Bulls NFL Draft Prospect : Jaret Patterson

Jaret Patterson is maybe the best “and one” that the UB football program ever completed.

The Bulls were after his twin brother, James, who himself has developed into standout all conference linebacker. The main hurdle seemed to be that James had his heart set on playing college ball with his brother. While Jaret had received several offers from other team Buffalo was deep at running back and had not made the offer.

But, Jaret looked solid, and James looked to be a guy that would be key piece of the defense so the staff “took a chance” on Jaret.

It paid back in a big way.

Jaret set single season records at Buffalo, tied all time single game records nationally, and would have easily smashed the school record for career yards had he not decided to leave school after his junior season.

Up next for the “and one” running back? The NFL draft.

Patterson has several different “styles” that he runs with depending on the situation and he is deadly with all of them . He is a compact runner but mangers to run “high” in the open field. His 4.38 40 time is in the top 15 among this years NFL draft prospects just a hair off of the top ten.

But where Patterson really shines is at the line between the tackles and in tight spaces. He has a patience, intelligence, and fluid motion that helps him get through congestion almost untouched. He’s “shifty” with a first and second cut that seem almost effortless. Even when he’s right behind a jammed up offense line his feet are always moving and looking for a seam to go through.

He has shown, on occasion, the ability to lower his head and use his low center of gravity to pick up a yard or so when there is literally nothing in front of him. Though the “bowling ball” is not his strongest move.

If you had to look for a weakness to Patterson as a running back it might be that he’s not a great accelerator. He has good speed and great movement but in a straight line it takes him a little longer to get to top gear than you’ll see from some other backs.

He’s very disciplined when it comes to ball control, seldom losing control or having the ball stripped away. During his last two seasons at Buffalo, as the work horse back, he fumbled only twice, once per season.

In the passing game he has some promise, but was not heavily used by Buffalo in that role.

The one thing that might make teams hesitant to take Patterson on day one would be his size. He’s slightly undersized for an NFL running back and fits the mold of a committee member not the workhorse.