Sony Michel's performances in the recent College Football Playoff significantly bolstered his NFL draft prospects, according to longtime ESPN analyst Mel Kiper.
The tailback was spectacular for Georgia against Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day, and he was an effective weapon a week later in the loss to Alabama in the championship game. The 5-foot-11, 222-pounder had 25 combined rushes against the Sooners and Crimson Tide, averaging a staggering 11.2 yards per carry.
"He's a solid second-round pick," Kiper said this past week on a conference call. "He's got that burst outside, the bounce-outside ability, and the inside running ability. He blocks extremely well in pass protection. He catches the ball out of the backfield.
"Sony Michel helped himself late this year. He probably went from a fourth- or fifth-round pick up to a second-round pick."
Kiper has Penn State's Saquon Barkley as the only running back getting selected in the first round.
Michel spent the early stages of his Georgia career in the shadow of classmate Nick Chubb, who rushed for 1,547 yards as a freshman in 2014 compared to just 410 for Michel. An injury to Chubb midway through the 2015 season enabled Michel to step into the starting role and rush for 1,136 yards as a sophomore.
Both running backs ran for more than 1,000 yards this past season, with Chubb amassing 1,345 and Michel 1,227, but Michel had the more impressive stretch run. In the final four games, Michel had 45 carries for 409 yards (9.1 per carry), while Chubb had 57 for 300 (5.3).
Against Alabama, Michel rushed 14 times for 98 yards (7.0), while Chubb's 18 carries netted just 25 (1.4).
"Late in the year, it was Sony Michel who was their key guy," Kiper said. "I think the pass-blocking of Michel is better than Chubb, and I think the versatility overall - being able to run up the gut inside and bounce outside. That dual versatility as a runner is why Sony Michel has moved ahead of Nick Chubb."
Kiper expects the 5-10, 228-pound Chubb to be selected anywhere from the third to fifth round.
CBS lists Michel as its No. 5 running back prospect and Chubb No. 6 behind the quartet of Barkley, LSU's Derrius Guice, Southern Cal's Ronald Jones and Oregon's Royce Freeman. CBS projects Michel and Chubb as second-round picks.
Georgia's tandem wound up combining for 8,382 career rushing yards - Chubb racked up 4,769 and Michel 3,613 - setting an NCAA record for a duo at a school. Michel had 64 career receptions for the Bulldogs, compared to 31 by Chubb.
The first Bulldogs player taken in late April's draft likely will be inside linebacker Roquan Smith, who Kiper projects to go 10th overall to the Oakland Raiders. Michel could be in the mix to be the second Georgia player selected, but Kiper doesn't believe defensive tackle Trenton Thompson will be in that conversation.
Thompson and Smith are Georgia's only early departures to the draft.
"I don't know why guys leave early who aren't first-round picks," Kiper said. "(Thompson) has a chance to be a third-, fourth- or fifth-round pick, but he looked like a first- or second-round pick going into the year. He just didn't have that kind of season."
Georgia had only one player selected in last year's draft. Receiver and return specialist Isaiah McKenzie went in the fifth round to Denver.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.