The Leading Authority of the NFL Draft

Pros: Mendenhall has outstanding vision and does a great job of cutting back when there is an opening on the backside. Once he hits the hole, he doesn’t fool around. He’s a great north-south runner with excellent burst for a man of his size and his balance and body control allow him to make dynamic open field moves. He has excellent size and is an extremely powerful runner with strong legs. Mendenhall knows how to lower his shoulder before contact and always falls forward. He is more than capable of overpowering defenders and rarely goes down on first contact—a classic between the tackles runner who has more explosiveness than one might think. Mendenhall has flashed big play ability after the catch when called upon in the passing game. He impressed at the NFL Scouting Combine, running a 4.45 40-yard dash, with 26 bench repetitions.

Cons: There is no true glaring weakness in Mendenhall’s game. He is not the most elusive runner in the country and he carried the load for only one season, but that is nitpicking. He also lacks experience in the passing game, particularly as a pass blocker. More than anything else, Mendenhall does not appear to be a potential superstar and you see what you get—not the highest ceiling.

Medical Examiner: 

• Mendenhall has never been limited by serious injuries.

• He suffered a minor hamstring injury at the end of his senior year of high school, which caused him to miss a few postseason practices, but never missed a game due to injury at Illinois.

X-Factor: Illinois runs a spread offense, which means there is some question as to how his game will translate to the NFL, although Mendenhall does possess the skill set to be a stellar professional running back.

Overall: After seeing limited playing time as a freshman, Mendenhall took advantage of his opportunities as sophomore, reaching 640 yards despite only 78 carries—a whopping 8.2 yards per carry—before busting out this season to set the Illinois single-season rushing record as a junior. If anyone doubted he belonged, Mendenhall proved himself against the highly touted USC Trojans in the Rose Bowl, topping 200 all-purpose yards, including a 79-yard run and a 55-yard reception. He may lack blazing speed, but is the complete package in terms of physical attributes and football skills.

Our View: There is little doubt that the Illinois native is the second best back in the ’08 Draft and he is closer to the near-consensus number one Darren McFadden than most people believe. Mendenhall impressed early on this season and the more one watched him, the more one liked the 225-pounder. He may not be as spectacular as some, but he is a prototypical power back who is versatile enough to make big plays. There is no reason Mendenhall cannot step right into the starting lineup from day one with several trips to Hawaii in his future.

Factoid:  In 2007, Mendenhall shattered the Illinois all-time single season rushing mark by 351 yards.

Highlights of Accomplishments:

• Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year

• 2007 First Team All-Big Ten

• Sixth Place, 2007 NCAA Rushing Yards (1,681)

High School:  Played running back at Niles West High School in Niles, IL.  Mendenhall rushed for 3,285 yards and 33 touchdowns during his junior and senior seasons and was named to the all-state first team both years.  He also lettered in basketball and track and was named to the all-state track team as a junior for his performance in the 100-meter dash.

Personal:  Older brother Walter also plays running back for the Fighting Illini. 

Major:  Sports Management