Barry Sanders, RB, Stanford

This scouting report excites me a little bit. I'm actually getting to scout the next Barry Sanders.  Barry Sanders III, RB, Stanford, is the son of former Lions hall of fame running back Barry Sanders.  While Barry III isn't the dominating athlete his father was, there are certainly some similarities in their games.  Take a look. There's a good example of Barry Sanders channeling his inner Barry Sanders.  His high school film was also dominant, as shown here. The physical gifts are clearly there for him to become a dominant athlete.

However, Barry Sanders III is still a work in progress. His first two seasons were spent in a backup role.  There are some holes in his game; every once in a while he'll break out an explosive play or a great read. Then he'll get swallowed up by tacklers at the line of scrimmage.  At this point in his career, he projects as a good committee-type of back. The film from his 2014 Stanford spring game (here) shows him doing some things exceedingly well, but he's raw. 

Where does Barry project as a draft prospect? As of right now, he's probably a late round pick or udfa given his current lack of college production. His average YPC has been decent so far, coming in at 5.3 yards per carry.  That being said, he's been buried on Stanford's depth chart so far in his career. However, a similar situation did little to stop his father.

Barry Sanders, of Lions fame, spent the early part of his career behind Thurman Thomas in college. It took an injury to Thomas to get Sanders regular playing time (and Thomas' move to the NFL after that season), and Barry Sanders ran away with the job.  One season is often all it takes to make or break a player's draft status. If Barry Sanders wins the starting job in Stanford, we're talking about a guy who could be a day 1 or day 2 selection in 2016.  If he remains a talented backup, he's destined for a day 3 selection. Either way, he's a player who is absolutely worth watching in college this year.

Besides, how often do we get a chance to scout Barry Sanders?

--Mike B