Georgia RB Trevor Etienne and other Senior Bowl running backs embarrassed the competition in first day of practices
The first day of practices at the 2025 Reese's Senior Bowl are all wrapped up and to the surprise of absolutely no one the running backs showed out well. But it wasn't just the names that many NFL Draft analysts would expect.Yes, Ollie Gordon (RB, Oklahoma State) and a few of the high pedigree guys […]
The first day of practices at the 2025 Reese's Senior Bowl are all wrapped up and to the surprise of absolutely no one the running backs showed out well. But it wasn't just the names that many NFL Draft analysts would expect.
Yes, Ollie Gordon (RB, Oklahoma State) and a few of the high pedigree guys performed well, but a trio of running backs impressed more than the others in every facet of the position. Trevor Etienne, Brashard Smith, and RJ Harvey proved they could do it all.
Brashard Smith, RB SMU
Of all the players at the Senior Bowl who may have changed positions throughout their careers nobody made a better decision than Brashard Smith. He spent the first three seasons of his career playing wide receiver at Miami, but once he transferred to SMU made the switch to running back.
Smith showed off those receiving skills on the first day of Senior Bowl practice, always creating easy space no matter who was covering him. Great hands. Separation. Execution.
Unlike many wide receivers who try and convert to running back, Brashard Smith possesses uncommon vision as he weaves through traffic. He showcased that ability on what was the best run of the entire day as you can in my post below.
Brashard Smith was not considered an early or even mid-round 2025 NFL Draft prospect by most analysts coming into Senior Bowl week but that's likely going to change. He's a bit undersized, but he proved to be extremely efficient in his only running back season with nearly 1700 total yards from scrimmage. He could fit in the Bucky Irving mold at the next level given his size, speed, athleticism, and receiving skill.
Trevor Etienne, RB Georgia
Trevor Etienne had an up and down 2024 campaign as he was dinged up from time to time at Georgia, so some in the 2025 NFL Draft community have not hyped him up as a strong prospect. That seems like a mistake now.
Etienne absolutely embarrassed the linebackers in one-on-ones in the first day of Senior Bowl practices and ran well in 11-on-11 sessions too. This shouldn't come as a surprise given Etienne averaged nearly five receptions per game over the last two seasons and destroyed one of the best run defenses in the nation (Texas) twice this year.
Etienne could help himself out even more on the second and third days of Senior Bowl practices if he shows some explosive ability between the tackles just a bit more, but overall he impressed every step of the way. Expect to see Etienne's name in much earlier rounds of 2025 NFL mock drafts soon.
RJ Harvey, RB UCF
RJ Harvey measured in under 5'8" at the Senior Bowl, but don't that didn't hold him back at all against the toughest competition here on the first day of practices. Harvey showed well as a runner thanks to his explosive first step and propensity to cut through the first slightly open gap between the tackles, but he shined brightest in the receiving game.
As the American Team practice came to a close the coaches chose Harvey to face off against Florida linebacker Shemar James in the final LB versus RB one-on-one rep and it wasn't a competition at all.
Harvey is still going to have size (mainly his height, not weight) concerns from many throughout the 2025 NFL Draft process, but the Senior Bowl is helping him prove that he belongs among the best running backs in the nation. It wouldn't be surprising at all to see him selected in the fourth round this spring if he continues to perform well in the draft process.
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