Alabama running back Derrick Henry is widely considered the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy heading into the SEC Championship Game, where Henry's Crimson Tide will meet Florida. He leads the FBS in rushing yards and touchdowns with 1,797 and 22.
As he continues to impress evaluators with his play this season, I reached out to five NFL personnel executives and asked them to make an NFL player comp for Henry. Here are their answers.
Executive 1: Brandon Jacobs
"Hard one, but I'll say Brandon Jacobs in his prime. Both are tall guys, although Henry is a little faster."
Executive 2:LeGarrette Blount
"Reminds me of Blount. Big upper bodies, leaner lower half. Both lack ideal foot quickness and wiggle when things get congested near the line of scrimmage. Both need space and room to operate."
Executive 3:Eddie Lacy
"He reminds me of another Alabama runner, Eddie Lacy. Similar style."
Executive 4: Brandon Jacobs
"First guy that comes to mind is Jacobs. Not many guys that size to compare."
Executive 5: Brandon Jacobs
"Same size. Same everything."
Verdict: That's three votes for Jacobs, and one apiece for Lacy and Blount.
Conclusion: I'm a little surprised all five executives didn't pick Jacobs. That was the obvious choice to me because of their similar size, speed and need for a runway. However, Lacy and Blount are both big, physical runners that are similar to Henry in some ways, too.
Follow Daniel Jeremiah on Twitter at @MoveTheSticks.
