey will not have to carry the ball a ton and will be used in multiple facets.
He will also get the chance to learn from Sproles, which is a great resource. Plus you could potentially see some packages this upcoming season featuring both of them on the field.
All in all, Pumphrey was a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses in college and will now get that chance in the NFL. The Eagles hope that they have found Sproles 2.0 and if so, then the franchise will be in good shape for many years to come.
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