The Mountain West RB Battle

Three running backs from the Mountain West Conference remain available in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Jeremy McNichols of Boise State, Brian Hill from Wyoming and San Diego State's Donnel Pumphrey. McNichols is projected to go in the 4th round the highest of all three but which will have the most successful NFL career.

That is an impossible question to answer so lets just compare their strengths. All three are durable, each carried the ball at least 240 times in 2016, absorbed the punishment and continued to lineup all season.

Pumphrey was the 7th leading rusher in the country with 1653 yards, Hill was 9th at 1621 yards and McNichols was 25th in rushing with a total of 1337 yards.

Just for the record, Pumphrey carried the ball 309 times, that's 69 more carries than McNichols. If you add those 69 rushes to McNichols season, based on his per carry average he would have totaled 1721 yards

McNichols also scored 20 TDs in 2016 three more than Pumphrey and 14 better than Hill. McNichols also left Boise State with a record 53 total touchdowns, he certainly had a nose for the endzone.

All; three can run and jump but McNichols is the better pass catcher of the three. Neither is a great pass blocker.

Again everything comes down to the intangibles and desire. According to another former Mountain West and Boise State standout Jay Ajayi, McNichols has the extra's to be successful at the Sunday level.

First though, his name has to be called.