College All-22 Film: 2020 New York Jets Draft Picks | RB La’Mical Perine

Can La'Mical Perine take over for Le'Veon Bell as the Jets' RB1 in 2021? Sam Crnic breaks down Perine's NCAA All-22 film at Florida. 2020 Jets draft class film breakdowns: Mekhi Becton and Cameron Clark James Morgan With questions surrounding Le'Veon Bell's future with the team, it was imperative for the Jets to go young at the running back position. In an attempt to find the next Bilal Powell, in terms of longevity and toughness, drafting a running back on Day 3 of the 2020 NFL draft was essential. Joe Douglas got his prospect of choice in the fourth round at No. 120 overall: Florida product La'Mical Perine. Hometown: Mobile, AL High School: Theodore High School (AL) Position: RB School: Florida Height: 5'11 Weight: 216 lb Ranked eighth in Florida history in career rushing yards (2,485) and ninth in receiving yards (674), La'Mical Perine looks to contribute to the Jets offense as soon as possible. The MVP of the 2019 Orange Bowl after rushing for a career-high 138 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries, Perine was a large factor in Florida's offense throughout the majority of his four-year career. Like many RBs from Florida, Perine idolized the journeyman Frank Gore, who is now his teammate. This gives La'Mical a perfect opportunity to be mentored by one of the games' greatest, similar to young Bills back Devin Singletary in 2019. A large part of Singletary's adjustment to the NFL, Devin shared Gore's mentorship and advice: "He helped me out a lot... At the end of the day, football is football -- he let me know that. Don't get too high, don't get too low, just stay in the middle." Film On the attack, Perine stays patient enough to let the first-level blocks in front of him develop, leading to a nice lane down the left side. Off the hesitation, Perine displays a solid burst to make his way towards the second-level block. Instead of working his way to the sideline, he cuts back inside to get a few extra yards on the play. Off the catch, Perine makes his way towards the incoming defender instead of the sideline; showing that he's not afraid of the physicality. A tough runner to bring down, Perine lowers his shoulders to stay upright after contact. While his brute strength won't "wow" any scouts, his constant motor keeps him going after the collision. While the first play of the thread showcased Perine's patience, this clip displays his urgency to find a lane past the line of scrimmage. With no hole developing down the left B-gap, Perine works outside and manages to shed a tackle for a nice gain on the play. In addition to his urgency to work past the first-level, he displays a swift-enough reaction to his offensive linemen's change in leverage. A great reaction to contact by quarterback Kyle Trask, Perine stays behind his QB the entire time to take an easy pitch for a virtually untouched TD. Off the catch, La'Mical is rather aggressive and shoots right for the endzone instead of cutting outside. While he's no Le'Veon Bell, Perine has the juice to his run if given space. A downhill runner who will fit Adam Gase's offense like a glove, eluding defenders on a consistent basis isn't his game. If Perine isn't given space after the catch, he usually doesn't travel far, as he's not a shifty back. Perine is the target of a screen pass here to the left side. While Perine manages to spin out of the first incoming defender, he doesn't have much room to work with afterward. Unless he has a clear lane down the sideline, this play won't work. A screen that works best to counter a blitz, Perine was soon surrounded by the LBs who dropped back into coverage. Instead of hesitating, La'Mical shoots down the right B-gap with enough burst to stay ahead of his defenders. While the pulling blocker (76) wasn't much help approaching the second level, Perine evades 33's tackle attempt, only to be brought down by 20. He does get a big hole, but nevertheless, La'Mical does a nice job at keeping his legs churning, always looking to earn an extra yard on the run. In pass protection, Perine immediately locates the free man (33) to lay a block on. He also chips the DE that beats the LT, stalling two rushers. This gives Trask just enough time to get a throw off, which ends up wide of his target. While La'Mical isn't the most fundamentally-sound pass protector, he's always eagerly looking for work on either side of the pocket. One of the best examples you can find of Perine's downhill ability with space. Off the snap, he bursts through the right A-gap on the inside zone, stiff-arming a defender in the process. Once free to the second level, Perine can transition to a desired angle against the sideline to beat any incoming defenders. From there, he hits the jets getting past the third level, making his way to the endzone for the impressive TD. Bottom Line As a runner who operates best when going downhill, La'Mical Perine can be an intriguing option in a committee role for Adam Gase. Dropping weight entering his senior season at Florida, Perine looks to transition to the NFL as a high motor north-south type back. Off the snap, La'Mical showcases the ability to hesitate, letting blocks develop in front of him. On the contrary, Perine isn't afraid to burst off the hand-off, looking to get past the line of scrimmage as soon as possible. A high-effort back, Perine almost always looks for contact, consistently looking to lower his shoulder to gain extra yards on the play. With space, La'Mical knows how to attack specific angles, giving himself the best opportunity to maximize the result of each run. Whether in pass protection or in the run game, Perine is always looking to get involved. Perine lacks ideal elusiveness. His success in the NFL will be heavily determined on the offensive line in front of him. Entering 2020, Perine will most commonly be used as a single-down back. With Le'Veon Bell and Frank Gore ahead of him on the depth chart, there's not much playing time available for the rookie back. Instead, most of his rookie year will be spent in the training room, where he continues to lose weight, transitioning from a power back to a downhill runner. While it is still unclear how often Gase will use the likes of Bell and Gore, Perine is put in a perfect opportunity to learn from two of the greatest backs the game has ever seen. Beyond 2020, Perine looks to be an effective third-down committee back in an offensive system such as Adam Gase's. Because of how limited his skillset is without an opening, Perine will only go as far as his offensive line will take him. To achieve continued success in his NFL career, La'Mical Perine is best suited to complement other more-skilled running backs.