Gerrid Doaks - RB - University of Cincinnati
Gerrid Doaks is a rookie that has come out of nowhere (it seems) and now has a decent fantasy profile. Sometimes the most important thing for a later round pick is a mix of opportunity and talent. When a player goes on Day Three, we have to look at the reasons behind that, then look at their situation to see if they can achieve relevancy for fantasy football. Gerrid Doaks was a solid contributor in four years at college, but suffered injuries which forced a slip down draft boards. However, there’s talent there, and a perfect landing spot to contribute. We take a look at the 7th rounder to see if he’s someone you should consider.
Draft Results
Round: 7
Pick: 17
Team: Miami Dolphins
Measurables
Age: 23
Height: 6′ 0″
Weight: 230 lbs
40-yard dash: 4.58
3-cone drill: 7.21
20-yard shuttle: 4.28
Vertical Jump: 39.5
Broad Jump: 120 inches
Bench Press: 19
College Career Stats
| Rushing | Receiving | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Team | Class | GP | Att | Yds | YPA | TD | Rec | Yds | YPC | TD |
2017 | Cincinnati | Fr. | 9 | 87 | 513 | 5.9 | 2 | 14 | 135 | 9.6 | 1 |
2018 | Cincinnati | So. | 15 | 117 | 783 | 6.7 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 1.8 | 0 |
2019 | Cincinnati | Jr. | 12 | 100 | 526 | 5.3 | 5 | 8 | 70 | 8.8 | 1 |
2020 | Cincinnati | Sr. | 9 | 144 | 673 | 4.7 | 7 | 14 | 202 | 14.4 | 2 |
College Career
Doaks was a three star recruit to Cincinatti, who was redshirted for his first year in college but saw incredible usage throughout his other years. His first season in 2017, Doaks led the Bearcats in rushing yardage despite missing three games due to injury, averaging 5.9YPC. He missed the 2018 season through injury, but came back strong in 2019, before improving again in 2020, which saw him earning First-Team All-American Athletic Conference honours.
Scouting Report
Positives:
Gerrid Doaks has prototypical size for a 3 down back in the NFL, coming in at 6’0″ and 230 lbs, which compares similarly to first round selection Najee Harris. He has a strong lower body which can be seen when he lowers himself into contact, particularly when lining up in a way which gives him a little bit longer to process where the gaps are. At Cincinatti, we can see him predominantly being used as a power back, able to use his lower body explosiveness to his advantage. Doaks isn’t the most natural pass catcher, but he can get it done, averaging 14.4 yards per reception out of the backfield last year without dropping a single pass. Watching his tape, we can see that Doaks doesn’t have the softest hands, but is capable enough to get the job done as a pass catcher. What Doaks has in his favour is his skill as a pass protector, using his physical frame to block effectively. This means his skillset could translate to a three down workload, should he be able to work on his hands.
Negatives:
The main negative coming out for Doaks is his injury history. He missed the 2019 season with a sports hernia, although it seems he’s fully recovered from this. Despite his physicality and size, we often see Doaks struggling to pick up yards after contact, showing a preference to go down a little too soon, but this should be something that the coaching staff are able to work on with him. He doesn’t have the quickest feet either, meaning he’s unlikely to be the kind of back who can put his foot in the dirt and juke a defender out of his lane, but with his short area quickness and strength, he should be able to get yards through other means.
Draft Analysis
Post Draft Analysis
Draft Capital:
Miami Dolphins: Round 7, Pick 17
Landing Spot:
Gerrid Doaks came off the board in the 7th round, which is never ideal. However, recent history has shown that draft capital is less important for running backs, as teams are slowly moving towards the approach that running back talent is less important for a successful ground game than other factors such as the quality of your offensive line. Doaks went to a prime landing spot in the Miami Dolphins. With a depth chart featuring Myles Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed and Malcolm Brown, the Dolphins were a team who many anticipated spending a 1st or 2nd rounder on a talent such as Najee Harris, Travis Etienne or Javonte Williams, especially given that they owned the 1st and 2nd round picks from the Houston Texans. However, the Dolphins decided against this, only taking Doaks in the 7th.
This means that Doaks lands into what was seen as the premium landing spot for any of the rookie running back class, which means we have to talk about him. The opportunity for the Dolphins is incredible, with only day three draft capital having been spent at the position. One drawback here is the offensive line, having just been ranked 30th in the league by Pro Football Focus. However, this is a very young unit, so could develop together over the next few years.
Another point of note about the landing spot is the Dolphins’ investment into the wide receiver position, placing speed at a premium. The Dolphins drafted Jaylen Waddle, signed Will Fuller as a free agent, and already had speedster Jakeem Grant on the roster. Grant will mostly play special teams, but having Waddle and Fuller lining up outside will force the opposing defense to stand off. This could mean lighter boxes for whoever is given the opportunity to run the ball for the Dolphins.
Fantasy Impact
There are multiple reasons why Doaks was not drafted until the seventh round. These includes his injury history, limitations in the passing game, and partly due to the general attitude across the NFL to running backs and their draft capital. However, Doaks’ landing spot means that he’s a player who it’s worth keeping an eye on. Doaks’ ADP means you can currently take him around the fourth or fifth round of your rookie drafts, where there is certainly a dearth of talent. The Dolphins have shown an inclination to feature backs with lower draft capital (or none at all, in Salvon Ahmed), so an injury to Myles Gaskin or high levels of performance from Doaks could see him having relevancy pretty quickly. His physical nature gives him touchdown upside, so whilst he’s not going to be Najee Harris, and could easily just be a contributor on special teams, he’s certainly worth a late round pick as a lottery ticket.
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Image Credit: Tim Flores – USA TODAY Sports
