NFL Draft Prospects: Dexter McCluster, Running Back, Ole' Miss Rebels E-mail
Written by MC3 Sports Media   
Tuesday, 12 January 2010 00:01

dextermclusterThe college football season is over; withdrawals, depression, misery. Before you slip into an apathetic stupor for eight months, remember that the NFL Draft is just around the corner! From now until April's NFL Draft, I will be profiling some of the more interesting prospects. I can't promise that I'll get to your favorite player, but if you'd like to see a certain player profiled, shoot us an email and let us know.

- 2010 NFL Draft Player Rankings by Position

There have been a lot of comparisons made lately between Dexter McCluster, the Rebels' 5'8 165 pound running back/wide receiver/return specialist, and Chris Johnson, the Tennessee Titans' 5'11 200 pound running back.

The similarities are fairly obvious. Both backs are elusive and both have tremendous speed. Johnson was clocked at 4.24 in the 40 yard dash at the 2008 NFL Combine. We're pre-2010 combine, but McCluster is credited with around a 4.3 40 time. If you need evidence of either's elusiveness, just check out these videos of Johnson and McCluster. Where they obviously differ, however, is in their size.

Johnson is considered by some to be the prototypical NFL running back at 5'11, 200 pounds. Successful running backs at the professional level tend to be around 5'10 to 6'2 and weigh anywhere from 200 to 220 pounds. Obviously, exceptions exist.

McCluster's small frame of 5'8, 165 pounds (listed at 5'7 by some reports) worries some teams. If he hopes to become an every down back like Johnson, he'll have to bulk up. As for his height, if you ask me he's a little short. Some, however, prefer the shorter running back to the taller one.

McCluster will get his fair share of carries at the NFL level, but he won't be an every down back-maybe a third down back but a smart team will use him more often. I see him running the wild cat in the pros, a role he became familiar with taking snaps in Mississippi's Wild Rebel formation. Rather than compare him to Johnson, I see more parallels with Devin Hester. He's no number one running back or wide receiver, but he'll return kicks and he'll be prominently featured in his NFL team's offense.

Gang Green supporter and XPF founder Mike Cardano points out that McCluster would be a good fit for the New York Jets should Leon Washington leave via free agency. Mike also points out that Brad Smith is widely expected to assume the 'X-Factor' role in the Jets' offense. Jet or not, look for McCluster to assume an X-Factor-type role for his NFL team. He'll run, he'll catch, he'll throw, he'll return kicks, he'll do anything short of selling hot dogs.

I see McCluster going in the second round. He has obvious NFL talent but lacks a clearly defined position at the next level. With NFL teams more open to unconventional offensive formations and plays, McCluster's draft stock will benefit. He'll get nabbed by a team looking for a do-everything type of guy similar to this year's Offensive ROY Percy Harvin (5'11 184 pounds). - Danny Hobrock

  • For more player profiles and complete coverage of this Year's NFL Draft, visit our NFL Draft Prospects Home Page with new profiles being added each week.

Danny is a sports journalist primarily covering college football and professional baseball. His work for Xtra Point Football has garnered national attention and is critically acclaimed. Danny is the former editor of a political and current events website and the editor of our college football content.

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Comments (1)Add Comment
Love this guy....
written by Mark725, January 12, 2010
I don't know. To me, if you can play, you can play. I would take Darren Sproles on my team any day of the week. Who plays every down now anyway. Even the very best backs in the NFL get subbed for on 25% of the offensive snaps.

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