The usual less-than-attractive crop of fullback prospects is highlighted this year by two players of considerable talent who will figure into the first day of the draft. That fact clearly applies to the Jaguars, who would seem to be unable to re-sign starting fullback Daimon Shelton, leaving them in need of drafting a replacement.
Auburn's Heath Evans and Nebraska's Dan Alexander could go as high as late in the second round; almost certainly in the third round. Each are rare combinations of size and speed and, more importantly, each has the ability to be more than just blockers.
Evans, 6-0, 247, moved full-time from running back to fullback with the emergence of Rudi Johnson last season. Evans is a bull-like blocker with impressive pass-catching ability and adequate running skills. The Jaguars have a distinct interest in Evans, who the Jaguars may want to draft with one of their two third-round picks.
Alexander, 6-0, 257, and faster than Evans, sees himself as a feature back. If he embraces the role of a fullback, he has the physical abilities to be dominant.
Beyond those two candidates, Kansas' Moran Norris, Texas A&M's Ja'Mar Toombs, Grove City's Ray Bowers and West Texas A&M's DeWayne Miles carry draftable grades.
Norris, 6-1, 248, is a punishing runner who needs to develop his blocking skills. His senior season was compromised by injuries. He's a late-round prospect.
Toombs, 6-0, 281, has to prove he wants to block and is willing to govern his weight. At his best, he appeared to be destined for stardom, but he was inconsistent in college.
Bowers, 5-11, 240, is an interesting story. At Division III Grove City, Bowers set an all-divisions NCAA career rushing record. He has dominated his level of competition and appears to have all of the intangibles; smart and competitive. He'll have to prove he can block.
Miles, 6-0, 250, played six-man high school football in Texas. He was a dominant runner in college who now has to prove he can be a blocker in the pros. Shelton was in much the same situation coming out of Sacramento State.
The best of the rest, but probably destined to be undrafted, are: Penn State's Mike Cerimele, Illinois' Jameel Cook, Maryland's Matt Kalapinski, TCU's George Layne and Clemson's Terry Witherspoon.
