Raheim Sanders, RB, South Carolina
Size:
Height: 6000
Weight: 217
Arm: 31 ½”
Hand: 9 ¼”
Accomplishments:
Second-Team All-SEC (2022)
“Raheim Sanders best fits in a power/gap scheme where he can immediately get north and south and use his size and strength to effectively pick up yardage.”
Strengths:
Runs with power
Catching out of the backfield
Finishes runs with power
Concerns:
Has to decelerate to make cuts
Limited speed
Injuries
Film Analysis:
Raheim Sanders kicked off his collegiate career at Arkansas where he put together a productive sophomore season. He rushed for 1,000 yards, placing himself on the radar as one of the more well-rounded running backs in college. He was able to run in between the tackles with power but also had enough speed to pull away from defenders in the open field. Sanders' 2023 season was hampered by injuries and after the season, he made the transfer to South Carolina for 2024. At his best, Sanders showed a great combination of size, power, instincts, and lateral agility to create as a runner and by catching the ball out of the backfield.
As a runner, Sanders does a good job of scanning the line of scrimmage and finding creases in the defense to attack. Sanders has good acceleration to hit the hole quickly and runs with good pad level to break through the line of scrimmage. Sanders does a good job of running behind his pads and becomes a difficult back to bring down with an arm tackle. On the second level of the defense, Sanders can continue to accelerate to run past flat-footed defenders and lower his shoulder to finish the run or make a lateral cut to pick up extra yardage. Sanders' best reps showcase his blend of size, speed, and power and the correlation of him being a difficult tackle for defenders is evident.
In the passing game, Sanders has shown that he can be a reliable target out of the backfield. Sanders is fluid enough in the hips to uncover from linebackers and has the speed to pull away from them. Against smaller defenders in space/one-on-one situations, Sanders utilizes his strength to run through defenders and break arm tackles to pick up extra yardage.
Sanders' concerns as a running back showcased themselves in 2023 as it appeared that he may have had a lingering injury and it affected all elements of his game. Sanderz lacked explosiveness and his lateral cuts were limited to where he had to decelerate completely before cutting. The 2023 version of Sanders was limited to strictly being effective in between the tackles and picking up hard-fought yardage in short-yardage situations.
Overall, the potential for Sanders’ upside in the NFL will be based on him completing a healthy return to 2022 form where he appeared to have the combination of size, speed, lateral agility, and power. Otherwise, he will be viewed as a strictly in-between-the-tackles power back.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Developmental Traits
Written By: Keith Sanchez
Exposures: Ole Miss (2023), Florida (2023), Cincinnati (2022), Alabama (2022)
