The 2024 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday, but most of this year’s draft class will get their job offers on Friday and Saturday as the second through seventh rounds take place. With no running backs expected to go in the first round, the RBs will be waiting until the weekend to hear their names called.
Running back Will Shipley spent three years at Clemson and had his best rushing year in 2022. As a true sophomore, he rushed for 1,182 yards and 15 touchdowns. In 2023, he had just 827 yards and five touchdowns but grabbed two receiving scores as well. Shipley will likely be a Day 3 selection, landing somewhere in the fourth or fifth round.
Will Shipley: Scouting Report
Shipley could be put to use on special teams as well as in the offensive backfield. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein breaks down his scouting profile:
Shipley possesses early speed, allowing him to whip through creases and outrun linebackers to the corner. He’s a flexible runner who reads up to the linebackers and curates his runs with a feel for both defensive positioning and run lane development. He can balance through contact but is unlikely to move NFL piles. Shipley does a nice job of setting up opponents from anywhere on the field and has the agility to hop and hurdle over bodies. He’s not a workhorse and still has work to do in order to solidify himself as a third-down option, but the athletic talent and skill level could create an early pathway into a spot as a productive RB2.
Mock Draft landing spots
Shipley will be a later RB pick, making it more challenging to predict who will end up grabbing him. The Chiefs could be looking to add another weapon to back up Isiah Pacheco, a seventh-round pick from just a few years ago who emerged as a starter. The Texans, Raiders, and Browns are a few more potential landing spots getting tossed around for Shipley.
Fantasy football implications
Shipley could be a rotational option this year on any of these teams, but his fantasy ceiling is fairly low, barring injuries above him on the depth chart. Shipley will serve more of a backup role in the backfield in his rookie season and is not expected to be a significant fantasy contributor.