Nyheim Hines

Hines is in a tough spot. Typecast as a passing-down back when he was drafted out of North Carolina State in 2018, he has improved his yards per carry every season and averaged an impressive 4.9 YPC last year while also remaining a threat as a receiver. Hines also has yet to miss a game in his career, making him both reliable and dangerous, a combination every team in the league would love to have in its backfield. Unfortunately, Hines is stuck behind Jonathan Taylor, who broke out in his second season and won the rushing title by a mile. The Colts seem to realize Hines' value, and coach Frank Reich spoke more than once of finding ways to get the ball into his hands more often last year, but that's easier said than done when your starter is getting nearly 400 touches. Hines' best chance at improved numbers might come from a bigger focus on the passing game in general after the team traded for Matt Ryan this offseason, but that still means minimal upside as long as Taylor stays healthy.

The Colts' selection of Jonathan Taylor didn't prevent Hines from shining in 2020, as the third-year scatback posted career highs in rushing yards, receiving yards and total touchdowns while helping to break in the new guy in the backfield. Marlon Mack's season-ending injury played its part in boosting Hines' touch volume, but his passing-down role was never in jeopardy and the addition of Philip Rivers under center put extra emphasis on his ability to turn swing passes and wheel routes into big gains. For all that went right for Hines last year, he still fell short of 1,000 scrimmage yards, and most of those advantages will be gone in 2021. Mack is healthy and returning to the mix, Taylor has a year of experience under his belt and showed flashes of three-down ability as a rookie and Rivers is now retired and replaced by a quarterback (Carson Wentz) who figures to throw fewer dump-offs. Hines is still one of the most dangerous receivers in the league out of the backfield thanks to his elite speed (4.38 40) and reliable hands (seven drops on 215 career targets), but last year's production might have been his ceiling.

Hines' production took a step backward last season as the transition from Andrew Luck to Jacoby Brissett at quarterback predictably had an impact on the Colts' ability to move the ball. The team attempted 131 fewer passes than it had the year before, with Hines seeing 23 fewer targets, and while his overall efficiency with those looks was comparable, he dropped five passes. When everything is clicking in Frank Reich's offense, Hines can use his 4.38 track-star speed to do damage in the open field, but his lack of size (5-9, 196) and/or vision limits his utility as a runner and prevents him from taking advantage of the elite offensive line he works behind. As a result, he didn't get many snaps outside of obvious passing downs in his first two seasons. The good news is that a similar role could bring bigger rewards this year, considering QB Philip Rivers turned a parade of Chargers scatbacks into useful fantasy players the last decade. 2020 second-round pick Jonathan Taylor could wind up claiming a bell-cow role in time, but as a rookie he's a bigger threat to Marlon Mack's spot on early downs.

Hines put together a solid rookie campaign as Andrew Luck's favorite outlet option, tying for seventh among RBs in targets and eighth in receptions. The NC State product has outstanding speed in the open field (he ran track in college and could have competed for a spot on the Olympic team had he stuck with it instead of concentrating on football) and busted out a 4.38 40-yard dash at the combine last year. That background, and the fact he did not become a full-time running back until his junior year, also limits the damage Hines can do with his speed. He lacks vision and doesn't have a good feel for when to attack holes and when to let them develop, which is why he managed only 3.7 YPC despite working behind an elite offensive line last season. His stature (5-8, 198) also becomes an issue when he's a ballcarrier, so he's not likely to see an expanded role on the ground. The Colts added Spencer Ware and Charcandrick West as insurance, but Hines' work on passing downs should keep him involved behind Marlon Mack in an offense that may be more cautious with Jacoby Brissett replacing Luck at quarterback.

It's a bit of a cliche that the NFL is a "copycat" league, but there's still plenty of truth in the cliche. Alvin Kamara's success in New Orleans is going to spawn a host of imitators as offensive coordinators look to create mismatches in the passing game, and Hines might be among the first wave of Kamara wannabes after busting out a 4.38 40-yard dash at the combine and being drafted in the fourth round by the Colts. Like Kamara, Hines showed plenty of big-play ability in college, ripping off four touchdown runs of 48 yards or more in his final season at NC State, but unlike the Saints' star Hines doesn't have the frame to handle extensive work between the tackles. He also lacks Kamara's electric quickness and runs into more contact than he should, potentially leaving him susceptible to injury in the pros. Hines joins a crowded backfield that lacks an established No. 1, so if he stands out in camp he could take on a larger workload than expected, but more likely he'll slot in as the passing-down back behind Marlon Mack, with his production dependent as much on Andrew Luck's health as his own.