We all love rooting for undrafted underdogs like Washington running back Rob Kelley, who came out of Tulane to little fanfare but found himself in the catbird seat in the D.C. backfield last year. Kelley posted a solid 704 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns on 168 carries, putting him 25th in Rushing NEP per attempt out of the 42 backs with at least 100 carries.
Sadly, Kelley’s inspiring story may come to an end soon.
Washington selected Oklahoma running back Samaje Perine in the fourth round of the draft this year, and it’s entirely likely that the 5’11”, 233-pound Perine is an upgrade over the 6’0”, 228-pound Kelley. Perine is not only an accomplished short-yardage grinder, he’s got strong hands and crisp routes in the receiving game. Kelley might be gritty, but Perine’s polish should push him to the top of the depth chart.