NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Chris Polk, RB, Washington

ALLGBP.com All Green Bay Packers All the Time
RB Chris Polk, Washington NFL Draft Profile
RB Chris Polk, Washington (Photo: SI.com)

Green Bay Packers draft prospect profile: Chris Polk, Washington

Player information:

  • Chris Polk, RB, Washington
  • 5-foot-11, 215 lbs.
  • Tougher to bring down and overall more explosive, but Polk compares favorably to Packers’ RB Ryan Grant

NFL Combine:

  • 4.57 40yd dash
  • 4.21 20 yard shuttle
  • 7.13 3-cone drill
  • 111″ broad jump
  • 31.5″ vertical jump
  • N/A bench press reps

News & Notes: 

Stepped onto the campus at the University of Washington ready to contribute immediately. Polk started the Huskies’ first two games of his 2008 but injured his shoulder and was granted a medical redshirt. From there, Polk began his climb up UW’s career rushing ranks. Three-straight 1,000-yard seasons placed Polk No. 2 on the school’s all-time rushing leaderboard behind only Napoleon Kaufman. Was a Three-time All-Pac-12 selection and semi-finalist for the Doak Walker award in 2011. Increased his draft stock at UW’s Pro Day, trimming down to just 212 pounds and running the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds. Polk might now be a lock to be drafted within the top-60 picks, which could be out of the Packers’ range for a running back.

What they’re saying about him:

Wes Bunting (National Football Post): A strong, well put together back with natural girth through his lower half and a well defined upper body. Has experience running both from the gun and I-formation sets and showcases good patience when asked to decipher information. Looks natural diagnosing the action around him and never seems to be in a rush. Allows his blocks to set before accelerating through the hole… Is a big kid with a good feel inside, runs hard and will break some tackles. However, pad level, initial burst and lack of great change of direction skills make me think he’s potential NFL starter only.

Rob Rang (CBS Sports): An incredibly physical ballcarrier who rarely goes down to initial contact, Polk is among the runners vying to follow Alabama’s Trent Richardson as the second running back drafted in 2012.

NFL.com (Combine): Polk has ideal size to carry the load for an NFL team as a starter. He is well put together and looks to the naked eye to be more of a compact, agile athlete than he does a power back. Polk is an all-around player who doesn’t necessarily excel in one specific aspect of his game but does many things at a high level and is capable of playing within a variety of schemes. He is quick off the ball and a natural runner between the tackles. He prefers to kick it outside and gain an edge on the defense to utilize his speed, but he can be productive inside and is a heavy runner who is tough to bring down. Polk is patient and has smooth footwork to be able to throttle down his speed and wait on blockers and plays to develop.

Video:

Video Analysis:

  • Runs a little upright
  • Really quick feet in the hole
  • Is a load to bring down, always fighting through first contact
  • Runs and gets out of cuts similarly to Ryan Grant
  • Plenty fast enough to break runs outside
  • Better receiver out of backfield than he’s given credit for
——————

Zach Kruse is a 23-year-old sports journalist with a passion for the Green Bay Packers. He currently lives in Wisconsin and is working on his journalism degree, while also covering prep sports for The Dunn Co. News.

You can read more of Zach's Packers articles on AllGreenBayPackers.com.

——————

4 thoughts on “NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Chris Polk, RB, Washington

  1. I’d take him in the third in a heart beat. He’s the kind of back that could get our running game going. He cuts through the seams which would make him ideal for our zone blocking.Lets face facts ,Starks is unreliable .

  2. I have watched Polk for four years as I have husky season tickets. this guy is the perfect fit for the frozen tundra and I would be delighted if the “PACKERS” take him. His speed is very underated and there is never a nead to dought his toughness.

    “GO PACK”

Comments are closed.