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DRAFT PICK: 4th Round (#127 Overall Pick)
TEAM: Philadelphia Eagles
ROOKIE DRAFT ANALYSIS: After posting 3,350 yards from scrimmage and 33 touchdowns in three seasons at Clemson, Will Shipley was selected with the No. 127 overall pick (fourth round) by the Philadelphia Eagles. He obviously wasn't selected to be the primary back for the team that just signed Saquon Barkley to a generous three-year deal, but he should compete with Kenneth Gainwell for the backup role in 2024.
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Since Barkley's 2018 rookie season, he has missed an average of 4.8 games over the next five years. He has also failed to average greater than 4.4 yards per carry in a single campaign since 2019. Ultimately, the 27-year-old has one of the highest probabilities among running backs to miss a handful of games, and his efficiency has declined since his early years in the NFL.
Enter Shipley, a fresh 21-year-old back with 4.42 speed and a 9.6% college target share. The Eagles probably wouldn't have drafted him if he wasn't going to be given a legitimate shot at the RB2 role, so his chances to play meaningful snaps as a rookie are high.
Will Shipley HURDLES A MAN 😳@ClemsonFB | #ACCFootball
📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/1rOeJHBwyZ
— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) November 12, 2022
Playing alongside dual-threat QB Jalen Hurts and behind a strong Philly offensive line makes life easy on running backs, setting up Shipley for at least low-end RB2 projections if he becomes a short-term starter. Even if new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore opts to use a committee approach of Shipley and Gainwell in the case of a Barkley injury, Shipley would be viewed as a deep-league FLEX option. With the high injury rate at the position, stashing backups with his profile is key to fantasy success.
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