Roy Helu Scouting Report

Roy Helu spent most of his freshman campaign on the bench. He saw action in seven games and ended up rushing for 209 yards on 45 carries. With Marlon Lucky on the team, Helu was supposed to play second fiddle to the more experienced and proven player ahead of him on the depth chart. While it was Lucky who earned a majority of the starts, Helu outplayed him on the field. Each back carried the ball exactly 125 times in 2008, but Helu out gained his counterpart 803 yards to 517. Helu also reached the end zone seven times and caught 25 passes for 266 yards.

As an upperclassman Helu was the go-to-guy. In 2009 he carried the ball 220 times for 1,147 yards and 10 touchdowns. He even ranked third on the team with 19 receptions. Helu split carries a little more during his senior campaign, but that has not hampered his productivity. Through the regular season and the Big 12 championship game, Helu has rushed for 1,170 yards, becoming the first Nebraska player to rush for over 1,000 yards in back-to-back years since Calvin Jones in 1992 and 1993.

Helu is widely considered a mid-round selection at this point in the process. He is quick and strong enough to endure the rigors of life in the NFL. With a few good workouts, Helu could work his way up into the third round.

3/25 Update: Helu proved at the NFL combine that he has a nice combination of size and speed. He ran the 40-yard-dash in 4.40 seconds and also showed a nice burst of speed. He did not always look great during position drills (which he did again at Nebraska's pro day), but he is a good value in the third or fourth round for a team who needs a versatile back and a kick returner.