Keith Toston, 6'0" 213RB, Oklahoma State
Rankings: 18th-ranked running back by Pro Football Weekly, ahead of two drafted RBs. Projected as a 7th-round pick and as having a better-than-average chance to make an NFL roster.
26th-ranked RB by NFLDraftScout, 347th player overall.
25th-ranked by Draft Countdown, with a "late round / FA" grade.
Biography/Honors:
2009: All-Big 12 first team. 1,218 yards on 227 carries (5.4 ypc) with 11 TDs, 25-261 receiving with 1 TD, in 13 games. 25 carries for 206 yards and 3 TDs against Iowa State. 30 carries for 172, 2 catches for 45, 2 TDs against Colorado.
2008: 686 yards on 102 carries (6.7 ypc) with 9 TDs. 8-68 receiving.
2007: 190 yards on 38 carries (5.0 ypc), 8-92 receiving, 1 TD in 11 games. Had only 7 carries in a 7-game span because of fumbling problems.
2006: 631 yards on 106 carries (6.0 ypc) with 6 TDs, 10-92 receiving with 2 TDs in 12 games, starting one.
Major: economics.
Injuries:
2008: Sprained left knee in fall practices. Did not finish one game due to stomach problem.
2007: Tore left ACL returning a kickoff, requiring season-ending surgery.
Combine/Pro Day stats:
4.70 40-yard dash (slow) at Combine; improved to 4.60 at pro day.
4.44 short shuttle at pro day
7.28 3-cone at pro day
32" vertical at Combine
8'11" broad jump at Combine (low)
22 bench presses at Combine (average)
Positives: Aggressive, hard-charging runner. Rarely taken down by first tackler and won't be arm-tackled. Physical between the tackles, runs hard and churns his legs. Terrific balance. Great patience and vision. Very agile and can pick his way through trash at the line. Good explosiveness; very quick first step. Gets to second level quickly. Runs at a good angle and doesn't take huge hits. Low center of gravity makes him hard to knock over. Has exceptional feet for his size and great lateral quickness. Has a spin move and a decent stiffarm. Catches passes downfield and protects the ball well. Willing blocker. Doesn't make negative plays; lost only 12 combined yards in 227 carries last year. Determined player with good football smarts.
Negatives: Just an average athlete who needed a lot of injuries in front of him to become a starter. There's the risk he's a one-year wonder. Tight-hipped. Doesn't sink his hips well and takes long strides, which gives him poor change-of-direction. Poor straight-line speed. Needs to get stronger and become a more physical blocker. Inconsistent at letting his blocks develop. Has had fumbling problems.
Compares to: Sammy Morris.
Fun facts: Keith's grandfather Elmo Birdow played pro football with the Richmond Rebels of the Continental Football League in the sixties. That league produced future NFL successes like Coy Bacon, Kenny Stabler, Otis Sistrunk and Bill Walsh. Keith's not just a running and receiving weapon; he threw a TD pass in the 2010 Cotton Bowl, OSU's only score against Ole Miss.
RamView: Pierre Thomas, Fred Jackson and Ahmad Bradshaw are plenty of proof that it doesn't take a high draft pick for a team to yield a top running back. The Rams front office certainly adheres to the idea - the team ended 2009 criminally thin at RB behind Steven Jackson, yet didn't address the issue in 2010 veteran free agency or the draft. They lucked out that the Big 12's first-team all-conference running back wasn't drafted, and now Keith Toston's here with as good a chance to become RB2 as anybody. Just like OkState, there's pretty much a void he can step into just by playing well and staying healthy. If he shows quality inside running and pass-catching out of the backfield, he's probably the team's 2nd-best back. Great opportunity for him, and another good free agent pickup by the team.
Sources: Pro Football Weekly 2010 Draft Guide, StLouisRams.com, Pro Football Talk, RookieDraft.com, Philadelphia Inquirer, FFToolbox.com, DraftCountdown.com (Scott Wright), boosterclubCFL.com, Wikipedia
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