New York Jets Draft Profile: RB Nyheim Hines
A profile of potential New York Jets draft pick, running back Nyheim Hines out of North Carolina State.
We are just shy of two weeks away from the NFL draft. Finally, am I right? At long last, all of the discussion will come to an end and the New York Jets will begin choosing their stars of tomorrow. Who will be chosen at number three? How will they go about solving the quarterback problem? Just a little bit longer and we will finally have an answer.
But what about the rest of the draft? We know what the position will be in round one, but how about in rounds 3-7? Steven Blush from the Jet Press took a look at this topic, giving brief profiles of ten potential mid-late round selections. If you haven’t come across it yet it is a very interesting read. One player that is particularly intriguing is Nyheim Hines, running back out of North Carolina State.
The Jets do have a fair amount of running backs on the roster already. They have added Isaiah Crowell, and Thomas Rawls. Matt Forte has hung the cleats up for good and Elijah McGuire will be back. Bilal Powell, always a solid back, is turning 30. Most running backs start the downward fall after hitting the big 30, so adding a back in the draft is not far-fetched.
He certainly has the numbers that would gain the interest of NFL scouts. Take a look:
| Rushing | Receiving | Scrimmage | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Plays | Yds | Avg | TD |
| *2015 | North Carolina State | ACC | FR | WR | 13 | 48 | 243 | 5.1 | 1 | 20 | 256 | 12.8 | 1 | 68 | 499 | 7.3 | 2 |
| *2016 | North Carolina State | ACC | SO | RB | 12 | 13 | 44 | 3.4 | 0 | 43 | 525 | 12.2 | 0 | 56 | 569 | 10.2 | 0 |
| *2017 | North Carolina State | ACC | JR | RB | 13 | 197 | 1113 | 5.6 | 12 | 26 | 152 | 5.8 | 0 | 223 | 1265 | 5.7 | 12 |
| Career | North Carolina State | 258 | 1400 | 5.4 | 13 | 89 | 933 | 10.5 | 1 | 347 | 2333 | 6.7 | 14 |
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He began to flash his ability as a pass catcher as a sophomore but really put things together as a dual-threat last season as a junior. Not only did he rush for over 1,100 yards and score 12 times on less than 200 carries, he added 26 pass receptions.
These are the kinds of numbers that remind of players like Bilal Powell or even Matt Forte in his younger days. When you look at his work at the Combine you will see another eye-opening metric. Here is that and his measurables:
MEASURABLES
HEIGHT: 5-8
WEIGHT: 197 POUNDS
ARMS: 30.75″
HANDS: 8 7/8″
Now he is definitely a bit undersized compared to the ideal. However, he does compare with a successful running back in his own right, Warrick Dunn. Dunn stood 5-9 and weighed 180 pounds. Add that to the fact that he ran a 4.38 in the forty yard dash and the guy definitely has a shot. Alvin Kamara ran the dash in 4.56 seconds in comparison.
Here are some thoughts from Lance Zierlein:
"STRENGTHS: Quality stiff-armPlays with adequate toughness to gain yards after contactHands and catch focus showed improvement this season as a receiverPossesses raw talent waiting to be moldedWEAKNESSES:Smaller than ideal as a running backNeeds to do better job of sidestepping big hits or face durability concernsBetter athlete than running back and better runner than receiverLacks feel for blocking in front of him"
Let’s take a look at some video:
There is a lot here to like. Hines is super fast. He is much more comfortable on the outside and in space as opposed to between the tackles. When he gets in space, or into the second level, he turns on the afterburners and he is tough to bring down. He has a great “twitch”; he can stop on a dime and make a move. In the passing game he is a “hands catcher”, which is a talent that can’t be taught. He doesn’t let the ball get into his body which is a trait that will translate well at the next level.
Next: Jets preseason schedule released
For a guy his size, he shows the toughness to get an extra yard or two at the end of the play. He does need good offensive line play because his ability to read his blocks could improve. You don’t see Hines scooting through small holes like you would expect a guy with his speed. He needs a gaping hole to get to the second level. That must improve.
Hines also has to learn to protect himself more as he goes down. He takes most of his hits head on, and at his size that could lead to durability issues. He definitely is a guy worth a look on the third day of the draft.