Rookie Scouting Profile: RB Pierre Strong Jr.

Pierre Strong Jr. (RB) South Dakota State

Height	Weight	40-Time	DOB	NFL Draft	Dynasty ADP	NFL Comp
5-11	205	4.37	12/10/1998	4th Round	3.04	Tevin Coleman

College Production

Rushed for 2,248 yards and 30 touchdowns during junior year at John L. McClellan High in Little Rock, Arkansas. As a senior, was named Arkanas’ 5A Offensive Player of the Year and committed to South Dakota State on January 16, 2017. Redshirted first season with Jackrabbits but was named Missouri Valley Football Conference Freshman of the Year after rushing for 1,116 yards (9.5 YPC) and 11 scores in 2018. Earned first of three All-MVFC First Team honors in 2019 after compiling 1,187 total yards and 9 TDs. Named First Team All-American, SDSU MVP, and was a finalist for the Walter Camp Award after breakout 2021 campaign after leading FCS with 1,673 rushing yards and ranking 2nd with 18 touchdowns on the ground.

Strengths

• Superior speed. Led all running backs at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine with a 4.37 40-yard dash and also posted a 95th-percentile 113.5 Speed Score. Had 10 touchdowns from 50-plus yards at SDSU.

• One-cut runner that can burst around the edge and consistently churn out huge gains.

• Plus vision with a good feel for lanes. Knows where defenders are and is able to find gaps at a consistent rate.

• Footwork and balance fit well in a zone scheme, as does his decisiveness on cuts.

• Could stand to add mass to upper body but has the skillset to potentially develop into a three-down option that can also be a factor in short yardage.

Weaknesses

• May open pro career as a change-of-pace option. Will need a lot of pass protection development against strong NFL pass rushers.

• Needs to drop his head and take what is given as opposed to trying to hit the home run, which won’t be as easy in the pros.

• Didn’t break a ton of tackles or create a lot of yards after contact.

• Will turn 24 during the 2022 NFL season.

Fantasy Outlook

Strong was often cited as one of the top mid-round prospects to scout because of his electrifying speed and big-play potential. He has drawn comparisons from Tevin Coleman to Elijah Mitchell as a player that offers a ton of upside but may need some breaks to earn reps early on. That makes Strong a solid target in the latter part of Round 2 of rookie-only drafts, or as a top-50 back to target late in startups.

On The Clock

After his Combine and Pro Day performance, Strong is creeping up dynasty draft boards to the point where he has solidified his status as a top-10 RB in this class but I’d still rather target Kyren Williams or Brian Robinson if all three were available.