2019 Raiders Draft Prospect Profile
Name: Alexander Mattison
Position: Running Back
School: Boise State University
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 220 pounds
Draft Projection: Day 3
Stats
Run Style
Immediately, the film shows Mattison barreling into the line with the full intention of driving tacklers backward. Between the tackles, he will not dance or juke. More importantly, his north/south approach inside usually brings positive yardage. Mattison falls forward, while punishing would-be tacklers with a strong finish. Meanwhile, on the outside, he can get the corner and wiggle through the second level. At times, he will vault over defenders in the open field, gathering himself upon landing. Although he appears more comfortable between the tackles, the perimeter component remains an option, regardless of offense.
Agility
Despite his muscled frame, Mattison will stick his foot in the ground and use a jump cut to shake a defender. While he cannot string these together in succession, one juke will shake the first defender. Most importantly, Mattison will not overuse his repertoire. Instead, he will make a move and bolt down field. To say there’s no wasted motion is an understatement. This goes to knowing strengths and weaknesses as a runner.
Speed
Mattison profiles as a back with adequate speed and burst, a mauler that gets downhill in a hurry, gaining chunk yardage. When he bounces outside, he will accelerate. However, while he won’t streak away from defenders, they will need to account for him gaining 10-20 yards after contact, in the open field. Honestly, with his style of play, Mattison just needs to maintain his current level of acceleration.
Hands
At the next level, a sound position coach needs to stand Mattison in front of a JUGGS machine. During his career in Boise, they did not feature him more in the passing game. As a result, the offense targeted him with the occasional swing pass, nothing particularly intricate. While sixty catches over a career does show growth, Mattison will see more snaps at the next level with an increased focus on routes
Raiders Fit
With the Raiders, Mattison profiles as a rotational back. That will only help him and the offense. Gruden loves backs that get downfield in a hurry. Mattison will not dance or delay in hitting the hole. Plus, with an offense that bogged down in short yardage situations, he can give them the ability to convert on these crucial opportunities. In a league where red zone trips are few and far between, the Raiders need to capitalize. Mattison can also provide the ability to close games. When the Raiders effective run their offense to wear defenses out, they can give him 5-7 second half carries to finish the opponent.
