Oh The Places Gerhart Could Go

A little part of me died in December when Stanford's Toby Gerhart lost the Hesiman trophy to Bama's Mark Ingram. This past fall he brought Stanford football from a program of shame and embarrassment to one that any alum would be proud of. Now, as the draft nears and athletes are putting their best foot forward in the Combine to become stronger, faster, more efficient players, my attention is on my own "hometown" hero, Toby Gerhart.

Gerhart is wildly underestimated as a RB despite his Heisman worthy performance this past season. During his training at the Combine he has received quiet a bit of criticism of being too slow, doesn't fit the prototypical RB mold, and most people don't have him projected to be a 1st or even 2nd round pick. To make matters worse, a questionable health report may hurt Toby's chances even more.

And as the coaches become mesmerized by how fast a guy can run a 40 let's remember why Toby was a Heisman contender to begin with- it's not just about how you move in a straight line, but more importantly how you move when their isn't one. Any person that has seen Toby play knows that he plays with something that can't be measured on a stop watch or in a weight room, he plays with a level of tenacity, courage and HEART that is truly a joy to watch. There are a couple of places in the NFL that could use and in some cases NEED a back like Toby.

Here is my sneak peek at the places that Gerhart could go (in no particular order)

Cleveland- Cleveland could benefit for a big body RB, his explosiveness is what is going to be the major factor here. If Toby clocks a good speed at the Combine then that increase his chances of being picked at the top of the 3rd. The only problem is that the Browns have several draft needs and their high pick decreases the chance of them grabbing Gerhart.

New York- Its debatable whether the Jets will pick a running back via the draft this year, but they are going to need some power in the backfield and if Toby goes later than expected it would be wise for NY to pick him up especially with recent rumors that Jones will be a free agent. In the era of the two back system Gerhart could really work well to compliment a speed back.

Washington- My personal biases generally don't have me looking out of the Redskins' best interest but their offense could really use a good solid back this year. Portis is still a question mark for next season and Betts with two torn leg ligaments makes for a not-surprising desperate Redskins team. Gerhart ending up in DC comes down to how well he does at the Combine. If he clocks a surprisingly fast 40 speed he might just be out of reach for the Skins. But a mediocre time will kill his draft stock and make him ripe for the Redskins picking at the top of the 4th round. Plus Gerhart is committed to be a RB and with other teams trying to force him into the fullback/halfback position a desperate Gerhart and a desperate Skins offense may just be a match. On the other hand I want Gerhart to go to a program that has a fighting chance so I actually take this possibility off of the drawing board.

Houston- This a good fit for Gerhart because they need a feature back who can take a lot of carries. Toby is extremely coachable, just look at his last season at Stanford; carrying the ball 20, 30 and sometimes even 40 times a game and even throwing a TD pass against Notre Dame. Gerhart is a work horse and for a program in need of RB to complete their offense this makes sense.

San Diego- The loss of LaDanian Tomlinson and putting Darren Sporles up for free agent have the Chargers looking a little lost. They are in need of a serious back who can be a game changer. And Toby's work ethic is somewhat ideal for a program that is willing to invest the time to mold him into the back that they need him to be. It would be no surprise if San Diego grabs Gerhart early.

Hopefully, his performance at the Combine does more to help Gerhart than to hurt him.