2013 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Stefphon Jefferson - RB, Nevada

With a starter already in place, and at least one other RB on the roster going into 2013, the Colts don't have to use a high-round pick to get another guy. Later in the draft, however, I don't think it would be a bad idea to consider a RB, seeing as how they are most susceptible to injuries due to the number of hits they take, and there have been many cases recently of late-round guys becoming stars almost overnight. One guy for the Colts to consider is Nevada RB Stefphon Jefferson.

Jefferson is an early entrant to the NFL, foregoing his Senior season in Reno for the Wolf Pack. He only started two games in his first two seasons, totaling just 72 caries, but averaging 6.4 yards per carry. Last year, however, when he was on the field he was getting the ball. He rushed 375 times last year, 2nd in the NCAA (Le'Veon Bell), amassing the second most rushing yards in the country, 1883, just 46 yards behind Arizona's Ka'Deem Carey. He was a monster. Add in another 170 receiving yards, and 25 total touchdowns, and it makes sense why he decided to come out early.

Undoubtedly another factor in his decision was longtime Nevada Head Coach Chris Ault decided to retire, and was replaced this offseason with a very familiar last name in these parts: Brian Polian. Jefferson had made his decision to leave long before Polian was hired, so there wasn't really an opportunity for him to be talked into coming back for his senior year. Ault revolutionized the "Pistol" formation that has now become the rage in the NFL, complete with a former pupil of his, Colin Kaepernick, playing in the Super Bowl. Jefferson assumed he wouldn't get near the workload he did last season, so it was time to move up. Can't blame the kid, especially at such a physically demanding position.

My guess is he'll get much longer looks from teams that run the Pistol, such as the 49ers (who have 875 picks now), Redskins, and the Eagles (I assume with Chip Kelly). With the Colts most likely shifting to more power formations, he probably isn't going to be in the cards for the Colts, even with a late round pick, which is where he's slated to go. Sometimes these guys just don't fit the profile of certain teams, although that isn't a hard-and-fast rule. He's not quick enough to be a change-of-pace back for Vick Ballard, so I'm expecting Jefferson to land on another team.

Scouting Profile from NFL.com:

Strengths

Extremely productive junior season, showed he can handle a high carry total. Very patient running back.

Weaknesses

Runs with a high pad level. Linear athlete, doesn't offer much in terms of agility.

NFL Comparison

Shaun Draughn

Bottom Line

Jefferson is a back with great patience and vision. He has a good initial burst through the line of scrimmage, but he struggles to make people miss. He doesn't have great top end speed or elite power to compensate for this issue. A team might use a late selection of Jefferson for his reliability as a runner.

Stats from Sports-Reference.com

Combine Measurements: