Five Red Raiders That Could Be Drafted In 2019
Running Back Tre King
Perhaps no player on the Texas Tech roster was more of a revelation in 2017 than running back Tre King. The late summer addition to the roster was a virtual unknown until he began to get significant snaps as the season progressed.
By the end of the season, King was the best running back Kliff Kingsbury had on his roster. Now, entering the 2018 season, he could be the feature back in the Texas Tech offense.
What makes Tre King a potential NFL running back is his versatility. The JUCO transfer ran for 623 yards on 131 carries (4.8 yards per carry) while catching 17 balls for 104 yards in 2017.
Versatility is a skill NFL teams covet in running backs. The position has become specialized with few players staying on the field every down. Thus, there is more of a need for a player like Tre King that can be a third-down back capable of carrying the rock or catching the ball out of the backfield.
What could hurt King in the eyes of NFL scouts is a lack of explosive athleticism. King is not a home-run threat and his speed is only average for a running back. King operates best in between the tackles, something that is not as valued in the pass-happy, offensive oriented NFL of today as it was ten or twenty years ago.
The 190-pound back does not have the size to be a feature back in the NFL so he must prove to be capable of bringing something else to NFL teams. Thus, it might behove him to be a special teams contributor this season, especially on the kick coverage units as he does not look to be a kick returner.
Also, Texas Tech is courting another running back named Tre, Cal grad transfer Tre Watson who visited Lubbock for the Texas Tech spring game. Should he be added to the roster, it would likely mean a decline in work for Tre King. Still, Tech has yet to land Watson who is also considering Texas and LSU.
But King can only control what is in front of him and as of right now, he looks to be the starting running back. Should he get the opportunities to be a feature back for Texas Tech, he could parlay that into an opportunity in the NFL in 2019.