Joseph Addai is an all-purpose back who finished second in rushing and third in receiving for LSU as a junior in 2004. Addai was listed as the backup to Alley Broussard heading into the 2005 season but took over as the primary ballcarrier when Broussard was lost to injury. When healthy early in the season, Addai capitalized on the opportunity with 642 rushing yards in the first six games, which significantly improved his draft stock. However, a lingering ankle sprain slowed him during LSU's final six regular-season games, when he rushed for just 139 combined yards. Addai did bounce back with a strong performance (130 yards on 24 carries) against Miami in the Peach Bowl, but there are still concerns regarding his overall consistency. Addai is a decisive, slippery runner with excellent timed speed and impressive overall versatility as a receiver and blocker. He must use this week at the Senior Bowl to build positive momentum heading into the 2006 NFL draft. Right now, Addai grades out as a second-round prospect, but his draft value still stands to fluctuate considerably during the postseason process. Joseph Addai 22 LSU 10 RB PLAYER AGE SCHOOL NO. POSITION Height 5-11 1/8-- Ideal height for an NFL RB. Weight 208 -- Adequate bulk. Could add 5-10 pounds to frame. Speed 4.41 -- Excellent top end speed. Home run potential as a runner/receiver. Intelligence A major concern. Scored poorly on first Wonderlic test attempt. Questions about his ability to grasp NFL playbook and schemes. Toughness Has shown toughness coming back from major knee injuries in the past, but seemed to be cautious with ankle as a senior. Strength/Flex Possesses a good combination of upper and lower body strength, but flexibility is below average. Durability Major concern. Torn ACL in 2002, knee surgery in June of 2003, torn MCL fall of 2003 and lingering ankle injury in 2005. Character No character concerns. Coaches speak highly about him. Production Spurts of great production when healthy and in the lineup. RB SPECIFICS HandsB+Showed good focus and flashed the ability to make the tough catch. Run InstinctsBRead blocks fairly well. Can exploit cutback lanes but appeared hesitant at times. Inside RunnerB+Didn't hesitate as much when running between the tackles as attacking the perimeter. Outside RunnerBShowed good burst and second gear in the open field. Tried to do too much at times. ElusivenessC+Flashes the ability to make the first defender miss but lacks elite elusiveness. Power RunnerB+Runs with good balance and has the lower body strength to pick up yards after contact. Block Run/PassA-Generally got into good position and flashed the ability to sustain blocks. Willingness to Block APlayed with a mean streak and was physical at the point of attack. DurabilityC-Has had problems staying healthy. Concerns exist about ability to carry a heavy workload. FumbleAPracticed sound ball security and didn't put the ball on the ground. PRACTICE NOTES Monday (1/23/06): Looks in great shape. Was extremely quick in practice. A bit tentative as an inside runner and seems far more comfortable in space. Shows the initial burst and speed to turn the corner as an outside runner. Tuesday (1/24/06): Ran hard and fended off a few defenders with the stiff arm. Ran with good balance and bounced off arm tackles. Turned the corner quickly and continued to show good speed in the open field. Ran adequate routes and didn't drop passes that he should have caught in practice today. Showed good vision and the lateral mobility to cut back given the opportunity, but he was hesitant at times and needs to stay healthy so instincts improve. Flashed the ability to make the first defender miss. Didn't shy away from contact and got into good position when asked to pick up the blitz. Sold play fakes hard and appeared to do all the little things well. Wednesday (1/25/06): Showed the ability to bounce runs outside after starting inside and the ability to stop and then restart quickly. Showed great speed once he turned corner and ran away from pursuing defenders when he got a seam. Appeared hesitant when blocking broke down in front of him during run period, appeared to make an unnecessary cut on one play and needed to be more aggressive attacking the line of scrimmage at times. Made a nice adjustment to a ball thrown behind him and low when running a seam route. Got knocked back by a linebacker when going out on a route. Needs to work on ability to get a clean release but showed good athletic ability by recovering nicely and making the catch. Gave great effort and fully laid out for a pass thrown into the end zone but was unable to come down with the ball. Thursday (1/26/06): SUMMARY Addai, who entered this week projected as a late first-day or early second-day pick, showed that he is one of the most versatile backs in this class this week. He ran hard between the tackles, showed great speed when he turned the corner, caught the ball well and did an excellent job as a blocker. Addai's biggest weakness remains his durability. He had problems staying healthy at the collegiate level and that will cause some teams to shy away from him on the first day despite his strong performance here. Addai wasn't quite as decisive or aggressive as some of the other backs and he got tackled in the backfield on more than one occasion. His lack of elite elusiveness is also a concern. He needs a seam to be truly effective because he lacks the ability to make multiple defenders miss. FINAL GRADE B
I saw Mel Kiper Jr. on ESPN yesterday and he said Joseph Addai was moving up on the radar. They had him as a possible choice to go to the Steelers.
Awesome stuff! Could you post one for Skyler Green and any other LSU players that are in the draft - mostly star positions like LB, DT, HB, WR, etc. (I don't think there are many)? Thanks. If not, this was great anyway.
Joe Addai to the steelers would be a dream job, i would think... its great to be a running back on a running team.. even if you are 3rd on the depth chart you will still get carries. The only other place that it is as good to be a RB is Denver.
He was never that elusive or shifty. He's known for running downhill between the tackles and punishing defenders. I love Joseph Addai and have enjoyed watching his toughness, demeanor, and his ability to almost always be there when the game was on the line. Thanks for the memories Addai and I'll be pulling for ya in the first round.
Yeah that summary is a bit inconsistent. I don't recall Joe Addai being "tentative" especially when it comes to burying his shoulder in a defensive back. He'll make a good pro.
