by J.T. Toth
Photo courtesy of Georgia Bulldogs.
At Draft 412, the NFL draft talk never ends. We will keep you ready for the next set of gridiron stars—from today and all the way until draft night 2024. We will bring you mock drafts, player profiles, individual team needs, and everything else you may need related to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Today’s Spotlight - Georgia, Running Back, Kendall Milton
Name- Kendall Milton
Pos- Running Back
Team- Georgia
HT/WT- 6’2” 220 lbs.
Born- 2/10/2002
Home – Clovis, CA
Milton was a four-star prospect out of Buchanan High School in California. He was selected to play in the 2020 All-American Bowl and was the #53 ranked overall prospect in the nation by 247Sports.
In 2020, Kendall Milton was named to the Freshman All-SEC team. He ran the ball 35 times for 193 yards in a backup role.
Milton missed 6 late season games last year due to an injury and finished the season with 264 yards on 56 carries and 1 touchdown. In 2022, he saw his workload expand and was the primary backup to Kenny McIntosh. He carried the ball a career high 85 times for 592 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Kendall Milton has an impressive frame and the power to be a relentless runner who is a handful to bring down. He has a good quick first step when hitting the hole and has an extra gear getting through the opening. He keeps his feet churning when making contact and can drive through opponents. Defensive backs will have problems bringing him down in open space. He is quick to make up his mind and never hesitates when hitting gaps.
Milton is a pure north-south type runner who will not beat you with moves or cuts. He has good speed but not breakaway type quickness and will struggle to separate from defenders at the next level. He needs to work on his run and pass blocking and needs to take advantage of his size. Georgia has not used him a lot as a receiver and when they have, he has looked shaky at best hauling in passes.
Kendall Milton has had to bide his time as a Bulldog running back in the same way NFL journeyman running back Kenyan Drake had to at Alabama. Though not as fast as Drake, Milton shares a lot of the same attributes and will have a chance to improve his draft stock as the starting running back at Georgia in 2023.
Strengths
Quick burst
Solid Frame
Open Field
Decisive
Weaknesses
Blocking
Pass catching
North-South only
Limited carries
Final Analysis
In the past, draft experts have raised a red flag for ball carriers like Jonathan Taylor who took on a heavy load in college in fear of a shorter NFL shelf life. Kendall Milton is on the opposite side of the spectrum, and Draft 412 would like to see him get a heavier workload in 2023 to see how he performs before providing a proper grade on him for the 2024 draft.
Draft 412 Draft Projection- Round 5 or Round 6 (with a chance to rise with more carries)