The Patriots have plenty of depth at running back with Sony Michel, Damien Harris, James White and J.J Taylor. Bill Belichick would like to replace the departed Rex Burkhead and he will do it in this draft.

Javian Hawkins is small in stature but posted big numbers at Louisville rushing for a school record 1,525 yards in 2019.

Hawkins opted out down the stretch last season which could impact his standing with some teams around the league. He doesn’t have a lot of carries on his frame however which should bolster his draft stock.

Here is my s outing report on Javian Hawkins.

Scouting Report

Javian Hawkins, RB, 5-8 190, Louisville

Inside Runner: Patient. Hits the hole hard but runs square and balanced and makes the right cut. Runs hard for his size.

Outside Runner: Shows good patience and allows his offensive line to get a hat on a hat and cover people up. Cuts it hard up the alley and has the explosiveness to get to the second level quickly.

Elusive Runner: Avoids defenders in space. Has the ability to plant, start and stop on a dime. Changes direction in space and makes people space.

Power Runner: Hawkins runs with more power than you think for his size. Runs balanced and is strong with the ball. Has shown the ability to fall forward on short yardage situations.

Blocker: Competes as a blocker but he’s undersized and struggles to block bigger inside linebackers and defensive ends.

Hands/Routes: Hawkins is a weapon in the passing game. Runs good routes and has soft hands. Can create match ups on swing and flat routes and can line up in the slot and run pass plays vertically.

Durability: Durability shouldn’t be an issue. Hawkins doesn’t have a lot of carries on his frame so he can get 15-20 touches per game.

Running Style: Hawkins is a slasher who profiles as a third down back but he can be more than that. He can be a change of pace second back.

Hawkins stylistically is a good fit for the Patriots and if they draft him, he could be a potential replacement for James White down the road.