Pierre Strong, Jr. Key Stats:
Running Back, South Dakota State
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 202
His hype videos: some of the best mixtape songs I’ve heard (no more Drake songs please)
RAS: 9.34
Games Watched:
North Dakota State, Sam Houston, Montana State
Positives Scouts Saw:
- Speed and burst, guy is a home run hitter
- Above average hands and vision
- Can take any run the distance
Negatives Scouts Saw:
- Below average contact balance
- High tread on tires (690 college touches)
- Low level of competition
Positives I Saw:
- The dude is 5’11”, 202, with a 4.37 40. WOW
- Consistent level of production
- 20+ catches two years in a row
Negatives I Saw:
- SIX HUNDRED AND NINETY TOUCHES IN COLLEGE
- Durability concerns
- Is he an NFL featured back?
As a Prospect:
Pierre Strong is a struggle to scout since I am just a dude willing to ruin his Youtube recommendations with game tape and I do not have access to real stuff. I watched several full South Dakota State games to get the number of reps I needed to see to tell you that I think Pierre Strong is the real deal. He is a bigger, tackle breaking, one cut RB that has the burst and long speed to transition well to the next level. Strong might not project as a lead back for an NFL team, but I do believe that he will make a roster and will be involved in a team’s rushing attack at the next level. I can see him as a priority day 3 pick that gets some serious looks in training camp.
Fantasy Football Potential: The good news for those drafting now is that Strong is still an incredibly well-kept secret. A team that has degenerates like myself on their scouting team that don’t mind watching multiple 3 hour videos of FCS tape will see that he can be a diamond in the rough. If he’s there in the very late third or fourth round of rookie drafts, I want him to be mine. There’s a chance he’s a decent riser if he gets draft capital come April, but I don’t think he projects to be fantasy relevant in 2022.
Overall: There are sleepers and then there are SLEEPERS. Pierre Strong was the thunder to the SDSU thunder and lightning attack in 2021. He has some of the most electric moves in space of all the players I saw, and while he isn’t going to be a monster at the next level, he is going to be a strong rotational piece that has pop and should be respected. He has the skill to be an important depth piece, which is why I comped him to Michael Turner, who sat behind LT for what seemed like forever before getting his chance in Atlanta. Strong has a high upside as an extremely cheap backup RB, and in a league where RBs are respected less than warehouse workers for Amazon, you know he has a chance to get some burn as teams cycle through cheap assets trying to win a ring on a QBs rookie contract. Let’s hope he makes the most of it.
Pierre Strong Reminds Me Of:
Michael Turner
Grade: 79/100
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