Tyler Badie Scouting Report: Fantasy analysis on 2022 NFL Draft prospect

As one NFL season ends, the next is set to begin with the NFL Draft on the horizon. In our latest installment of scouting reports to help guide your fantasy football team, we look at Missouri Tigers RB Tyler Badie. What are Badie’s strengths and weaknesses, which teams could be potential landing spots for him, and what is Badie’s fantasy outlook?

Tyler Badie NFL Draft Profile

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

Tyler Badie’s fantasy football scouting report

At a shade under 5’8″, Badie will not win anyone over with power like Kenneth Walker III or Brian Robinson Jr. However, there is most certainly a role for him in the modern NFL. With more and more fantasy leagues going to a full PPR scoring format, Badie will find the majority of his fantasy value in the passing game.

He is at his best when in space. While at Missouri, Badie exhibited both speed and short-area burst. He left the Tigers as their single-season rushing record holder, gaining 1,612 yards on 268 carries with 14 touchdowns. He is the first running back since Jonathan Taylor to record five games of 200-plus rushing yards in a single season and did so behind a rather shaky offensive line. Badie also led the Power Five in carries.

With a projected 4.4 40-yard dash, he showed everything you want out of a running back. It’s why he was named a second-team All-American and first-team All-SEC by Pro Football Network. Badie then went to the Senior Bowl and was in a back-and-forth with Dameon Pierce as the best RBs during practices.

Now, those rushing stats are impressive. However, the NFL is a different beast entirely. If the league sees you as more of a receiving or complementary style RB, it’s hard to get rid of that narrative, regardless of your college production. Badie has the chops as a passing-down back, so it would not be surprising if that were his role given his scouting report.

Badie has the skills to be a receiving back in the NFL

Badie hauled in 28 or more catches in three straight years and capped off his career with 54 receptions for 330 yards and 4 touchdowns. At the Senior Bowl, he was the most comfortable back when operating in the screen game. He has quick feet and NFL-caliber vision. Yet, his best traits are his speed, burst, agility in the open field, and receiving capabilities.

This is why I feel Badie’s role in the NFL will be as a complementary back. Draft capital will be against him as a likely Day 3 pick, but Badie also might be one of the best-kept secrets, as stated by PFN’s Senior Draft Director Cam Mellor. If you are in dynasty fantasy leagues, taking a swing on Badie in the early third round makes a ton of sense given his upside as a dart throw.

While I don’t see Badie as a starter, there is a role for him in the modern NFL. Just be willing to sell him for a decent return after his first big game when the hype is high.

Potential landing spots for Badie

With the NFL Draft closing in, which teams make the most sense for Badie as projected landing spots? Based on Badie’s scouting report, fantasy managers should keep their eye on these franchises come draft day.

Houston Texans

Houston is a team in need of a complete overhaul, and that includes the backfield. At 3.4 yards per carry, they should have just stuck with Davis Mills and threw on 100% of their plays. David Johnson is a shell of himself, yet the Texans put him in a committee with Rex Burkhead, Phillip Lindsay, and Mark Ingram to steady the ship.

Of those RBs, Johnson is a free agent in 2022. Both Ingram and Lindsay are already gone, leaving only Burkhead on the roster.

I absolutely see the Texans going after RBs in both free agency and the draft. Rounding out a committee with Badie makes a ton of sense from an X’s and O’s standpoint. Houston may also be the best place for Badie to break through as their depth chart is anything but locked down at the RB position.

Houston can use Badie in space or on passing downs as they’ll likely be playing from behind once again. For fantasy, I do not hate this landing spot at all, especially with Lovie Smith now the head coach.

Baltimore Ravens

Yes, I know the Ravens have a stable full of running backs. Yet, they are all coming off season-ending injuries. J.K. Dobbins tore his ACL, as did Gus Edwards. Baltimore needs depth. Also, this is a team that loves to deploy a committee approach, and they could use a pass-catching back.

Badie would be a security blanket for the Ravens as they work Dobbins and Edwards back into the fold. By no means would I say Badie will take their jobs, but he would compete with Edwards for a closer to 50/50 snap split than some might think. Add in the scheme and Baltimore being an AFC contender with a superstar at QB in Lamar Jackson, and if the Ravens are Badie’s landing spot, he could be one of the best values on draft day.

New England Patriots

No team has drafted more players from the Senior Bowl than the Patriots. Also, no team has frustrated fantasy managers more than New England. They have a 1-2 punch with Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson. However, they lack a receiving back. This was always James White’s role, but he is coming back from an ACL tear and is scheduled to become a free agent.

Few teams, if any, have utilized RBs better in the passing game than New England, including splitting them out into the slot or throwing to them out of the backfield. White himself has multiple seasons as an RB2 for fantasy solely based on receiving utilization. Badie would have an uncontested role for third downs on a team that would know how to use him. As a landing spot, this makes too much sense.