Cleveland Browns draft prospect scouting report: Royce Freeman

The Cleveland Browns need to add at least one running back during the draft. Perhaps the best under the radar back from the pacific northwest could land in Cleveland.

Ask a Cleveland Browns fan which running back he would like the team to draft, and you’ll probably hear Penn State’s Saquon Barkley‘s name. Barkley is a fantastic prospect and would immediately transform the Browns’ offense.

That said, Barkley would require the Browns to spend one of their first two picks on him. Here’s the kicker though: He may not even last to the fourth pick. Add in the fact that very good running backs can be found later on in the draft, going with Barkley may not be the best option for Cleveland.

The 2018 NFL Draft class looks to be very deep at the running back position, which is fantastic news for the Browns. Isaiah Crowell will most likely be with a new team come the fall, and with a need at the position, Cleveland’s offense needs a spark.

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One RB outside of Barkley that general manager John Dorsey and company should take a long look at is Oregon’s Royce Freeman. The 21-year-old just wrapped up his senior season, during which he rushed for 1,475 yards, averaged 6.0 yards per carry, and scored 16 touchdowns. He also caught 14 passes for 164 yards out of the backfield according to sports-reference.com.

At 5’11” 231 lbs, Freeman has excellent size and should hold up well in the NFL. He displays excellent vision, good agility, and good power.

Freeman is adept at breaking tackles and refuses to go down on first contact. Arm tackles will not work on him. Ball security is also not an issue, as he fumbled just once while touching the ball 258 times in 2017.

Freeman doesn’t have game-breaking speed, but he is fast enough to where he will not be caught from behind. He is a decisive runner; when he sees a hole, he will explode through it, not wasting time dancing around in the backfield.

Although Freeman’s stats don’t necessarily reflect it, he is a very good receiver. One of the things that makes him a complete back is his ability to block in pass protection. Most teams have to keep an extra running back on the roster for this purpose, but Freeman is one of the country’s best at protecting his quarterback.

Freeman’s decisive, powerful running style would complement current Browns RB Duke Johnson perfectly.

The best part? In this loaded draft, Freeman may not be taken until the third or even fourth round. This would allow the Browns to fill bigger holes on their roster, including quarterback, wide receiver, free safety, and cornerback.

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Cleveland needs a new face at running back and Freeman would be an excellent addition to an offense that needs to improve from last season.

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