Kiero Small could be starter for Seahawks in 2014
His name is Kiero Small, but the former Arkansas fullback is anything but.
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In fact, he is something like a walking bowling ball that most defenders would like nothing to do with.
Small stands 5-foot-8, but weighs a whopping 244 pounds and, trust me, that’s 244 pounds of pure muscle.
The Seahawks picked him up in the 2014 NFL Draft, with the 12th pick in the final round — and they might have landed a real steal.
Small is a physical beast who, despite his height disadvantage, is not afraid to run defenders over when he has the ball, or pancake them when he doesn’t.
He also has a pretty sweet cutback move up his sleeve, which he performed against Florida:
At Arkansas, he was the lead blocker for Alex Collins, who rushed for 1,026 yards in 2013, and Jonathan Williams, who racked up 900 yards on the ground the same year.
How was Small so effective blocking for a team that finished 21st in the nation averaging more than 208 rushing yards per game?
For one thing, he doesn’t stop using his legs.
He is always moving around, with his head on a swivel, looking for someone to hit.
Here he is against South Carolina:
And when he has the ball in his hands, he does the same thing, running through tackles rather than falling down in front of them.
Take a look at what happened when Alabama DB Bradley Sylve tried tackling Small in the open field last season:
The Seahawks main full back in recent years has been Michael Robinson, but he may not return to play in the NFL next season, especially if the Seahawks can’t work out a contract with the veteran.
That leaves Derrick Coleman and Spencer Ware as the only other true full backs on the roster.
Small will have to work hard to start next season, but he has a better chance than some people think.
In fact, of all the Seahawks draft picks, he is probably alongside Justin Britt in having the best chance to start for Seattle come Sept. 4.
Training camp is just around the corner. Now it’s time to see which rookies will make an impact right away.