FanPost

Arizona Cardinals First Round '09 Pick: Chris "Beanie" Wells, RB, Ohio St.

And your first round pick in the 2009 draft is none other than Chris "Beanie" Wells.

 

Height & Weight: 6'1, 237 lbs.

Combine Results:497944_medium

  • 40-Yard Dash: 4.59
  • Bench Press: 25
  • Vertical Jump: 33.5
  • Broad Jump: 10'8

Positives: Wells is your ideal, large downhill runner. He has the perfect size( Upper body, arms, legs, shoulders), and speed to be dominant runner in the NFL. He has great vision and is able to burst through holes at ease. He runs through tackles with a force, and carries defenders with him. Once in the second level, he becomes even harder to bring down. He usually wins a challenge, and adds extra yardage after the first hit. Arm and leg tackles rarely bring him down. Most defenders have trouble with him because of his speed and elusiveness as well. Although he is a bull runner, he can hit the burners in the secondary, and makes more then one cut at a time. Wells is also a smart, patient player, who will adjust to new plays and formations. Wells has good leg drive, and has the best stiff arm in the draft. 

Negatives: Wells doesn't have home-run type speed, and may struggle against quicker defenses. He is fit to run between the tackles, and has problems when bouncing it to the outside. Has had fumbling problems and needs to work on his ball security to keep a job in the NFL. Doesn't have any character issues on or off field, but may need to be spoiled to stay happy. His work ethic has improved, but he may still miss some workouts. He has never had to be a leader at Ohio State, and some feel this may be a larger weakness then it appears. He rarely caught the ball in college( 15 catches in 3 years) and needs to polish his route running. Has a good initial pop in pass protection, but isn't NFL ready to block big defenders.

Overview: The knock on Wells is that he isn't your typical multipurpose back. He is a straight forward runner, and dominates defenses.  Most think if he were to become a genuine leader, he would be a franchise-type running back. If he can improve his overall game and fill multiple needs, he can eventually be one of the best running backs in the league.

<em>This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Revenge of the Birds' (ROTB) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of ROTB's editors.</em>