National Football League

2017 NFL Draft: Oklahoma Samaje Perine Scouting Report

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 10:35 p.m. ET

Fansided, Jon Dove/FanSided via With the First Pick

Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine is an accomplished college running back who may have some issues establishing himself in the NFL.

Samaje Perine is listed at 5’11” 237 lbs. but appears smaller and less bulky when on the field. It’ll be interesting to see what his measurements are at the combine. His size isn’t a huge factor in his evaluator, but does carry some weight.

The reason his size has some importance is because Perine is a downhill runner who isn’t an elusive back. He is at his best when there’s a clean running lane that allows him to quickly get up field. His initial burst allows him to press the line and shoot through the open hole.

Perine is a tough runner who keeps his legs churning and can pick up yards after the initial contact. However, he needs to work on running behind his pads more as he tends to run upright.

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His inability to make defenders miss and provide some elusiveness limits his overall potential. He needs space to be effective and isn’t someone who’ll be able to create on his own. Perine can break some tackles, but he shouldn’t be considered an overly powerful runner.

In the passing game, he struggles to protect the quarterback and approaches his blocks with little to no authority. Perine doesn’t look to square his body to the rusher and mainly attempts to throw his shoulder into the defender.

He doesn’t offer much as a pass catcher out of the backfield either. His hands are average at best with some drops from time to time.

Overall, Perine is a one-dimensional running back who needs a 1-cut system to be effective. His inability to make defenders miss limits his upside. He also needs to really improve his pass protection in order to stay on the field in passing situations.

Current Draft Range: 5th Round