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By Charlie Campbell
Weaknesses:
Summary: In recent years, the SEC has transitioned away from being an old-school hard-nosed running conference into one full of wide-open passing offenses. Spiller must not have gotten the memo, though because he is a physical, hard-charging back who plowed through SEC defenses during his college football career. Spiller ran well as a freshman in 2019, averaging 5.4 yards per carry for 946 yards with 10 touchdowns. He also caught 29 passes for 203 yards. Spiller was even better as a sophomore, averaging 5.5 yards per carry for 1,036 yards and nine touchdowns. He recorded 20 receptions for 193 yards through the air as well.
As a junior in 2021, Spiller averaged 5.6 yards per carry for 1,011 yards and six touchdowns. He also had 25 catches for 189 yards and a touchdown. His tape as a receiver against Colorado was impressive and will help him with pro evaluators. He still played well as a runner, but the Texas A&M offensive line dealt with a lot of injuries while with playing a young, inexperienced quarterback who was very inconsistent. As a result, Spiller saw a lot of loaded boxes due to defenses daring the Aggies to beat them through the air.
For the next level, Spiller is a power back capable of taking on a big work load and being a physical runner who wears out defenses. He is a strong back who charges through defenses and picks up a lot of yards after contact. His lower body strength is impressive, bouncing tacklers off his thighs, and he uses his strong upper body to run through defensive backs in the open field. Spiller is a load who is very tough to get to the ground, and he makes defenders pay for trying to tackle him. With his nasty demeanor, Spiller finishes runs really well, and he is an excellent runner in short-yardage or goal-line situations.
Spiller is a good fit for zone-rushing attacks thanks to his serious one-cut downhill ability. While Spiller is a power back, he shows more cutting ability and wiggle then one would expect. He is not just a North-South back. Instead, he can make some cuts in the open field and use some shiftiness to dart by defenders.
The NFL is a passing-driven league, and Spiller looks like a functional outlet receiver for the next level. He flashed some impressive, soft hands over the past three seasons, and he is dangerous in space. While Spiller won’t be a dynamic receiving threat like a Christian McCaffrey or Alvin Kamara, Spiller can contribute, and he catches well for a big back. Spiller showed well as a blocker in 2021, and after learning NFL blitz-diagnosis skills, he should become a valuable protector as a pro.
Some team sources say Spiller is not fast for the next level, and that concern could hold him back from being a featured three-down starter. Spiller has foot quickness, but some scouts feel he is not fast enough to hit the hole and second level, so those evaluators have graded him on Day 3. Others think Spiller is quick enough and have him higher. He can run a little upright at times, so bending his knees more and running behind his pads more would make him even harder to tackle.
There is a real variety in opinions on Spiller, so he faces a wide range of where he could go in the 2022 NFL Draft. He could go as high as the second round and probably won’t go lower than the fourth round.
Player Comparison: Arian Foster. Some team sources said Spiller reminds them of Foster. It makes sense, as Foster was a big back who was a skilled receiver. Spiller is similar. He runs a little tougher than Foster did, while Foster had more speed. In the NFL, it would not surprise me if Spiller ends up being similar, but maybe not quite as good, as Foster was in his prime with the Texans.
RELATED LINKS:
2022 NFL Mock Draft: Charlie’s | Walt’s
2022 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
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