Allen Patrick, 2008 NFL Draft Prospect
 | Running Back 6’0” 191 lbs. Speed: 4.45 Senior Oklahoma |
Yes there is another running back for the 2008 NFL Draft not named Darren McFadden. Allen Patrick might not have the notoriety or fame of McFadden, but he might have similar talent. Patrick is kind of an unknown, last year playing behind 2007 first round draft pick Adrian Peterson. With the injury prone Peterson injured for most of last year (2006) Patrick started five games and displayed the rushing skills that made NFL Scouts take notice. In spring drills Patrick had the best vertical jump on the team at 37.5 inches. Patrick has power, speed and moves, but he hasn’t caught the ball much out of the back field, but he has the athletic ability to do so. Ok, I exaggerated, he isn't near the prospect as McFadden is, but he is a running back, that with a strong senior year could rise drastically up the draft boards. Patrick will do very well at the NFL Scouting Combine because he has all the measurables that scouts are looking for in a running back.
In 2006 he was awarded All-Big 12 honorable mention honors by the Big 12 coaches and Associated Press, he finished with 761 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Patrick is the real deal; he runs a legitimate 4.45 second forty yard dash. Last year he had the longest run from scrimmage for a running back scampering for a 65 yard touchdown against Oklahoma State, the run was the first snap of the second half and just demoralized Oklahoma State. Patrick finished with four 100 yard games and crushed Texas A&M with 173 rushing yards on 32 carries. Before Peterson got hurt Patrick was a special teams ace recording four tackles. He finished 2006 with a 4.5 yards per carry average.
In the spring of 2005 Patrick made the switch from defensive back to running back, he played running back, defensive back and served as a kick returner in high school so the transition was seamless. He played sparingly as a redshirt sophomore, but finished with 25 carries for 136 yards and a nice 5.4 yards per carry average. He also returned kicks that year; he had four kickoff returns for a total of 69 yards, including an electrifying 31 yarder against Oregon in the Holiday Bowl.
I expect Patrick to be the workhorse this year for Oklahoma; however, he will be sharing carries with talented sophomore running back Chris Brown. Patrick has the talent to emerge as a very early round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft. It might be a long shot, but If Oklahoma finds a quarterback and competes for a national title, Patrick could even be in contention for the Heisman Trophy.