What do the advanced numbers say about Le’Veon Bell’s new partner in the backfield?
With Le’Veon Bell‘s future in New York beyond 2020 up in the air, the Jets went ahead and snagged Florida running back La’Mical Perine with the 120th overall pick in the fourth round of the NFL Draft.
What can Perine offer as a backup to Bell in 2020? Does he have the tools to take over the starting job in 2021?
Let’s dig into the numbers behind Perine’s career with the Gators.
Positives
Receiving ability
Perine hauled in 40 catches during his 2019 senior season at Florida, which tied him for the seventh-most among FBS running backs. He had a nose for the end zone, racking up five receiving touchdowns, which tied him for the second-most.
Drops have not been an issue for Perine, who dropped just two passes while collecting 72 receptions (2.7% drop rate) over the course of his career.
Ball security
Perine’s soft hands as a receiver translate to the running game. He did not fumble the football a single time across 172 touches in 2019. As a junior in 2018, Perine fumbled only once over 147 touches. That gives Perine an incredible fumble rate of 0.31% over the past two seasons.
Perine’s excellent drop and fumble rates will fit right in alongside Bell, who has protected the football as well as anyone throughout his career.
Yards after contact
Sorry, the content stops here if you’re not a Jet X Member, not currently logged-in, or viewing from an outside source such as Google AMP or an RSS Feed where logged-in status is not possible.
Get Started with the button below to access this Jets X-Factor article and the best damn New York Jets content in the world for free (after becoming a member, search for this article near the bottom of the Membership Confirmation page):
Log In with the button below if you’re already a member:
Connect with the button below if you’d like to create a free account first:
Audio Version available to members only: Learn more here
Very similar to Powell. Bring Bilal back as a tutor