NAME: Nick Brossette
SCHOOL: LSU
CONFERENCE: SEC
POSITION: Running Back
CLASS: Senior
RECRUITMENT RATING: 4-star
HT: 6’0
WT: 218 lbs
Vision: Takes what the defense gives him for the most part. However, will take get caught in the back field because of lack of urgency. Patience is an asset but would like him to make more efficient decisions based on the extended time he spends in the back field. Rarely misses obvious reads.
Burst and Long Speed: Average to below average athlete. Doesn’t possess the explosiveness to shoot through holes in a hurry. Burst looks best when running in a linear motion. Doesn’t have a second gear to kick into in the open field either. Struggles to beat defenders to pursuit angles. Especially on Outside Zone runs.
Contact Balance and Power: Contact balance is good but not overly impressive. Rarely goes down after first contact and regularly breaks through leg/ankle tackles. Yet doesn’t possess elite enough contact balance to shed through tackles on a consistent basis. Forward lean is excellent in terms of power running. Has a great understanding of when to drop his pads and fight for more yards. Proven to be successful on short yardage situations. Wouldn’t classify him as a violent runner though but can inflict adequate contact on his opponents.
Elusiveness: Lacks the dynamic ball carrier ability to be elusive. Struggles to make defenders miss at all levels of the field. Wins with vision, patience, and power. Wiggle and quickness leave a lot to be desired.
Change of Direction: Doesn’t possess the athleticism to change directions fluidly. Very much a linear runner who wants to get north and south. Also runs with heavy feet. Hips are surprisingly looser than expected, allowing him to gain an honest amount of ground with jump cuts. Yet, cuts aren’t sudden because of lack of explosiveness.
Receiving Ability: Hands are capable but doesn’t have the skill set to be a receiving threat. Illustrated the ability to be relatively effective in the screen game.
Pass Protection: Solid as a pass protector. Has a good sense of where the free defender is coming and does a good job of scanning the protection to see which of his lineman need help. Is an effective chip and cut blocker as well. Catches rushers at times when attempting to square them up.
Durability: Never suffered a major injury during his collegiate career and only had one year as a starter. His frame would also suggest that he can handle a full workload.
Best Trait: Power
Worst Trait: Burst/Long Speed
Best Film: Miami (2018)
Worst Film: Mississippi State (2018)
Nick Brossette does some nice things as a power runner and is a modest pass protector. However, he is lacking in critical traits like burst, elusiveness, COD, etc. to be a highly coveted RB. His role will be best served as a back up or in a rotation. A Gap-Power/Inside Zone scheme would be ideal for his skill set.
Work Cited
- Ledyard, Jon. “2019 NFL Draft Player Profile: Nick Brossette.” The Draft Network, 9 Nov. 2018, thedraftnetwork.com/2018/11/08/2019-nfl-draft-player-profiles-nick-brossette/.