Mekhi Sargent sees significant workload in Week 1 NFL preseason

Tennessee Titans running back Mekhi Sargent saw a fairly heavy workload in a 23-3 victory on Friday night over the Atlanta Falcons. An undrafted free agent from the Iowa Hawkeyes, Sargent had a prime opportunity to make an impression on the coaching staff as he battles for a spot in the running back depth chart.

Stats

Sargent touched the ball 17 times in his professional football debut. He finished with 16 carries for 58 yards for an average of 3.6 yards per carry. Sargent also caught one ball for six yards on his lone target.

Analysis

Obviously, nobody is going to see anywhere near this number of carries if this was a regular season game with Derrick Henry in the backfield. Brian Hill saw 12 carries for 43 yards, Darrynton Evans had four carries for 26 yards before leaving with an injury, and Jeremy McNichols carried the ball twice for seven yards. The number of carries Sargent received could be a result of the coaching staff wanting to get a good look at Sargent.

Fantasy implications

If Henry stays healthy all season, there is zero value for another Titans’ running back. With an injury, there is a bit of a battle behind him to be the next man up. Brian Hill is coming off a career year with the Falcons, and Darrynton Evans is another option. Sargent is not worth a pick in fantasy drafts, and Evans is likely the top back outside of Henry to be selected.