Oct 10, 2015; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers running back Derrius Guice (5) runs against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the second half of a game at Tiger Stadium. LSU defeated South Carolina 45-24. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Derrius Guice is a speed back who is most dangerous in open space. He also adds the ability to run between the tackles making him more than a scat back. His catching ability adds another dimension to an offense as he can make plays catching out of the backfield. He could succeed in both a zone and gap running scheme as he hits the hole hard in a gap scheme. He was able to take advantage of the holes LSU’s offensive line created for him. His vision as a runner is an asset for him. He also adds good balance and the ability to break tackles to his game. I also think he can make plays in the kick return game.
The area of his game that is his weakest is his pass blocking. Part of it is his size and the other problem is that he does not square up against defenders. He is able to add chip blocks at times though. He will struggle in goal-line and short yardage type situations because he is a smaller back. You could see these situations were difficult for him on tape. I think he will have to be replaced by a goal-line back in the NFL. He also needs to have a tighter grip on the ball when running as he leaves himself open to being stripped of the football. His success is a little inflated by a good LSU offensive line.
His performance against Texas A&M where he broke the single game rushing record at LSU showed that there is a high ceiling for Guice. I would not put him in the category of Leonard Fournette though, despite the comparisons. I think his speed and vision lead him to be a team’s primary back, but I think he will have to be taken off the field in pass blocking and goal-line situations. This year will be his first opportunity to be the primary back and if he runs as well as he did against Texas A&M, he is a first rounder.
Games Watched
- Louisville (2016)
- Florida (2016)
- Texas A&M (2016)
Previous NFL Draft Profiles:
- Sam Darnold (QB/USC)
- Josh Allen (QB/Wyoming)
- Saquon Barkley (RB/Penn State)
- TAGS
- 2018 NFL Draft
- Derrius Guice
- LSU
