In their quest for a running back, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be turning over every rock at the position in this year’s draft. Alabama’s Bo Scarbrough will likely be one of those rocks.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need another running back or two, and Bo Scarbrough is the latest in a long line of Alabama running backs in the NFL. Trent Richardson is now infamous, but Mark Ingram, Kenyan Drake, Derrick Henry, Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon have all been drafted to the NFL since 2011. Scarbrough as a prospect is a worthy entry to the club, and a legitimate late round target for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Let’s take a closer look at the underclassman prospect.
Scarbrough’s Career
A five star recruit out of high school, Bo Scarbrough played three seasons for the Crimson Tide. After a quiet freshman season Scarbrough broke out as a sophomore. In the team’s Peach Bowl victory he ran for a bowl record 180 yards along with two touchdowns, and in the national championship he scored two more touchdowns and ran for 93 yards. On the season he totaled 812 yards and eleven touchdowns.
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Scarbrough’s final collegiate season was a disappointment considering how well he did in 2016. He managed only 596 yards rushing and eight touchdowns, and didn’t register a single hundred yard rushing game all season. As a result Scarbrough’s professional prospects are a bit muddied; had he built upon his sophomore year we’d be talking about him as a second or third round pick, but now it seems he’ll go a bit later.
Pros
There’s a lot to like with Bo Scarbrough despite his quiet junior season. If you need tough yards between the tackles and a reliable power back, Bo is your guy. At 6’1, 235 lbs Scarbrough is an old-school, heavy hitting player, and much more imposing than your typical NFL running back. On top of his tremendous power as a runner, Scarbrough also has solid long speed to score from distance.
Scarbrough is also a solid blocker, and should be able to hold his own there early in the NFL, which is something NFL teams will value. Though he’s not quite as heavy, Bo Scarbrough has a chance to be a very similar player to Legarrette Blount in the NFL. He’ll be a two down back with a lot of upside to score in the red zone and convert fourth downs, along with the requisite breakaway speed to score long touchdowns.
Cons
You know exactly what you’re getting with Bo Scarbrough and along with his tremendous power come quite a few flaws that keep him firmly in the middle to lower tier of this year’s draft class. Though he can pass protect, Scarbrough has very little to offer in the passing game, only catching 21 passes in three seasons. His burst isn’t great and he’s not particularly agile or shifty.
Scarbrough isn’t the complete package and any offense that drafts him will need to have a third down option in place. In a pass happy league like the NFL this amounts to a major con for Scarbrough, but it isn’t insurmountable. More concerning is the big running back’s durability; his upright running style invites dangerous hits, and he’s suffered a torn ACL and broken leg among other injuries. His workload wasn’t big in college which is a plus, but it’s a question mark whether he can handle one because of that injury history.
Why the Buccaneers Need Bo Scarbrough
Tampa Bay needs a bell-cow running back. In 2017 they had the passing weapons to move the ball, but without the balance of a tough running game they were unable to score points in the red zone.
The Buccaneers upgraded their offensive line with center Ryan Jensen and will likely add more help in the draft and are intent on running the football much more next season – Scarbrough, though not a third down option for the Bucs, would immediately improve the team’s short yardage offense and red zone offense.
Scarbrough can be had in the fourth round more than likely, which allows the Bucs to divert their first and second round picks to other positions like guard and safety. Waiting on running back is arguably the wisest move in this year’s draft, and Scarbrough seems like an ideal target if that’s the strategy the team goes with.
Will it Happen?
If the Buccaneers choose to wait until later in the draft to address running back Bo Scarbrough is an ideal target. He’s not a top five running back in this class but, if healthy and in the right Blount-like role, he could be an effective back in the NFL. The Bucs would need to sign a third down specialist or coach up Scarbrough on his pass catching and route running, but in today’s NFL there are plenty of running back committees. I can definitely see the Buccaneers being interested in a heavy-hitting back like Scarbrough from a championship Alabama program.
Next: Donte Jackson player profile
What do you think about Bo Scarbrough, Buccaneer fans? Do you see the team being interested, or will they pass in favor of one of the many other backs in this year’s class?