Alvin Kamara - Tennessee

Position: RB

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 214 lbs.

Year: RS Junior

Hometown: Norcross, Georgia

Experience: 1-Year Starter

Measurables:

40yd dash: 4.56s

Broad jump: 131 in.

Vertical: 39.5 in.

3-cone: DNP

20yd. Shuttle: DNP

Bench Press: 15 reps

Career Notes:

Kamara took a winding road to Tennessee. His college football journey began in Mobile, AL with the Crimson Tide in 2013 where he redshirted his first year. In 2014, he transferred to play junior college ball at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas to play as a redshirt freshman. Coincidentally, former Minnesota Vikings receiver Cordarrelle Patterson attended Hutchinson before Kamara arrived on campus.

Kamara averaged over 130 yards on the ground per game, and put up 21 touchdowns in the span of his 9-game stint at Hutchinson. His performance put him on the map as a top tier talent coming out of JUCO and landed him a spot on the Tennessee Volunteers’ 2015 roster.

As a rotational back in the Tennessee offense, Kamara averaged 53 yards per game, and put up a few games with over 100 rushing yards. In 2016, he found a more solid spot in the rotation though he did not start all 13 games for Tennessee. Missing two games to injury, and starting in only 7 of the 11 games he played for the Volunteers, he still led Tennessee with over 1100 all-purpose yards.

Injury Report:

After injuring his knee against Alabama, Kamara was out of action for three weeks. In his return against Kentucky, he ran for a season high 128 yards.

Career Stats(click here): 

Analysis:

Speed/Quickness 3.5/5.0: Kamara looked a bit faster on tape than his 40-yard time at the combine would suggest. His ability to accelerate is unbelievable at times. His burst through the hole was second to none. He was not the most patient runner, but he often found the right gap to max out a play’s potential.

Vision 3.5/5.0: Kamara spent a lot of time with his eyes up scanning downfield. His burst allowed him to react to split-second reads he made in his blocking. The combination of burst and vision made Kamara a dangerous runner on any given play. At times, he overestimated his speed and lost yardage trying to bounce outside. Other times, he cut back and broke runs wide open by bouncing outside.

Power 3.5/5.0: While he won’t move a pile on his own, he never went down without a fight. Against Vanderbilt, Kamara ran through a slew of arm tackles en route to a three-touchdown game. Feisty, scrappy, whatever you want to call it, he does not fall easily.

Pass receiving 4.5/5.0: Kamara’s hands were as reliable as any back you’ll find. He caught passes with his body and he snagged passes away from his body. He even flashed a one-handed catch in stride against Texas A&M. He split production between receiving and rushing almost 50/50.

Ball security 4.0/5.0: Kamara was not loose with the ball, but he did give up a couple fumbles in his time at Tennessee. Defenders had to work to strip the ball from him with more than a punch, but Kamara’s hold on the ball was not impenetrable.

Summary: Kamara was a deadly release valve in the pass game. He made a lot of check-down passes go for 10+ yards. A ferocious runner, he never shied away from contact, but he also never made it a point to punish defenders. He showed an effective cut move to elude defenders. As a pass blocker, he was a trustworthy helping hand. He employed a cut block in addition to standing up a few linebackers who did not seem to expect his strength.

Overall Grade 3.8/5.0

If Drafted by the Packers:

Kamara’s pedestrian speed combined with a mid-season knee injury will certainly weigh in teams’ minds and he will likely be available at in the first round when Green Bay is up. His game film showed a capable back who should eventually find a starting job in the league, but that starting job will not likely come in 2017. Right now, the Packers have Christine Michael on the books for another year with Ty Montgomery backing him up. As a receiving back, Kamara could give Ty Montgomery a run for his money on passing downs. The Packers’ modest one-year, veteran-minimum offer to Michael for this season is a loud-and-clear message that the team is still looking for answers at running back. Kamara’s burst, vision, and receiving production could propel him to the number one spot in an increasingly pass-heavy Mike McCarthy offense.

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