'Why Isaiah Spiller?'
In the mold of Kenyan Drake -- meshed with the lateral suddenness of D’Andre Swift
Movement toolbox & manipulating defenders
Isaiah Spiller is a dramatic, abrupt and often times sporadic mover. In the open field he will almost always make the first man miss -- deploying a variety of tools to do so.
Similar open field tactics to that of D'Andre Swift & Kenyan Drake.
He is most comfortable working back towards the middle of the field and setting up defenders with well-timed cutbacks.
Spiller can quickly go from square to shifting directions across the body of pursuing backers & safeties.
During periods of multiple engagements, Spiller thrives.
Continually you watch him plant, push and escape defenders in succession.
Spiller continually creates a ton of yards by jumping inside. It's the sudden nature of these cuts that catches defenders off guard.
At the second level, Spiller is a back you have to swarm or else he will be winning one on one engagements all game.
Skillset as a receiver
Have seen reports of concentration drops from Spiller, but he has shown the capability to make difficult grabs, and in big moments.
He isn't used much out wide or in the slot, however his quickness is exploitable against both backers & safeties.
3rd & 8 game on the line.
Difficult adjustment to the ball to keep the drive alive.
Same drive - A&M takes the lead on 3rd & long.
Patient out & up by Spiller beating the backer for the score.
When you look at receiving traits for backs it's always important to look at 'when' they are making plays.
Big moments, behind script etc
I project Spiller to be most active on screens and as an outlet option out of the backfield.
A nightmare to corral in space - regularly creating after the catch.
Through contact skill set & Anticipatory qualities
Spiller shows flashes of his eyes & feet working in conjunction to manipulate at the LOS. When you marry this with the ability to climb through contact on your way to the second level, you have a potential every-down back.
The game hasn't slowed down entirely for Spiller yet, and there are times when he plays out of control, however if he becomes consistent as a processor of information he can be a game-changer.
Spiller is at his best when he can use his capabilities during early acceleration as a weapon through contact.
As he grows into a more decisive runner, we'll see more plays where he is gaining consistent yards post-contact.
This is both the impressive qualities of Spiller and where he needs development.
As a mover, he is quick when he makes a pathing decision, but that path isn't always the most efficient one.
If Spiller accelerates towards the boundary all he has to do to force a one on one engagement with the safety is outrun the defensive end.
Even though this was a successful run, yards were still left on the field.
Spiller's tendency as a mover is to break inside.
His game against Alabama was the best game of his young career.
We saw the anticipatory qualities and decision-making skill set of an NFL-caliber runner.
- Freezes multiple defenders at the LOS.
- Uses his capabilities as an accelerator to build 2nd level momentum.
- Finishes the run with a score
Capabilities during acceleration & at top-end
As far as sprint capabilities go, Spiller has average top-end speed for the position & slightly above average capabilities in acceleration.
Periods of early acceleration and re-acceleration is where Spiller is at his strongest.
We see the ability to re-accelerate from lateral to linear here.
Again, as far as straight line speed goes Spiller isn't going to gap defenders in the open field, but he is exceptionally strong at chaining pathways back to linear acceleration.
Ascension grades
Tier 1: 75.00 & over -- Gold Jacket potential
Tier 2: 65.00 - 74.99 -- All-pro ceiling
Tier 3: 55.00 - 64.99 -- Pro-bowl ceiling
Tier 4: 49.98 - 54.99 -- Average to Above-average starter
Tier 5: 44.96 - 49.97 -- High ceiling / High-risk prospect
Tier 6: 39.50 - 44.95 -- Secondary committee option
Tier 7: 39.49 & below -- Depth piece with low ceiling
