Duane Rankin

Montgomery Advertiser

Isaiah Crowell has talent worthy of a draft pick, but will enter the NFL as a free agent with the Cleveland Browns.

So why wasn't he picked?

Even though his gun charges were dropped from when he was at Georgia, it's hard for an NFL team to justify drafting a player who had that kind of brush with the law.

Crowell was dismissed from the team and landed at Alabama State.

When you have that hanging over your head, you have to be a dominant player for a team to look past that and draft you. He had dominant moments at Alabama State, but not a dominant career.

Crowell rushed for 1,923 yards and 30 touchdowns in his two years at Alabama State. Looks good, but Crowell was a top-five recruit coming out of high school and earned SEC freshman of the year honors.

So expectations were high and Crowell needed to run wild at the Division I-AA level to have NFL teams look past his past. He battled injuries, but also took himself out of games at times that led to less production.

Plus the running back position in the NFL has been devalued. It's a pass-friendly league. Teams believe that can get a solid one in the mid-to-late rounds.

So he joins the Browns where former Auburn running back Ben Tate is expected to start. Crowell can make this roster and would be an ideal third-down back because of his explosiveness. Has to improve his hands, but him in the same backfield with dual-threat quarterback Johnny Manziel has intrigue.



Crowell's route to the NFL has had many bumps, but this is where he should be. He's talented enough to make a living carrying the football. Now it's just a matter of showing it.