Prospect Bio

At McClellan High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, Pierre Strong combined for 4,268 rushing yards and 57 touchdowns over his last two seasons. It wasn’t enough to garner attention from recruiters, though. As an unranked recruit, Strong received just one offer which came from South Dakota State. After redshirting his freshman season, Strong led the Jackrabbits in rushing with 1,116 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2018. He was named the MVFC Freshman of the Year. The following season, he became the seventh player in the school’s history to have a 1,000-yard rushing season in back-to-back years. He finished with 1,018 yards and eight touchdowns on 143 carries. He added 14 receptions for 169 yards and another score. In 2020, Strong rushed for 707 yards and three touchdowns on 131 carries while hauling in 21 receptions for 197 yards and one touchdown. He received all-America and all-conference honors.

Strong had his best season in 2021. He ran 240 times for 1,673 yards and 28 touchdowns. He was extremely explosive with nearly 20-percent of his carries going for more than 10 yards and half of his yardage coming on runs of 15-yards or more. He also set a career-high for receptions with 21 which he took for 150 yards. He was named FCS All-American and first-team all-MVFC. 

Strong has crushed the pre-draft process with a 65-yard receiving touchdown at the Shrine Bowl which he followed up by running the fastest 40-time (4.37) among the running backs at the NFL Combine. 

College Stats

Pierre Strong College Stats Courtesy of ESPN

Positives

+Speed; 4.37 40-time

+113.5 (95th-percentile, PlayerProfiler.com) Speed Score 

+123.5 (75th-percentile, PlayerProfiler) Burst Score 

+Home-run threat; 10 career rushing TDs of 50-plus yards

+Vision

+16.1% reception share 

+1.92 yards per team play

+5 career TD passes

Negatives

-Inconsistent elusiveness 

-Level of competition 

-Occasionally indecisive

Highlight Reel

Comparable Player: Tevin Coleman

NFL Draft Projection: Fourth Round

Yards Per-Formance Grade: 70.2

Bottom Line:

It seems like every draft season we have a running back come out of almost nowhere and rocket up draft boards. In 2022, that guy is Pierre Strong. Strong put himself on the radar with his speedy 4.37 40-time at the NFL Combine. With that performance, Strong likely took himself from undrafted free agent to early Day 3 pick. That will make him a legitimate selection in dynasty rookie drafts. If he goes in round four or five, he’ll be a priority third round rookie pick with a chance to slide into the back-end of round two. Even if he goes in the sixth or seventh, he should be considered among a small group of backs who have a chance to become this year’s Elijah Mitchell or James Robinson. Strong has a good receiving profile to go with his impressive athleticism and requisite size. As a runner, he’s best when he makes an early cut up field and gets north and south. He’ll be a committee back or depth guy early on but, like Mitchell and Robinson, he could be just an injury away from getting a significant opportunity. That may be all it takes for his career, and dynasty value, to take off.

Post Draft Analysis:

The Patriots broke our hearts when they drafted Pierre Strong Jr. in the fourth round. We were hoping he’d land in a spot where he could use his all-purpose skill set. Instead, he steps into a running back room that already consists of Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson, James White, and fellow rookie Kevin Harris. It may be a while before we hear from Strong.

Resources: DLF, PlayerProfiler, PFN, PFF, TDN

Yards Per-Formance Prospect Grade