2019 NFL Draft: 10 potential surprise first round picks

Much like wide receiver, the running back position appears to be mostly wide-open with no clear-cut consensus No. 1 among draft evaluators. One of the guys who will certainly be in the mix is Iowa State’s David Montgomery.

The Cyclones’ running back produced back-to-back 1100+ yard rushing seasons to help Iowa State reach eight wins two years in a row. Prior to those seasons, Iowa State hadn’t won more than eight games since 2000.

Montgomery is an intriguing prospect for the modern-era of the NFL with his ability to make plays in open space as a receiver. He caught 58 passes over the last two years in Ames and is a nifty runner in space. He sometimes struggles with finding the open hole as he too often seeks the home run play instead of taking the easy few yards in front of him. This could be due to a lack of competent play from his offensive line throughout his college career, something that likely won’t be much of a concern when he gets drafted.

Montgomery runs with a low center of gravity and combines that with excellent balance, making him a terror to get on the ground in the open field. He reminds me a bit of Mark Ingram in terms of size and running style coming out of college, although I think Montgomery is probably a bit more polished as a receiver than Ingram was coming out of Alabama.

Montgomery constantly seeks out contact and will lower his shoulder to run through defenders. He’s also very sturdy when asked to pass block, something he will be tasked with doing more of in the NFL.

Montgomery will be in the mix for a first day selection but is likely to find himself being taken sometime early on day two. He could ultimately contend to be the first running back off the board, however, if he puts together strong showings in Indianapolis at his pro-day.