From now until the 2024 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Missouri RB Cody Schrader.
#7 Cody Schrader/RB Missouri – 5084, 202 pounds (Senior)
Senior Bowl
Combine
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Cody Schrader | 5084/202 | 9 1/8 | 28 1/8 | 68 5/8 |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.61 | 1.55 | 4.46* | 7.38* | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 8’10″* | 33 | 20* |
*Pro Day Figures
The Good
– His vision stands out on tape, being able to find the holes
– At the Senior Bowl, his explosive and quick-moving feet stood out from the other backs in their position drills
– Has a good jump cut that can make defenders miss and allows him to hit holes closer to the hip of his linemen
– Plus ball security, two fumbles in two years at Missouri (2022 vs NMSU, 2023 vs Memphis)
– Has experience as a returner at both the high school and college level
– Very often keeps turning his legs and will fall forward to gain an extra yard or two
The Bad
– Pretty undersized for the position. 13th percentile height and 48th percentile weight
– Not used as a receiving threat very often. Only one game with over 15 receiving yards in 2023
– A running back coming into the NFL at 24, turning 25 his rookie year, with a high volume college workload is a concern for his ceiling
– Concern about his top speed. Multiple times in his film, like against LSU, he is caught from behind.
– Lacks the ability to be a great tackle-breaker
Bio
– 24 years old (November 1999)
– 29 games played for Truman State and 26 games played for Missouri
– 3,581 scrimmage yards and 41 total touchdowns for Truman State. 2,700 scrimmage yards and 23 total touchdowns for Missouri, a total of 6,281 career yards and 64 touchdowns
– 1,818 total yards, 14 total touchdowns, and 5.9 yards per carry in 2023
– 2023 quad injury
– Zero-star RB in his 2018 high school class from Saint Louis, MO
– All-around player in high school, totaling 111 touchdowns (three passing) along with 481 total tackles, 14 sacks, five fumble recoveries, and one interception, holds 17 records at Lutheran High School.
– 8th in the 2023 Heisman voting
Tape Breakdown
Making sudden cuts to change running lanes behind the line of scrimmage is one of the most important traits of a running back. As seen in this clip, Schrader’s ability to make this sudden cut from seeing the opening lane and riding his tackle’s hip is why this was a touchdown.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) February 26, 2024
Schrader’s single jump cut from the last clip proves to work in the open space as well. It’s really his only selling point for making a defender miss a tackle on him. Most of the defenders are taken care of on this play by the blocking until Schrader gets to the 47-yard line. That’s when he pulls out his jump cut and isn’t touched again until the final tackle at the 20. His top-end speed is serviceable, as shown here, but nothing to get excited about, as most defensive backs will be able to catch him.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) February 26, 2024
Missouri didn’t ask Schrader to do much blocking on film. Maybe that’s because he’s not very good at it, or maybe it wasn’t in their game plan. I’ll say it was a combination of the two. Schrader does an alright job as a pass-protector. As you see in this clip, he can identify who to pick up and occupies them for as long as he’s required to. However, if you’re looking for someone who excels in this area, you probably want to look elsewhere.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) February 26, 2024
Similar to the last clip, Missouri does a great job at sealing the edge here, along with essentially no defenders being on the left side of the field, which allows Schrader to be untouched until about the two-yard line. As someone who really questions his ability to make people miss and break tackles, seeing the majority of his successful big plays look like this is a bit of a concern.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) February 26, 2024
Schrader’s really solid jump cut shows up once again here against Kentucky, where the slot defensive back attempts to blow up the play but instead gets embarrassed. More plays like these would be great for his stock because it shows he can create plays out of nothing, and that is very valuable to teams. However, unsurprisingly, upon the next contact, Schrader goes down.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) February 26, 2024
Conclusion
Cody Schrader was someone I was very intrigued to watch after seeing him dominate Senior Bowl practice drills. During these drills, it was clear how much quicker Schrader’s feet were and how comfortable he looked doing them. Once the Senior Bowl game started, though, I was pretty disappointed. More specifically, as a rusher, which is where he was supposed to shine. Schrader finished the game with seven carries for 16 yards but an additional five catches for 54 yards. This brings up the question as to why Missouri didn’t really use Schrader as a receiving back. He had one game last year above 15 receiving yards, and in that game, he finished with five catches for 116 yards.
From a traits perspective, he does a good job at holding onto the ball, only losing two fumbles on his last 487 touches for Missouri. He obviously has that jump cut that seems to be his go-to move and has flashed a bit of a stiff-arm, but that’s about it for his ability to make guys miss or break tackles. His size and age will prohibit him from having an elite ceiling at the professional level just due to the way the game is, but he can definitely be a solid rotational back for the next few years. I think he has the ability to be an Austin Ekeler guy in the NFL if a team allows him to be used more in the receiving game.
Projection: Early-Mid Day 3
Depot Draft Grade: 7.1 – Rotational Player (Fourth Round)
Games Watched: LSU (2023), Georgia (2023), Kentucky (2023), Senior Bowl (2023)
