Round 2, Pick 45

D’Andre Swift, RB, Georgia

Height: 5-8

Weight: 212

Class: Junior

D.O.B.: 1/14/99

Statistical Profile: It’s been back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons for Swift since taking over for Nick Chubb and Sony Michel in 2018, and he’s scored 17 rushing touchdowns during that time as well. The NFL might value most what he’s done in the passing game however, as Swift has snagged 73 balls for 666 yards and five scores over three seasons.

Scouting Swift: I typically don’t like scouting running backs because they are so scheme and blocking dependent that it makes it difficult to separate their raw ability from the context of what is happening around them. That wasn’t the case with Swift, however. Tape and testing have combined to give us a pretty clear picture of who he is, and who he is not as a player.

Who he is not: Swift is not a bell-cow, 25-carries-per-game type of back. He simply doesn’t have that type of vision, anticipation or decisiveness as a runner. Swift needs clear, defined, gaping holes in order to work through the line of scrimmage, and he doesn’t really play ahead of linebackers and second level defenders mentally. He’s also not a tackle-breaker, so he goes down pretty easily in the slightest congestion up front.

But once he is in space, now that is where we get to who Swift is as a running back. If he can get outside the tackle, his acceleration and speed become instant weapons. If he gets through the first level clean, everyone at the second and especially the third levels is in danger of having their ankles broken. Swift’s elusiveness shows up way more in the open field than it does in tight quarters, but it’s still there, and can wreck defenders one-on-one.

The two of the best things about Swift are his hands and his pass protection.

He catches just about everything, and although most of his targets as a running back are pretty easy to corral, there’s a few tougher adjustments on tape that show he can track and finish. He doesn’t have to be Larry Fitzgerald, but you don’t want to waste any plays throwing to a back that might drop the ball. They can’t afford to have questionable hands. Swift doesn’t.

Not many college backs pass protect at a high level, and there is certainly room for Swift to grow, but he’s better than the majority of the guys I scout at this level. Most importantly, he’s fearless, physical and tough, which is the foundation for any back in pass pro. But Swift will also square up rushers and deliver blows. He’s in there to fight. He’ll cut block with no hesitation, too. I love seeing that competitiveness to do the dirty work.

If you want to get the most out of Swift (or any running back, but that’s a discussion for another time), get defenders out of the box, spread the field and give him as much clear space up front to work in. Some of his best work at Georgia came on delayed handoffs and draws that got defenders out of their normal space and allowed him to see things more clearly. That’s where he’ll win as a rusher.

There’s nothing overly dynamic about Swift with the ball in his hands, but he catches it well, he has the speed to eat up space quickly and he can make guys miss one-on-one with a great dead leg move. The other added bonus is that he has experience running routes from the slot, and combining that with his pass protection ability brings him closer to making a three-down impact early in his career than most college backs. If Swift can learn to set up linebackers more consistently at the top of his routes out of the backfield, he will be even harder to stop.

Bucs Fit: Considering that Bruce Arians has repeatedly said that the most important thing he is looking for in a running back prospect this year is pass-catching ability, Swift should be of great interest to Tampa Bay if he is still there in the second round. I’ll never condone taking a running back even that high unless he is an absolute freak, and Swift surely isn’t that.

Regardless of what I think, Swift is the type of back the Bucs would like to add to their offense, capable of flexing out to the slot, playing a versatile third down role and picking up the occasional carries along with Ronald Jones II. Georgia operates one of the most diverse rushing offenses in the country, so I’m not overly worried about the schematic fit, but Swift’s traits probably suggest more of a zone runner than a gap/power back (what Tampa predominantly runs from the tape I’ve seen).

If the Bucs draft Swift, it’s all about what he can do in the passing game, and the strong sample size we have from his Georgia days tell us that he probably won’t be a star in that role, but he will immediately be the best option on Tampa Bay’s roster.