Weaknesses:
Summary: Despite being a starter for only one season, Lacy is the consensus top running back in the 2013 draft class. He is a powerful ball-carrier who breaks a lot of tackles and picks up a lot of yards after contact. Like the previous two running backs from Alabama, Lacy carried the load for his offense en route to a National Championship.
As a freshman in 2010, Lacy was a backup behind Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson. In 2011, Richardson carried Alabama and Lacy was the primary backup. Lacy made the most of his attempts as a sophomore, running for 631 yards on 84 carries with seven touchdowns.
Lacy was the starting running back this year, but still lost touches to standout freshman T.J. Yeldon. Lacy totaled 1,322 yards (6.4 average) and 17 touchdowns on only 204 carries. He caught 22 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns, too. Lacy had massive performances against Georgia (20-181) in the SEC Championship and Notre Dame (20-140) in the National Championship.
Like Ingram and Richardson, Lacy has a tremendous combination of size, quickness and power. He is fast to the hole and when he breaks into the open field he is tough to catch. While Lacy’s ability to run over defenders and spin out of their tackles commands the most acclaim, he has deceptive speed to break off long touchdown runs.
Lacy is so strong and thickly built that defenders really struggle to get him down. He is a punishing runner who could function in a power man-blocking scheme or a zone scheme. Alabama ran plays from both offenses, so Lacy enters the NFL with good preparation.
In the NFL, Lacy needs to improve his ability to function as a receiver out of the backfield and a blocker in pass protection. He doesn’t have a lot of experience in that aspect. Richardson ate up those snaps in previous seasons and in 2012 a lot of those plays went to Yeldon. While Lacy’s underdeveloped in this regard, he has the potential to learn and become a three-down back.
For the next level, Lacy looks like a bell-cow back who is capable of handling a large load of carries. He can be a lead power back who makes a quarterback’s job easier by consistently producing third-and-short to third-and-medium situations. Lacy also will be a good back in goal line and short-yardage situations. The benefit of him being a backup for the majority of his college years is that he enters the NFL with fresh legs.
acy looks like a late first-round or early second-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. He didn’t work out at the Combine, which disappointed some teams. If Lacy runs well at his pro day, it would help his chances of cracking the top 32.
Player Comparison: Frank Gore. If Lacy develops the ability to contribute as a pass receiver and blocker, he could be very similar to Gore. Like the 49ers bellcow, Lacy is a physical load who is a hard-charging running back. Gore fell in the draft because of injuries in college, but he has had an excellent career. Lacy’s running style is very similar to Gore and it wouldn’t be surprising if Lacy leads a physical ground game in the NFL.
NFL Matches: Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Green Bay, Atlanta, New York Jets,
The Jets need talent at running back, and Lacy would be a real upgrade for New York over Shonn Greene. The Jets would probably have to trade up for Lacy from their second-round pick, unless they trade down from their first selection.
Cincinnati needs a running back to pair with Andy Dalton and A.J. Green. Lacy could function in Jay Gruden’s offense. BenJarvus Green-Ellis is a quality back as part of a stable, but not a real difference-maker. Cincinnati could target Lacy with its earlier second-round pick (formerly Oakland’s).
Both the Steelers and Falcons need a starting running back, and each team will probably want a back with more power and size considering who they already have on their rosters. Lacy is worth considering for either Atlanta or Pittsburgh with its first-round pick because he could help take the load off the team’s franchise quarterbacks. Lacy won’t make it to either the Steelers’ or the Falcons’ second-round picks, so one would have to trade up for him on Friday night – if he lasts that long.
The Green Bay Packers would be another fit for Lacy. He would take a lot of pressure off of Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay could really use some productive stability from the running back position, and Lacy would bring a physical element to the team’s offense. His durability is also appealing subce the Packers have dealt with a lot of injuries in the backfield. Green Bay would have to use its first-round pick to land Lacy or trade up in the second round.
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RELATED LINKS:
2013 NFL Mock Draft: Charlie’s | Walt’s
2013 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
2013 NFL Draft Scouting Reports
NFL Picks - Nov. 20
2025 NFL Mock Draft - Nov. 20
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