Washington RB Chris Polk to enter draft.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/draft2012/story/_/id/7414885/chris-polk-washington-huskies-declares-nfl-draft

3 straight seasons with 1000 or more rushing yards and topping 1400 in the last 2.

A junior listed at 5-11 222 he could be a great pick up for a team in need of an every down back.

Cal says thanks!

he was impressive in the bowl game, might be an upgrade over Dixon?

Originally posted by irishluder:
he was impressive in the bowl game, might be an upgrade over Dixon?

I think anyone would be an upgrade over Dixon, a big running back who thinks he's 5'6" and 175 pounds.

I went to every Huskies home game this year and have been a big fan. Polk has the strength to match with Dixon, but he has better acceleration and can catch the ball. Would be a great pick up for the 49ers, though he does have a history of injuries. The risk of those injuries would be well worth the reward if we can snag him in the 3rd round, but don't see him making it past the 2nd.

He will be an every down back and should be a top 2 round pick.

It's amazing, I haven't focused on the draft this year, what a season has done. We will pick between 25-32 based on having the bye week. Last time we drafted low was the colts pick in 08(Balmer), and in 07 NE pic we got which was Staley.

Can't believe we even drafted Balmer. What a waste. Staley is doing ok, especially with his 1st Pro Bowl nod.

Originally posted by AB83Rules:
He will be an every down back and should be a top 2 round pick.

It's amazing, I haven't focused on the draft this year, what a season has done. We will pick between 25-32 based on having the bye week. Last time we drafted low was the colts pick in 08(Balmer), and in 07 NE pic we got which was Staley.

wasn't the balmer pick being low was due to a trade not the actual record

would draft!!!

VERY underrated

Originally posted by Negrodamus:

Originally posted by AB83Rules:
He will be an every down back and should be a top 2 round pick.

It's amazing, I haven't focused on the draft this year, what a season has done. We will pick between 25-32 based on having the bye week. Last time we drafted low was the colts pick in 08(Balmer), and in 07 NE pic we got which was Staley.

wasn't the balmer pick being low was due to a trade not the actual record

The Balmer pick was the result of trading our 2nd rounder from the previous year to the Colts (which they used on a OT that we didn't need b/c we'd just had picked up Staley with the 25th pick prior). I originally wasn't mad about the Balmer pick when it happened b/c there wasn't any real talent there and we needed DL help. Things happen for a reason

since when this become a balmer thread

I respected his game game when at Washington. Very impressive and well-rounded player.

I love Gore and how badly he wants carry the load for the team but I really think we need to go to a RB by committee group like the saints. After watching Stanford over the last 2 years and how well their RBs played in the situations they specifically focused on I think we would be amazing if we had 2 or 3 talented RBs to rotate in and keep them fresh.

Depending on how the draft shakes out and if David Wilson from Virginia Tech declares I would really hope we picked either Polk or Wilson. I'm a Ute fan and watched Polk torch us earlier in the year :/ He had 189 yards on 29 carries and somehow my Utes kept him out of the end zone lol.

I am on this kid's bandwagon. He seems like the perfect back for what we do. Inside the tackles he has the similar vision that Gore does and he has that first step plant like Gore. His pass protection is one of the best and he can catch out of the backfield. IMO, he would be a vast improvement from Dixon as much as I like the kid. He would be much more decisive than Dixon. However, don't know if we would spend a second for him. Would be the right spot though.

Here's a condensed version of Rob Lang's analysis....

Inside:
Strong interior runner who quickly presses the LOS
Quick Burst off LOS to get into second level quickly
Classic North/South runner
Doesn't waste time moving laterally
Good vision to set up cutback lanes
Fast enough to gain yardage in chunks when he finds a seam
Fights for extra yardage
Reliable short-yardage runner
Good forward lean
Keeps his legs churning on contact
Protects the ball with both hands.

Outside:
Not truly explosive
Possesses enough speed to beat the LBs to the edge.
Looks to get upfield
Won't rely on his speed to run around defenders
Looks for the hole and can stick his foot in the ground to cut upfield quickly
Does not possess top breakaway speed, though he's rarely caught from behind

Breaking tackles:
Unquestionably his best attribute
Very physical runner who keeps his legs churning on contact
Rarely goes down with the first hit
Lowers his shoulder into defenders
Shows a variety of natural running skills to break free, including a stiff-arm, spin move and pure determination
Runs low to the ground and with good forward lean to generate the tough yards
Keeps his arms wrapped securely around the ball.

Blocking:
An underrated component of his game
Cognizant pass defender who is willing to take on the hard-charging linebacker head on
Keeps his shoulders square and brings his hips to jolt the defender
Will resort to cut-blocks, on occasion
Could use some technical work, as he'll lunge low
Willing to help teammates downfield.

Receiving:
Became more of a weapon out of the backfield in 2011
Catching simple swing passes, as well as more complicated wheel routes and even occasionally lining up outside
Possesses the athleticism and soft hands to contribute to an NFL passing attack
Reliable hands out of the backfield, demonstrating the ability to quickly secure the pass and turn upfield
Demonstrated the ability to track the ball over his shoulder
Good flexibility, balance to adjust to the poorly thrown pass
Good vision and patience for screens

Intangibles:
Doubled as a kick returner as a redshirt freshman, averaging 19.8 yards a return on 12 attempts
Final pro grade may not be determined until the Combine as team doctors will want to check out his medical
Has already undergone two shoulder surgeries and a knee scope, a concern considering Polk's highly physical running style

Man, this sound just like Gore. Do you think he drops to the third as a result of the med concerns?