It’s becoming increasingly clear the Washington Commanders won’t leave the 2025 NFL draft without a new running back. Even if that means selecting a “downhill” runner with a fatal flaw.
The prospect is former Virginia Tech stud Bhayshul Tuten, and his weakness is ball security. Despite a history of fumbles, ESPN’s John Keim revealed Tuten is “On the Commanders’ radar (multiple backs are). Fumble issues in college; has game-changing speed.”
Keim framed his comment around highlights from Fantasy Football Today’s Jacob Gibbs. He pointed out how “Tuten’s 4.32 speed certainly shows up on tape. Gets downhill so fast.”
Play speed on this level makes Tuten a more dynamic option than Washington’s plodding incumbent workhorse Brian Robinson Jr. The functional veteran’s limitations are a big reason why the Commanders are casting a wide net and exploring “multiple” options at the position.
Those options include another speedster who’s set for a pre-draft visit.
Bhayshul Tuten Has Qualities Commanders Are Missing
If any team should be willing to take a chance on Tuten’s issues protecting the football, it’s the Commanders. He has qualities their rushing attack is missing.
Those attributes are breakaway speed, a low centre of gravity and natural elusiveness. His key traits can be put to best use in the type of zone-based rushing attack the Commanders operate on the watch of offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
Tuten fits the scheme because “he reads leverage well and makes quick decisions, regularly finding cutback lanes and exploiting them,” according to The Draft Network’s Daniel Harms.
What Tuten brings to the field is big-play potential in a small package. The 5-foot-9, 206-pounder averaged an impressive 6.3 yards per carry during his final season with the Hokies.
That number was offset somewhat by how “his ball security issues (spurred on by 8 and 3/4th-inch hands) can take an explosive run and turn it into a catastrophic mistake,” per The 33rd Team’s Kyle Crabbs.
The latter noted Tuten put the ball on the ground eight times the last two years, but Crabbs also pointed to another worrying trend in the 22-year-old’s game. Specifically, how Tuten “was inefficient with 43 percent third-down conversion rate in the last two seasons per TruMedia.”
Every team needs a runner who can still move the chains when defenses know what’s coming on football’s money down. Tuten’s issues in this area will be more difficult to coach out of him than the fumbles.
It’s why the Commanders are wise to continue considering all potential newcomers in the backfield.
Commanders Expanding RB Search
The search for reinforcements on the ground is expanding to include Texans standout Jaydon Blue. He’s expected to meet with the Commanders on Wednesday, April 16, according to KPRC 2 Houston’s Aaron Wilson.
Blue is another draft runner with the speed to stretch the field. He and Tuten interesting the Commanders shows there’s a theme to their running back search.
It’s all about getting quicker gains and striking suddenly. The same things an MVP RB from the pre-draft process could also provide.
Adding more big plays to their rushing attack will complement the dual-threat skills of quarterback Jayden Daniels and give defenses one more thing to worry about with Kingsbury’s creative offense.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Draft RB With Fatal Flaw ‘On the Commanders’ Radar’ appeared first on Heavy Sports.