Declaring for the NFL Draft is a Mistake for Colorado State’s Dee Hart
By Joe Morrone
Colorado State running back Dee Hart announced on Friday that he is declaring for the NFL Draft and just like Kapri Bibbs last year, it’s a mistake. Many of you probably remember that Bibbs left school following a terrific 2013 season, and went undrafted. He spent the 2014 season on the Denver Broncos practice squad and hopefully that will lead to a spot on an active roster next season, but there’s no doubt that Bibbs would have benefited from another season at Colorado State.
Bibbs frankly had a much better season than Hart had this year. At the end of the 2013 season, there were some who believed that Bibbs had the best season among running backs in college football and still went undrafted.
No one, even the most die-hard Rams fan, would argue that Hart was one of the best running backs in the country. He had a good year and was a vital part of a record setting offense but there were also games where he struggled to get going.
Does Hart have the ability and skill set to play at the next lever, absolutely. Would another season or two in Fort Collins benefit him, there’s no question about it.
According to Hart, he made the decision to turn pro before the end of the season and the coaching change had nothing to do with it but maybe it should have.
If you watched the Georgia bowl game this past week, then you saw a glimpse of a Mike Bobo offense and its running back friendly. Georgia freshmen running back, Nick Chubb ran for 266 yards versus a good Louisville defense. Bobo, of course, was not at the game but that is his offense and Hart would have fit perfectly.
With the departure of quarterback Garrett Grayson, the offense likely will feature more of a running game and Hart would have been the center of that offense. It would have allowed him to put up even bigger numbers than the 1,200+ he accounted for last season.
In addition to the fact that Hart simply is not ready for the jump to the NFL, there are other factors working against him. The 2015 running back class is one of the deepest in years and that’s going to push Hart even farther down draft boards.
Then there’s the undeniable fact that when it comes to the draft, the running back position has been devalued. Almost no team looks at a running back until at least the 2nd round and they can be found in the late rounds. The Denver Broncos running game turned around when CJ Anderson became the starter and he was an undrafted free agent. One of the best backs in football this season was Le’von Bell and even he was a 2nd round pick.
Don’t get me wrong the running back and the running game are still vital to success, but they can be found in the middle to late rounds.
I hope I’m wrong for Hart’s sake and he is a star in the NFL, but he’s already put himself behind the eight ball. If he had returned to Colorado State and put up numbers like 1,500 yards and 18 touchdowns, then he would be in a much better position going into the 2016 draft. Now he’s just an average back who put up average numbers in a smaller conference, and that’s just not going to cut it in a running back class that is so deep.
As for Colorado State, Hart will be missed but they will be fine. Treyous Jarrells will be back and the Rams have some young talent as well. As mentioned earlier, Bobo’s offense is also running back friendly and the offensive line should be pretty good next season.
The draw of the big money in the NFL is so enticing for players and I understand that but players also have to understand when they are ready, and Hart is not ready.