It’s never a bad sign when there’s a lively debate among Chicago Bears fans about who the best undrafted free agent the team signed is. This typically means there was more than a couple who stood out for various reasons as potential talents that can turn into something more than a training camp body. Several think LSU corner Kevin Toliver is the obvious choice. However, there is a sizable backing for Oregon State running back Ryan Nall too.
Early glances might lead to questions why. Nall’s numbers in college were decent but hardly worldbeating. Then you start to dig into the tape and you realize the young man has game. He’s big and strong, able to run through tackles and keep his feet. Then all of sudden he’ll uncork a 75 yards touchdown where he’s pulling away from defensive backs.
Guys that big shouldn’t move like that. I tried to think about where I’d seen such a rare commodity before. It took some digging but then the solution smacked me in the face. Nall mirrors the style of play in some striking ways to former six-time Pro Bowl fullback Mike Alstott. Yes, that is not a misprint.
Sure they’re not exactly the same but when pushing the numbers and the tape together, it’s impossible not to see parallels.
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Mike Alstott college numbers
- 6’1
- 248 lbs
- 5.6 yards per carry
- 11.6 yards per reception
- Touchdown per every 17.54 touches
Ryan Nall college numbers
- 6’2
- 237 lbs
- 5.8 yards per carry
- 10.1 yards per reception
- Touchdown per every 15.75 touches
The numbers are actually closer than one might expect. Alstott was a bit thicker coming out of Purdue but Nall isn’t that far behind and is actually taller. He also averaged more yards per carry and touchdowns per touch. Adding to this idea is what Pro Football Focus had to say about him when they were trying to convey how underrated he is. Their description of his game was almost a mirror of what Alstott was all about.
“Ryan Nall’s skillset will appeal to different styles of football minds. Old-school football guys like New York Giants general manager David Gettleman likely see a power runner who can grind out tough yards and potentially be one-half of a running back tandem when paired with a smaller, shiftier back. Young offensive-minded head coaches like the San Francisco 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan and the Los Angeles Rams’ Sean McVay likely see a fullback/H-back they can use to exploit mismatches in the passing game.”
The interesting note there is the idea of pairing Nall with a smaller, shiftier back. That’s exactly what helped make Alstott a legend in Tampa Bay. His career didn’t take off until 1997, the same year the Buccaneers drafted a young man named Warrick Dunn. Small? Yes. Shifty? Bingo. He was a nightmare trying to tackle in the open field. When paired with the thunderous Alstott, it became too much for defenses to handle.
Nall can be something like that for the Bears. Now, this is not to say he’ll have the same career as Alstott. It’s to say he offers them a skillset similar to him. If he makes the roster and Jordan Howard gets hurt, they’ll have him locked and loaded to pair with Tarik Cohen. One could venture to say the running game would barely miss a beat.
Also, remember Alstott was a second round pick. If the Bears got somebody even 75% as good as an undrafted free agent? That’s theft of the highest degree.
