Chris Thompson saw only special teams work as a 2013 rookie on the Washington Redskins. The last two weeks (Week 15-16) have marked Thompson’s first work on offense in the NFL to the tune of 30 snaps per ProFootballFocus.com. With Roy Helu, Washington’s primary pass-catching back, set to enter free agency this offseason and Alfred Morris closer to Andre Williams than Matt Forte, there is value to be had in this backfield. Enter Chris Thompson.
Athleticism
Chris Thompson missed the 2012 college season with a knee injury, which also prevented him from doing anything but an official weigh-in, vertical, and bench press during the pre-draft process. NFLDraftScout’s 4.42 estimated 40-time is used in the projection model to at least have a starting point.
Thompson is very short, but has average bulk for his frame at 5’7″ and 192 pounds. The 4.42 estimate for the 40-time also is average considering his weight. Chris Thompson’s 21 bench press reps are considerably above-average, which is a positive for his size. While not in the cards to be a feature back, strength can be a make-or-break aspect of a shorter running back’s NFL game.
Production
Based on the average age curve for college running back prospects, Chris Thompson’s best season rushing-wise at Florida State was as a 19-year-old sophomore. Even that was below-average, but he did rebound for more than 100 total yards per game and more than half a touchdown per contest as a senior. His 6.2 career yards-per-carry ranks in the 66% range of all running back prospects since 1999 (very good), which shows his big-play ability even against major conference competition. Overall, Thompson has a rushing score of 17 and a receiving score of 52 in the projection model.
Comparable Prospects
There is a clear divide when paring down the 700 prospects in the database by Thompson’s size and speed. The first group is the ‘haves’ from a production standpoint, they include top-100 picks like Ray Rice, Ronnie Hillman, LaMichael James, and Steve Slaton. It also includes late-round/undrafted standouts like Danny Woodhead and Darren Sproles. When dialing down the list to Thompson’s production scores, here is what is left:
- Kerwynn Williams
- Dennis Johnson
- Ladarius Perkins
Chris Thompson is a rich man’s version of Dennis Johnson as the best fit of this group. Seeing the small subset is also a sign that smaller backs with average athleticism and middling college production do not last long in the NFL. All of this points to Chris Thompson being an ideal #PackageUp stash in deeper leagues heading into the offseason. Once the free agency analysis gets ramped up and Roy Helu is out of the door, Thompson may be able to grease the wheels of a bigger trade as an add-on, or supply ammo for a marginal mid-round rookie pick upgrade.
