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Player Profile - 4.22.09

Pros: Sheets is very shifty, elusive runner that shows great vision. He runs smoothly and can get to the sideline extremely fast. He doesn’t dance in the open field, but will instead make short, quick cuts and never lose speed doing so. Despite his lack of jukes and moves, he makes defenders look foolish in the open field with pure quickness and speed, as well as an underrated stiff-arm. He has the speed to cut back and turn a short gain into a long touchdown. He showed very good hands at Purdue and is very dangerous on screens and as a return man.

Cons: Sheets played in the spread offense. He did not line up in behind a fullback and pound the ball. Most of his big plays came from draws, screens, swings, and option runs. It is hard to tell if Sheets will be successful running in an NFL offense. He is projected to be nothing more than a return man and a third down back. Character issues are also a concern.

Scouts Take: Sheets was an exciting runner at Purdue. He was very productive, racking up over 4,000 yards of offense and 53 touchdowns. He looked very good at the Senior Bowl and didn’t seem to have any problems lining up in a pro style offense. At the Combine he also surprised many by being one of the fastest backs on hand. Sheets should make a team as a back-up running back that has the ability to take some carries and catch some passes. He will probably be the team's kick returner too. If he makes good decisions off the field and learns to block better, he could be the steal of the draft.

2.16.09 - Heart is the word that comes to mind when watching Kory Sheets run with the football. He isn’t the biggest back, but he will knock defenders to ground with ease by unleashing his wicked stiff arm. He is a natural hands catcher that displays deceptive speed in the open field after gathering in a screen pass. However, he’s not just a back to use on the edges, he has the vision and agility to be a productive cutback runner. Kory does run upright, which opens his body to more punishment, and by fighting for extra yardage he does absorb some big hits. - Draft Guys

1.21.09 – MOBILE, Kory Sheets(Purdue) had a rough day. He bobbled a pass that Marcus Freeman swooped in to intercept, and seemed overwhelmed in pass blocking. He has still done a lot for his stock this week with his deceptive burst and second gear, but his limitations were on display today. Draft Guys On Location at The Senior Bowl

1.20.09 – MOBILE, Kory Sheets(Purdue) Kory looked good in receiving drills, and had good natural hands catching ability. There was a run that he ran too shallow while following C Alex Mack who was pulling to the right. Had he aligned himself more to the center or outside of Mack he would've picked up more yards instead of being stopped for a minimal gain. We liked seeing his deceptive speed. Draft Guys On Location at The Senior Bowl

1.19.09 – MOBILE, Kory Sheets(Purdue) Coming in to this game I knew that Sheets had a nose for the endzone, but little did I know he would flash such a complete game. I would describe Sheets as a swift runner who runs a tad upright. His vision enabled him to correctly time when a hole would be coming open, and he consistently got to the second level on off tackle plays. Kory also displayed one of his best weapons as a RB - the stiff arm. Twice today he was able to push away an oncoming defender, which allowed him to gain more positive yardage while dealing out some punishment. Draft Guys On Location at The Senior Bowl

1.19.09 – Showed good hands out of the backfield and opened some eyes with his burst in the open field. Had good vision as a runner and several scouts noted he could be a very good all-purpose type back at the NFL level. - NFL Draft Bible On Location At The Senior Bowl

7.1.08 - Playing in Purdue’s spread offense makes it difficult for a back to be very productive but Sheets has managed to put up some solid numbers. When given the opportunity, he has been able to handle a bigger load but will never be known as a workhorse. Sheets follows blocks well and shows some burst in his step. However, he lacks prototypical size and speed and, ball security has been an issue. By working on becoming a better receiver out of the backfield, Sheets can boost his draft value. He does a great job of finding the end zone, with 32 rushing touchdowns, despite averaging just 143 carries per season. His ability to contribute as a kick returner and other special teams units adds to his versatility. Sheets’ best chance to make a NFL roster in 2009 is as a number three back and special teams player.

Photo Credit: Purdue University Sports Information