Branden Oliver could be the next NFL star for the San Diego Chargers
No one wanted Branden Oliver.
He wasn’t invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, didn’t get drafted and no scouts seemed to speak up on his behalf before the San Diego Chargers took a flier on him as an undrafted free agent a few months ago. He put up big-time numbers in college but for some reason scouts looked right past him. That fact that he’s 5’8″ surely didn’t help him stand out in a crowd, but the guy had proven time and again that he was a heck of a football player.
That same guy no one wanted was thrust into duty in Week 5, after injuries to Ryan Mathews, Danny Woodhead and Donald Brown put Oliver up next in San Diego’s running back rotation. The Miami native proceeded to set the NFL on fire, as he racked up 182 total yards and two touchdowns on just 23 touches. The 23-year-old rookie torched the New York Jets’ then-top run defense for 114 yards on the ground and added 68 through the air. Sure it was only one game, but those who saw Oliver in the preseason knew he could be a budding star.
Oliver wears No. 43 and that’s fitting, since fellow pint-sized running back Darren Sproles wore the same number when he became a game-breaker for the Chargers. Jersey aside, it’s not hard to see why Oliver gets compared to Sproles. He’s small but strong, has a low center of gravity and isn’t afraid to initiate contact. He’s barely 5’8″ but packs a punch at 208 pounds. Yes he’s quick and shifty, but that’s not his entire game, as he can run between the tackles when needed. Oliver is basically a bowling ball with legs.
In Week 5 against the Jets, all 19 of his rushes went for positive yardage. Considering the Bolts could barely run the ball in their first four games, that’s pretty amazing.
So how did all 32 teams miss on Branden Oliver during May’s draft? It’s not like he was some anonymous guy scouts never had the chance to see. He went to Buffalo and was teammates with Khalil Mack, who wound up being the No. 5 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. Scouts swarmed to “The Nickel City” to watch Mack play in 2013, so they had obviously seen Oliver.
While at Buffalo, the diminutive back broke the school’s all-time rushing record (previously held by James Starks) by graduating with 4,094 yards. During his senior season, Oliver carried the ball 310 times for 1,535 yards (5.0 yards per carry) and 15 touchdowns. The man known as “BO” added 25 receptions for 173 yards and another score. He was also a two-time first-team All-MAC selection.
Despite all of that, he wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine, didn’t participate in any of the showcase bowl games and had to rely solely on his pro day to impress scouts. He performed in front of a packed house because Mack drew an enormous crowd for his workout. Still, no one picked up on the fact that Oliver was a multidimensional back who could fit perfectly in today’s NFL.
Scouts Inc. ranked Oliver the 55th-best running back in the draft. Not the 55th best player, the 55th-best running back. There are undoubtedly guys ranked above him who are currently selling insurance. SBNation didn’t have Oliver listed in its top 34 running backs, NFLDraftScout.com had him at No. 38, as did CBSSports and Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller made no mention of him. During the 2014 draft 19 running backs and three fullbacks were selected, Oliver was not among them.
The Chargers signed him to a three-year deal on May 21 and apparently knew they had a steal right off the bat, as several observers have claimed Oliver was the team’s most impressive player all summer. That should be proof this isn’t just a lot of people getting riled up after one performance.
The most impressive thing about Oliver in Week 5 was his maturity and the patience he showed allowing his blocks to develop on several plays. Most rookies just run straight ahead and hope to break tackles, but Oliver really sets up defenders well and shows great vision.
Here, on his first career touchdown run, Oliver gets the ball from Philip Rivers on a draw, then allows right guard Johnnie Troutman to clear the middle of the defensive line for him. With a quick cut from right to left Oliver is able to hit the hole and – thanks to his small stature – the defense can’t pick up where he is. He then scampers through a huge lane to the end zone.
On his biggest play of the day, Oliver broke a 52-yard run on an off-tackle play to the left. Watch as Oliver takes the handoff from Rivers and allows his offensive linemen and receivers to engage their blocks before turning up field. Once he does, he gets up to speed in just a few steps, throws a vicious right stiff-arm to David Harris, and only a great effort by cornerback Dee Milliner saves a touchdown. Oliver’s patience in letting the play develop before he cut up the field is what made the play happen. The fact that he was running behind mountainous left tackle King Dunlap didn’t hurt.
The Chargers are also using Oliver perfectly. On this nine-yard receiving touchdown in the third quarter, Oliver lined up out wide to the right, and was then motioned into the backfield by Rivers. As he comes in, the defense drifts with him and linebacker Demario Davis draws the assignment covering him out of the backfield. Oliver runs a simply angle route, starting right, then cutting left at the line of scrimmage and there is no way Davis can jump the route thanks to Oliver’s quickness. He catches the ball at the five, lays a big hit on safety Calvin Pryor and he’s in the end zone. That was too easy.
There were concerns that maybe Oliver wasn’t fast enough for a small back coming out of college. This 50-yard catch and run should put those worries to rest. He also throws in two incredible cut-back moves that reminded me of Allen Iverson crossovers. He sent both Pryor and Milliner (both former first-round picks) to the turf with two great open-field shakes.
Sure, Oliver is undersized but he can still do all the things you need from a running back. The sad part is that all the stuff he does well, he did doing for years in college. The footage to prove that is readily available.
After breaking down his film over the past week – including extensive preseason highlight work – there is no denying Oliver’s ability. On top of that, he’s just plain fun to watch. He’s a little guy who runs like he thinks he’s Jerome Bettis. It’s almost like he doesn’t know he’s supposed to be just a “change of pace” guy. The result is a complete running back who isn’t going anywhere.
Write Branden Oliver off as a one-week wonder at your own peril. No one wanted him, but the little guy is here to stay and he’s going to be a whole lot of fun to watch.
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