2012 NFL Draft: Baylor RB Terrance Ganaway's Stock Is Rising

Feb 10 11:23p by Jeremy Mauss

Baylor Bears running back Terrance Ganaway had an impressive 2011 season as he led the Big 12 in rushing and was No. 7 in the nation with 1,547 yards, plus he also hauled in 21 touchdowns. Even with that impressive season, Ganaway has not been projected to go early in NFL mock drafts, and the reason for that is his lack of being able to run routes, catch the ball out of the backfield and pass block.

Kevin Weidl of ESPN and Scouts, Inc. has spent time watching Ganaway on film and is even more impressed with his running ability after getting a second look:

Ganaway capped a breakout senior season with a 200-yard, five-touchdown performance against Washington in the Alamo Bowl, and his blend of patience, burst and size jumps out on film. He can make defenders miss or run them over when he gets into space.

Weidl's co-author in the piece is Steve Muench who see's Ganaway having value on early downs but he does believe that Ganaway has the size to turn into an effective pass blocking back.

While pass blocking is important for a running back, the NFL has moved to a hyper-specialized league and the full-time running back is basically dead. If teams believe Ganaway can run the ball he will get a chance in the NFL and a team will just plug in another running back in on passing downs to block if Ganaway struggles.