RB Lacy out of Combine with hamstring injury
Alabama's Eddie Lacy, NFLDraftScout.com's No. 1-rated running back and No. 36 prospect overall, will miss this week's scouting combine after injuring his hamstring, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Lacy suffered a "small tear in some tissue around his hamstring while training last week," according to Schefter, but hopes to be able to work out for scouts in time for Alabama's March 13 pro day.
While this draft lacks top-20 talent at running back, Lacy is the clear top prospect at his position in a fairly deep class, and is rated as a potential first-round pick by NFLDraftScout.com. He is strongly-built with the frame to power through defenders while staying light on his feet to create and elude would-be tacklers in space. Lacy was expected to run his 40-yard dash in the 4.50-4.65 range, but even if he is unable to work out prior to the draft, it shouldn't have a substantial impact on his draft status.
If Lacy isn't selected in the first round, it will likely mark the first time since 1963 that a running back wasn't drafted in the opening round. North Carolina's Giovani Bernard is also a potential top 50 pick, but is not viewed as a first-round candidate.
Lacy rushed for 321 yards and four touchdowns to help Alabama win the SEC Championship Game and BCS title game. The redshirt junior finished his career with 2402 yards and 30 rushing touchdowns on 355 carries.
Good news for Lacy can be found in the recent past. Entering the combine as the No. 1-ranked running back, Trent Richardson announced in a memo to all 32 teams he'd have knee surgery and miss on-field drills last Feb. 22, days before the event began. It turned out fine for that Alabama junior, who was the third overall pick in the 2012 draft.
However, Lacy has dealt with foot injuries in the past (ankle sprains, turf toe), and NFL scouts may have a growing concern about his durability.
Richardson and Mark Ingram, who both left Alabama following their junior seasons, have been the top running backs selected in the past two NFL Drafts.
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