Tyler Badie Scouting Report: 2022 NFL Draft Prospect Profile

 

University of Missouri, Running Back, #1

Measurements

5’8” / 194 lbs.

40 Time: 4.45 (estimate)

Tyler Badie Player Profile

Tyler Badie is a former 3-star recruit out of Briarcrest Christian High School in Memphis, Tennessee. During his time on the varsity team at Briarcrest Christian, he played both running back and cornerback. According to MaxPreps, Badie only played cornerback his junior season and then switched to focus primarily on running back his senior season.

After looking at his stats from his senior season, it is safe to say he made the right call. He played a total of 10 games, racked up a total of 193 carries for 1,186 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. These stats were so impressive that according to 247sports, he got a total of 11 offers. Along with those 11 offers, there were a few notable schools who did not offer him but were interested. These schools include Ole Miss, Cincinnati, South Carolina and TCU. After taking a visit to Missouri in January of 2019, he made his final decision to play for the Tigers.

College Career

Now it is time to discuss his very impressive college career. From the moment Badie stepped foot on campus, he played a key role in their offense. His freshman year, he carried the ball a total of 80 times for 407 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also was able to rack up a total of 11 receptions for 125 yards. His sophomore year is when he decided it was time to show his versatility. Badie rushed the ball 108 times for 457 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also made a total of 32 receptions for 356 yards and 5 touchdowns.

His numbers went down his junior year due to only playing 10 games, but are still impressive nonetheless. Badie rushed for a total of 242 yards in 48 attempts and 4 touchdowns while making 28 catches for 333 yards and 2 touchdowns. Now it is time to talk about his most impressive season yet, his 2021 season. Badie rushed for a total of 1,604 yards in 268 attempts and 14 touchdowns. This is impressive enough but, I should add that he had 5 games where he rushed for over 200 yards. This includes a 254-yard game against Vanderbilt. 

Tyler Badie Strengths

Patience

The first thing that stood out to me when watching his film is how patient he is behind the line. Even when under severe pressure, Badie sits back and waits for a gap to open up and then the chase begins. Not only is he patient in the running game, he is also very patient on passing plays as well. When watching his film, I realized that Badie likes to keep things very basic. Badie has the ability to wait for the perfect opportunity to punish the defense.  

Small Frame

I know you are probably wondering why I have a small frame as a strength, let me explain. Although Badie has a small frame, he is pretty hard to bring down if not tackled head on. He has a low center of gravity which allows him to keep his balance and, most importantly, keep the play alive. His small frame also allows him to slip through weaker tackles and fight for extra yards. As I noted earlier, he does a good job of letting the offensive line create a gap before making a move. This will be very beneficial for him in the NFL because you have a very small window to make a play. If Badie is able to capitalize quickly whenever he sees green in front of him, he will have a solid career. 

Receiving

As I have noted a few times already, Badie is very effective as a receiver out of the backfield. Throughout his entire career with the Tigers, he has been a reliable safety valve for the quarterback. Although Badie won’t likely be a top receiver for any offense in the NFL, he is good enough where the opposing defense has to respect his ability. His talent in the passing game reminds me a lot of James White and the role he has for the Patriots.

Tyler Badie Weaknesses

Breaking Tackles

Although I noted earlier that he does a good job of shedding weak tackles, he still has some improvements to make. In the NFL, you have to be able to shed tackles at a high rate. I would like to see him develop a strong stiff arm in order to break more tackles. A lot of times the most effective running backs have a very good stiff arm and use that as a big advantage. Also, given his small frame, any bit helps when it comes to breaking tackles. 

Production Against Elite Defense

One of the biggest red flags that I came across when watching film was his production against elite level defense. The most worrisome game was his performance against Georgia this last season. In this game, he only ran the ball 9 times for 41 yards and had 5 receptions for 10 yards. This is alarming because although that Georgia defense was insane, NFL defenses are arguably better. So, if Badie has a bad history against this defense, it is a red flag for his future. 

Final Thoughts On Tyler Badie Scouting Report

Badie has a lot of the fundamentals that you need to make it in the league. Personally, I think that if he continues to work on breaking tackles, this will eventually lead to being able to perform against solid defenses. With this being said, I don’t think that Badie has the ability to be an every down back in today’s NFL. I would like to see him as a complimentary piece to a pass-heavy offense. If this does not work out in his favor, I also think he could be a solid 3rd down back in a run heavy offense as well. 

Tyler Badie Draft Stock

The running back class this year is very interesting because it is hard to predict their draft stock. With this being said, I think that Badie provides a lot of upside to many NFL teams and would make an instant impact. So, I think that he would be a very valuable pick in the 4th round.

Tyler Badie Player Comparison

Badie reminds me a lot of a former Tar Heels running back Michael Carter.

Tyler Badie Analyst- Matthew Lewis.