Tyler Badie, Missouri RB | NFL Draft Scouting Report

Sure, running backs don’t matter. But it’s a fun position to scout regardless. Each running back room in the NFL boasts a variety of different flavors. It’s a lot like a puzzle, and if you can get the right types, you can devastate defenses with a barrage of different looks and concepts. Subsequently, Missouri RB Tyler Badie has a lot of appeal as an NFL Draft prospect with his scouting report.

Tyler Badie NFL Draft Profile

• Position: Running Back
• School: Missouri
• Current Year: Senior
• Height: 5’7 3/4″
• Weight: 199 pounds
• Wingspan: 72″
• Length: 29 7/8″
• Hand: 9 1/8″

Tyler Badie Scouting Report

In the modern NFL, dynamic backs who provide value on passing downs are becoming more and more important. These backs won’t always carry a workhorse’s load, but they undoubtedly have a purpose in NFL offenses, and they can help maximize efficiency.

There are quite a few candidates to fill that archetype in the 2022 NFL Draft, but one of the strongest qualifiers might be Badie. He may be a bit smaller, but as his scouting report shows, he has most, if not all, of the tools to be an impact player on Sundays.

Badie’s athletic profile

Badie isn’t an overwhelming size threat at running back. At the Senior Bowl, he measured in around 5’8″ and 200 pounds. Nevertheless, there are some hidden positives that come with that profile. And athletically, he has the skills that are conducive to dynamic production.

Badie has great short-area burst, high-end lateral agility, and solid change-of-direction ability. He can levy brisk cuts, evade tackles, stack quick cuts, and swim through crowds. On some of his cuts, Badie shows off insane ankle flexibility. He can pinch acute angles, explode forward, and lean while accelerating upfield. The Missouri RB has great twitch and a jittery energy. He throws defenders into lurches with sudden motions.

Badie’s long-track explosiveness might be even better than his short-area burst. He can extend space with linear speed. When he has a runway forward, he gears up quickly and stretches the field, making him hard to catch. He may have 4.4 speed to go with his burst and agility.

On top of his athleticism, Badie has underrated density and contact balance. He bounces off tackles from DBs with his compact build and center of gravity, and he can also slip through arm tackles and keep his balance. He’s a slippery runner in the open field, energetic, and keeps his legs churning through contact.

Execution beyond the physical traits

Badie’s athletic foundation is enticing, but there’s a lot more to like with his style of play. Most notably, Badie brings immense value on passing downs. He has good receiving ability out of the backfield. The Missouri RB catches the ball in stride and transitions to yards-after-catch mode.

Badie can run routes out of the backfield, extend at the catch point with solid body control, and guide the ball in with his hands. Moreover, he’s dangerous on screens. The Missouri RB follows blocks with stellar feel and vision. Going further, Badie’s vision shows up in the backfield. While it’s not elite, the Missouri RB can cut upfield decisively and pierce through vertical lanes. He’s a shifty runner who can sneak through small seams and glean out extra yards.

Additionally, Badie flashes instincts in congestion. He shrinks through closing holes and navigates through the second level. He’s very controlled amidst chaos, but once he gets into space, Badie drives forward and finishes runs with physicality and authority.

As a mover, Badie can sink his hips on cuts and surge out of transitions with great momentum. He’s also able to adjust his stride lengths and chop his feet on direction changes. By doing this, he can displace defenders and manipulate space for himself.

Areas for improvement

There aren’t many things to nitpick with Badie, but like all others, he’s not a perfect prospect. The Missouri RB can sometimes be indecisive in tight areas. He can’t always break away when encountering early resistance, and he sometimes lingers in the backfield trying to be too creative.

On the flip side, Badie sometimes goes on auto-pilot moving forward into congestion and passes up open cutback lanes on the outside. The Missouri RB needs to be more patient, as he doesn’t always choose optimal lanes in zone.

While Badie has good density for his height, he’s a smaller runner who lacks elite power. While he has some contact balance, Badie’s not consistently bowling over defenders. He can’t always withstand direct contact, and his size limits him as a pass blocker. He has the want-to but doesn’t always hold up.

Among other things, Badie’s hips can be a little tight. The Missouri RB can struggle to create when holes close up. He occasionally has to gather himself and re-align with lanes. Badie doesn’t always plant and go and can be more sudden. Additionally, while he’s a good receiver, there are some inconsistencies to note. He sometimes loses track of the ball and is prone to occasional drops.

Badie’s 2022 NFL Draft scouting report overview

Badie lingers around the 200-pound mark, which is great density for a 5’8″ running back. That density shows up as a clear positive on tape, along with many other physical traits.

Badie is explosive, jittery, and agile in open space. He also has great straight-line acceleration and can reach high speeds. On top of that, Badie bounces off of smaller defenders and shrugs off arm tackles when he’s built up momentum.

Badie has a lot of high-quality traits when it comes to creating yardage, and he’s a great receiver out of the backfield. He can run routes or take dump-off screens for big gains. He can also track the ball and guide it with his hands. There are occasional drops, but already, Badie provides a lot of receiving utility.

Badie has strong instincts, even though he may not be an elite natural creator. His vision and patience behind the line could improve, and with his size, he’s never going to be an absolute bulldozer.

Nevertheless, there’s a clear role for Badie in the NFL. His strong showing at the Senior Bowl only emphasized that truth. Given his ability to explode through the second level, manipulate space, and extend runs, Badie can be a dynamic receiving back.

If someone likes him enough, Badie could be a late-Day 2 pick. But anywhere in the middle rounds, he’s a strong value addition with exciting upside.

Badie’s Player Profile

Going back to high school, Badie’s dynamic ability has always been difficult to deal with. As a senior at Briarcrest Christian High School, Badie put up 193 carries for 1,186 yards and 18 touchdowns. That production isn’t surprising when you see his testing numbers. Badie ran a 4.46 40-yard dash at the time and had a 35-inch vertical jump on record.

A diluting factor in Badie’s evaluation, however, was his size. At the time, Badie was under 170 pounds, and few teams were sold on his potential. Badie still earned a three-star recruit billing and had scholarship offers from Memphis, Navy, and Air Force.

Badie could’ve been the next Kenneth Gainwell, but another Tigers team called to him, instead. That team was Missouri. When Missouri showed interest, Badie jumped at the chance to play in the SEC.

Badie’s career at Missouri

There’s no use drawing it out. Badie was absolutely dynamic by the end of his career at Missouri. He spent three years largely playing a rotational role behind current Chargers running back Larry Rountree III. But once Rountree left for the NFL in 2021, it was Badie’s time to shine — and time for everyone else to break out the sunglasses.

Badie shined bright in 2021. The Missouri RB put up monster numbers in his final campaign, logging 268 carries for 1,612 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also put up 54 catches for 330 yards and 4 scores.

Badie earned first-team All-SEC honors alongside Alabama running back Brian Robinson Jr. Beyond that, Badie also earned the Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Across his career, Badie amassed 513 carries, 2,748 yards, and 23 touchdowns on the ground. Meanwhile, he caught 126 passes for 1,149 yards and 11 touchdowns. There’s not much more Badie could’ve accomplished as he heads off to the 2022 NFL Draft.

Badie’s NFL Draft ascension

Badie sold plenty on his play in 2021, but he only compounded that excitement with a fantastic showing at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Not only was he effective running from the backfield, but he also showed off smooth receiving ability and good vision and elusiveness in the open field.

By now, Badie has separated himself as one of the most dynamic running backs in the 2022 NFL Draft. A top-100 selection is entirely possible. As is often the case with running backs, it just depends on how they’re valued schematically and how teams plan to use them. But that just provides more security for Badie because he can be productive being used in a variety of different ways.