Carter's Classroom draft profile: Marlon Mack, running back

While the Steelers are not expected to spend one of their first two or even three picks in the upcoming NFL draft on the running back position, their decision to not re-sign DeAngelo Williams and to bring in Knile Davis shows that there may be movement for the depth chart behind Le'Veon Bell.

The Steelers have lost in the playoffs for three consecutive seasons with Bell being on the bench, and two of the last three seasons have forced them to rely on running backs that were not on the 53-man roster coming out of training camp in Ben Tate and Fitzgerald Toussaint.

Those results and their decision to not bring back the now 34 year old Williams, at this point, suggest that the team may be looking to find someone in the middle-to-late rounds of the draft to be a youthful and talented backup for Bell along with Davis.

We start our review of running backs that will be expected to be available in the later rounds with Marlon Mack out of South Florida:



Mack had a solid career at South Florida, setting the school's record for all-time rushing yards and leading the All-American Athletic Conference in rushing for two of his three seasons in the NCAA.

He's a bit of a home run hitter, a running back that ran a 4.5 in the combine and showed that speed several times when called upon. Mack would look to bust big plays outside of the tackles and make plays in space by utilizing decent cuts and quick moves to shake off defenders when he has the room.

He had one of the best broad jumps at the combine, highlighting his explosiveness in his lower body. That's where he makes his money: his agility and breakaway speed when he gets to the second level. We'll start our film review of him by looking at this strength:

GOOD IN SPACE

When Mack gets the ball, he most likely is looking to go to the outside and set up defenders with his quick lateral movement. Watch how he comes to the middle on this run, pauses and then runs around the outside linebacker that has proper position on the edge. That speed of his allows to run past defenders that are good at setting the edge or getting in position but bad at covering in space:



It's also worthy of note to see how he keeps his head up and has great spatial awareness once he gets to the second level. Mack scored six touchdowns of 43 yards or more last season. South Florida knew that once Mack got going, he was tough to get a lock on for defenses and could convert a good blocking scheme into an easy touchdown.

Mack does a great job maintaining his center of gravity while also setting up defenders with his juke moves and jump cuts. He will use his speed to run to a point, force a defender to commit to a spot in space and then cut behind that spot as many players that he faced in the NCAA could not match his speed and quickness when they had to cover more ground.

Watch that juke move he puts on here and how his breakaway speed helps seal the deal here against Cincinnati:



This is where Mack excels and what NFL teams should be interested in when they see his tape. His smooth hips and good speed are always something that teams will look for in a running back that can breakaway from defenses and get big yards on opportunities.

NOT AS CONFIDENT INSIDE TACKLES

The biggest issue I see with Mack on tape is how he plays in between the tackles. Because his strength is working in space and using his speed and quickness to shake defenders out of their spot, Mack seems like he's willing to pass up on holes in the interior for the chance that the outside could lead to a big score.

Watch here as a solid hole opens up between the guard and tackle with the safety being the only free body that could come up to fill:



If Mack hits the hole, he gets his one-on-one opportunity with a defensive back in space, something that would suit his strengths nicely. But because he misses it, the outside linebacker, who has done a good job playing the edge and keeping his outside shoulder free, squeezes Mack to the sideline and he's brought down for a small gain.

Mack shows a lot of confidence putting on big moves in space, but he knows that those moves become limited inside the tackles. Watch here as he does a good job getting yards with a decent spin move, but he does so after putting his head down and sort of bouncing into the opportunity:



Mack isn't as proficient inside the tackles because he's not as good when he needs to run through the hits of defenders with power. Rarely do you see Mack run someone over, because he's often looking to move them off their spot with his moves rather than powering through them.

But when he does not have that space, he puts his head down and sort of hopes for the best. South Florida played to his strengths well though, as many of his runs were targeted to the outside when I went through several games of his.

FUMBLE ISSUES

Another noted issue with Mack is that when he does run into traffic he has issues with protecting the ball. He's averaged four fumbles a year in his three seasons and part of that ties to his issues in between the tackles:



Looking at Mack's statistics will probably make scouts wonder how serious of a problem his fumbling issue is before selecting him.

RECEIVING SKILLS

Mack's speed also made him a decent receiving option for South Florida as he had 28 catches for 227 yards in 2016. Often Mack would be put out in the flat as an easy target to gain yards out in his prime environment, the open space against defensive backs and linebackers.

Watch how Mack is able to keep his eyes on the ball all the way in but still be aware enough to set up the defender with a solid juke move:



For teams looking for a third down option at running back, Mack could fit the bill with his athleticism and skills in space. While he didn't have exceptional receiving numbers in any of his seasons with the team, he did show that when called upon he could make a play in the passing game.

Like when he was sent on a wheel route here and made a big catch down the sideline:



For many running backs, catching the ball in the flats or with short routes in front of the line of scrimmage is about as good as their receiving skills get. But Mack looks like a playmaker anytime he's not in the middle of a pack of defenders and seems to have good ball skills when he's looking for the pass.

Having a player that can fake defenders out in short space in order to set up a route that could beat the defense deep and actually be a threat to catch the ball on the run is an asset teams look for more in today's increasing importance of the passing game.

STEELERS' STOCK

Mack could be an option for the Steelers to replace Toussaint and challenge Davis for the second spot at running back. He's expected to be selected anywhere between the third and fifth rounds, putting him right in the range for where the Steelers could still cover their more dire needs in the draft but still make a solid investment to finding Bell's backup.

The issues that may prevent that from happening is that Davis already fills the role of a speed back that can shoot gaps for long gains down a seam. Bell is not the home run hitter of a running back in that he does not have elite speed and having a counter option behind him that makes defenses worry about that problem on top of the many threats that Bell does pose would be interesting.

The question for Kevin Colbert is whether Mack's speed would be worth the chance.

What Colbert might question is the style in which Mack was asked to run in South Florida. Almost all of his running plays came as a sidecar to the team's mobile quarterback as the program based its offense off of the threat of an option run to freeze defenders.

This means that there's a question as to Mack's ability to succeed when placed in a formation with a fullback and is expected to make decisive moves in between the tackles. It also beckons the question how he would do as a single back behind Ben Roethlisberger when he's under center.

Where Mack would do well is with Roethlisberger in the shotgun and Mack having the chance to work against a defense that is spread out and easier to setup for his moves in space.

But the Steelers might not need a player like that, especially when Bell is already a great receiving threat even when he's lined up as a receiver and not in the backfield. It could provide the Steelers with an option to be in the backfield while Bell is lined up in the slot, which could fit the scheme of Todd Haley who has always appreciated the use of faster backs.

If the Steelers get to their second pick in the third round, Mack will most likely be on the board and his position is one which the Steelers could seriously consider improving with a selection in the middle rounds. This year's class at running back is diverse with bigger running backs but outside of the top prospects in Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook and Christian McCaffrey, the only other running back slated to be a potential pick in front of Mack that has a better time in the 40 yard dash is Joe Mixon. 

Mixon, who if you remember was suspended for an entire season for punching a female student in 2014, is a prospect with first-round talent that teams are considering staying away from. He if he somehow lasts into the third round, he is a prospect that looks like he could be an every down back and boasts a 4.48 time in the 40 yard dash.

He wasn't invited to the NFL combine, and with the backlash that the NFL took after the Ray Rice scandal, many organizations may hesitate to bring him on board. This would bring an impact to the pool of running back prospects and could drastically change where some players are expected to go if teams do indeed stay away from Mixon.

If Mixon does get picked up early, Mack could see himself go in the third round as teams try to find playmakers at the running back position with all the elite talent off the board. If I'm the Steelers, I'm looking for a guy that can be more powerful than Mack and play on every down, but transitioning to the NFL can reveal talents that scouts miss on, just like they did when Bell was selected in the second round back in 2013.