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Pros: A tremendous athlete, McFadden has great speed and more than adequate bulk—in fact he likely had the deadliest stiff-arm in all of college football last season. Don’t try to tackle him high because he will unload on you. He has tremendous burst—particularly for a man of his size—and hits the hole well, possessing the ability to bounce it outside and turn the corner with the best of them. In the open field, he can make people miss with great body control and balance. D-Mac is an every down back—topping 20 carries ten times as a junior (season low was 17 carries)—who can run the ball between the tackles and is a big play waiting to happen. McFadden is a stellar kick returner and while he is raw, the former Razorback has much upside as a receiving weapon. He is a tough back as well, performing well despite a toe-injury as a sophomore.

Cons: Although he possesses a powerful upper body, Run DMC has a narrow lower body and would benefit from adding some bulk and strength to his legs. When a defender squares him up and hits him low, McFadden does not break many tackles. Ball security is another issue, as the Doak Walker award winner almost always carries the ball in his left arm regardless of which direction he is running, contributing to an occasional fumbling problem. He runs a bit upright which could make him vulnerable to injury and at times had dehydration problems and cramping late in games. D-Mac is raw in the passing game, both as a blocker and a route runner. Off the field, he was involved in a physical altercation outside of a nightclub in which he dislocated his toe prior to the '06 season and another incident this year. There are also rumors involving improper dealings with an agent, as well as pending paternity tests.

X-Factor: With the quarterback position in such flux during McFadden’s tenure at Fayetteville, in big games the Little Rock native would often lineup at quarterback himself in the popular WildHog Formation. In fact, as a junior McFadden threw four touchdowns, while only catching one all season.

Overall: From day one, McFadden flashed his superstar potential and big play ability, going on to win back-to-back Doak Walker Awards. He also won a pair of SEC Offensive Player of the Year selections, including 2007 when he beat out Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow. McFadden set the SEC record for all-purpose yards with 2,172—that’s more than Herschel Walker and Bo Jackson had in their Heisman seasons. Run DMC torched top-ranked opponents, rushing for 639 yards in five games against Top 25 teams last season and increasing his game average from 143.8 yards to 172 yards when Arkansas played against a ranked opponent this season. As a sophomore, he led the Razorbacks to first place in the SEC West as they beat out an LSU team chock-full of future number one picks. Then, as a junior, McFadden ran for 206 yards and three touchdowns in leading Arkansas to a win over number one LSU, the eventual National Champions. He is considered by many as the top pure talent in this draft and is drawing favorable comparisons to 2007 NFL Rookie of the Year Adrian Peterson (No. 8 pick).

Mogollon’s View: It may be splitting hairs, but McFadden is a special talent, not a “once in a lifetime” talent. In the spectrum of running back prospects coming out the last few years, he is clearly ahead of Ronnie Brown, Carnell Williams, Cedric Benson and even Reggie Bush, but falls short of Adrian Peterson status. D-Mac is an exciting prospect, who will be a franchise tailback worthy of a top five selection.

Murphy’s View: McFadden has rare speed/athleticism for his size, but it is his big-play ability that has NFL evaluators excited. He could be a top-5 pick.

Factoid: In 2006, Darren became the first player in NCAA history to win the Doak Walker Award as a sophomore and the second player ever to win it twice.

Highlights of Accomplishments:

• 2006 & 2007 Doak Walker Award Winner

• 2006 & 2007 SEC Offensive Player of The Year

• 2006 & 2007 Heisman Trophy Runner Up

• 2007 Walter Camp Award Winner

• 2005 Freshman SEC Offensive Player of The Year