Fansided

2017 NFL Draft: Elijah Hood is playing great football

By George Stockburger

Sep 3, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Elijah Hood (34) warms up prior to the 2016 Chick-Fil-A Kickoff game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 3, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Elijah Hood (34) warms up prior to the 2016 Chick-Fil-A Kickoff game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 4
Next

Week 11 of the college football season has arrived! Here are a few players who have seen their 2017 NFL Draft stock on the rise and a pair who have seen it drop since last week.

Stock Up: Elijah Hood, RB, North Carolina

In a class stocked full of talented running backs, several names have been buried in the conversation. North Carolina running back Elijah Hood is one of the most overlooked names in a class potentially consisting of Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey.

After a mid-season scoring drought, Hood erupted against Virginia and Georgia Tech. Against the Yellow Jackets, he rushed for three touchdowns and 168 yards in-route to a 48-20 Tar Heels victory.

Sep 3, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Elijah Hood (34) warms up prior to the 2016 Chick-Fil-A Kickoff game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 3, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Elijah Hood (34) warms up prior to the 2016 Chick-Fil-A Kickoff game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /

As the season comes to a close, 17th ranked North Carolina will be fighting to move up in the polls and into a potential ACC Championship. With Virginia Tech close behind, North Carolina will need Hood and his rising quarterback Mitch Trubisky to help lead them over their next three games.

Hood is a powerful back who can potentially be a weapon in the receiving game if given the chance. An underrated aspect of his game is pass-protection, which he rates very highly in.

Coming off a 1,400 rushing yard season with 17 touchdowns, Hood has shown the potential of being a feature back in the right system. He’s worked with multiple quarterbacks with very different styles, whether that by Trubisky or Marquise Williams.

Should the junior declare for the NFL Draft, he will most-likely be a mid-round draft pick selected in a literal run on running backs.

Home/College Football