2019 NFL Draft Profile: David Montgomery

David Montgomery was one of Iowa State’s best offensive players over the last three years and this weekend some NFL team is going to get themselves a workhorse. Plenty of NFL teams have a need at running back, especially a few that fit his style of play, the Chiefs and Bears.

Position: Running Back

Height: 5-foot-10

Weight: 222 lbs.

Hometown: Cincinnati, OH

NFL Draft Projections: 2nd or 3rd Round

Junior Stats: 257 attempts, 1,216 yards and 13 touchdowns, 13 Receptions and 129 Yards receiving

Career Stats: 624 attempts, 2925 yards and 26 touchdowns. 71 Receptions, 582 Yards receiving.

Game to Watch: 2018 vs. West Virginia, 29 carries for 189 yards and one touchdown

Pro Day/Scouting Combine Performance:

• 40-yard dash: 4.63 seconds
• Bench press: 15 reps
• 20-yard shuttle: N/A
• Vertical leap: 28.5 inches
• Broad jump: 121 inches

Pros

David Montgomery has a compact frame that allows him to play extremely physically, but he couples his physicality with instinctive running and fast moves to get around defenders. Montgomery is also very patient when he needs to be and, which allows his blockers to get set up in front of him. Montgomery rarely fumbles, and turning the ball over in the NFL is a quick ticket out of the league. He also adds in good blitz pickups in pass protection, which is huge in a pass happy NFL.

Cons

Montgomery is getting negative marks for his top end speed. While his 40 yard dash times did get better during the pro day, NFL teams are still gun-shy because of it. His ability to pull away in open space could be lacking because of it. We all know David Montgomery can make any tackler miss, but his ability to shake off another one right after lacks a bit, which may have to do with his burst right out of a cut. The good news is that can be improved. Also of note: while Montgomery did force a lot of tackles in college, he took his fair share of hits, and his workload was relatively high at Iowa State. I don’t think it will affect his near-term stability, it could play a factor in his shelf life in the NFL.

“That’s my guy! If he gets with the right team, he’s going to be the best running back to come out of this class and you won’t have to draft him early either.” -- Scouting director with an AFC team

WRNL Draft Prediction

David Montgomery is a first round type of guy on the field, he plays hard and can make any team in the NFL better, but unfortunately the NFL doesn’t value running backs as much anymore. Montgomery’s ceiling pick is a second round, but I would not be surprised to see him taken in the third round on Friday night.

Highlights