Chris PolkWashington
Ht. 5-11 Wt. 224
Inside Running: Polk excels running between the tackles. He’s a physical back with a powerful lower body that is tough to bring down on first contact. He hits the hole quickly and is a one-cut runner. He is an ideal fit in a power run scheme in the NFL as he doesn’t waste time dancing in the backfield.
Outside Running: It’s hard to say Polk isn’t an outside runner because he rarely attempts to go outside the tackles. That said, he won’t make a living running on the edge as he lacks the speed to be effective on the edge. He’s a north-south runner.
Hands: Polk will have to develop as a receiver in the NFL. He has the abilities to become an above-average receiver at the next level with soft hands. He’s very raw in this area with limited receiving opportunities in the Washington offense.
Blocking/Durability: Polk is relatively disappointing as a blocker. He has excellent strength at the point of attack which would lend itself to be a strong area. But his failure to recognize blitzers is frustrating and at times cost Washington big play opportunities. He’s a high volume back that remained durable throughout his career. He injured his foot in 2008 after the second game and had a scope done on his knee in the summer of 2011.
Bottom Line: Polk is a power runner that will need to develop as a receiver and blocker in the NFL if he wants to be a three down back. At this point he would have to come off the field on 3rd down due to his deficiencies in those areas. As a pure power runner, he’s a close second to Trent Richardson.
Draft Projection: Polk is a mid-second round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
