Anthony Dixon Scouting Report

One of the most experienced running backs in college football, Dixon has played in all but one game since his arrival at Mississippi State in 2006. He assumed the starting role as a sophomore and really exploded, amassing 1066 yards and 14 touchdowns on 287 rushes in 2007. Dixon did not score as many total touchdowns this year (12) as he did as a sophomore (16), but he still enjoyed his best season at MSU as a senior. He rushed 257 times for 1391 yards (a 15.4 average) and caught 18 passes for 123 yards. Still, Dixon has never been extremely consistent and he often disappears in games, especially against staunch defenses (against Florida and Alabama in 2009, for example). That lack of consistency can be attributed to the fact that Dixon is not the kind of versatile running back who can make opposing defenders miss. He has decent speed (mid-4.5s in the 40-yard-dash), but he has to do most of his damage with his size (6'1' and 235 pounds). Dixon needs to run over people to get his yards, but that can be hard to do when the offensive line is not producing. He can be an effective short-yardage specialist in the NFL, but he does not appear to be an every-down back, especially not in this era in which NFL teams want to use multiple RBs more and more. Dixon did well to return to school for his senior year, and it could pay off in the form of a third-round selection in the 2010 draft.