Myles Gaskin – Running Back
School: University of Washington
Class: Senior
Height: 5’9
Weight: 205 pounds
Myles Gaskin NFL Draft Profile
Top 3 Player Traits
Great Vision
Myles Gaskin isn’t the school’s all-time leading rusher for nothing. Gaskin knows how to hit the hole and explode through it with a great burst of speed. He’s a smart runner who knows how to read a defense and make his (excellent) jump cuts accordingly. He also almost never gets tackled for a loss and knows how to find a way to get back to the line of scrimmage when a play breaks down.
Avid Pass Catcher
NFL teams might want to use Gaskin as a change of pace back and utilize him as a pass catcher. While it wasn’t the biggest part of his game, Gaskin has shown off the ability to make plays in the passing game on numerous occasions. He’s more than capable of running routes out of the backfield and making some incredibly tough catches. This play below against Rutgers is a prime example, where he showed off a wide receiver’s skill set to catch this touchdown.
Burst
Gaskin doesn’t have the best speed in the world (he ran a 4.58 40 yard dash), but he also doesn’t have the worst, and he knows exactly when he needs to turn on the jets. And when he does turn them on, he’s unstoppable. He could be best utilized by a team that runs an outside zone scheme and knows how to get him out on the edge where he can turn it on.
3 Player Traits In Need of Improvement
Size
Gaskin had incredible production over his four years at Washington, and he did it at just 5’9. While his weight is probably exactly where you would want it to be, teams will definitely be concerned about how well he can hold up at the NFL level.
Better On The Edge
Gaskin sometimes struggles on runs in the A gap. He usually has no trouble running off tackle, which is why he’ll fit better in an outside zone scheme. His size usually causes him to get lost among the big bodies, and while he’s sometimes able to get through it, more often than not he gets taken down for little or no gain.
Elusiveness In Space
Gaskin is a powerful runner who likes to seek out contact, which is great when you just need him to pick up a few yards, but not when there’s one man to beat. Below we have an example where instead of cutting back for a potentially huge gain, Gaskin decides to put his hand on the defender barrelling down on him, and he gets taken down.
NFL Team Fits
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons are likely going to be losing Tevin Coleman to free agency, so they’re going to need to bring in a replacement who can function as a pass catcher and run off tackle. Gaskin could be a viable mid-round replacement who could step right in whenever Devonta Freeman needs a break.
San Francisco 49ers
The 9ers just put a ton of money into Jerick McKinnon, but Gaskin is just a great fit for their system. The 49ers don’t have the biggest need at the position, but a Kyle Shanahan offense would be a place where Gaskin could thrive.
Miami Dolphins
Kenyan Drake proved that he can’t carry the load all by himself, and Gaskin, a proven workhorse would be able to split carries with Drake. Both are effective weapons in the passing game too, and new offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea saw his fair share of multiple back sets in New England and might try to adopt a similar strategy.
NFL Player Comparison
While he’s not nearly as shifty as Lewis, Gaskin has a very similar play style and could be used in the same way by NFL teams. He can take 15-20 carries a game if need be, and he’s a weapon coming out of the backfield as a pass catcher.
Round Projection
Round 3