STRONG POINTS

Maroney is a very good athlete with the ability to be a strong and dominant runner when he runs aggressively. When he lowers his shoulder, he can punish tacklers and drags them for extra yards -- Keeps feet vs. hard hits and low/grab tackles. He has very good instincts and vision and has the foot quickness to make sharp cuts and gets through the hole fast. He has good hands catching the ball out of the backfield and his combination of athleticism, size, strength and quickness make him a strong and dangerous runner out in the open field.

WEAKNESSES

Maroney does not run aggressively on every snap, which limits his production. When there is no hole he tends to slow up, turns back and goes down easily. Too often he runs upright, does not attack the small hole and does not run aggressively on every carry. When he does not run aggressively, he does not break tackles and struggles to consistently gain yards after contact. He is not an elusive make-you-miss runner. He has a quick burst through the hole, but lacks the explosiveness through the hole and does not have the elite speed to run away from defenses. He is not a consistently productive pass blocker because he does not always step up and pick up blitzers aggressively.

POSITIONAL FACTORS

Grade Category Comments/Description 6.5 Run Instincts Very good natural instincts help him find the hole consistently and he has the quickness to get through the hole fast. 5.0 Elusiveness He has cutting ability to make sharp cuts to avoid tacklers, but is a truly elusive runner. 6.0 Cutback Abilty He sees the backside hole and has the quick burst to get through the hole and into the second level fast. 5.5 Inside Runner Good when there is a hole, but struggles when hole isn't big and does not always attack the line of scrimmage. 6.5 Outside Runner Has quickness and speed to get corner, can make sharp cutback and can run over tacklers on edge. 6.0 Hands - Receiving He catches the ball well out of the backfield and when lined up at receiver. He caught 83 percent of passes. 6.0 Adjust to Ball Has shown hands to adjust to off-target passes and can make tough catches seem easy. 6.5 Runs After Catch His playing strength, athleticism and quick feet make him a dangerous runner after the catch. 4.0 Run Blocker Very little experience as run blocker and inconsistent aggressiveness will hinder his ability as lead blocker. 5.5 Pass Blocker Has instincts, technique and play strength to be good, but needs to pass block aggressively more consistently. 6.0 Durability/Toughness He needs to prove his durability as featured back, but he is without question a tough running back. 6.0 Fumbles/Error He is not a fumbler and does not make any glaring mental errors.

ATHLETIC ABILITY	Section Grade: 6.5
Maroney is a very good athlete, which has helped him be extremely productive during his career at Minnesota. He has the very quick feet to make sharp cuts -- he can avoid tackles in the backside, makes sharp cuts to burst quickly through holes and can bounce runs outside when the middle is clogged up. However, he lacks an explosive burst through the hole and lacks top end playing speed. He gets caught from backside once behind the defense. Despite athleticism, he is not an elusive, make-you-miss runner. He has good natural flexibility to bend his knees, lower his shoulders and deliver a blow to the tackler, but does not consistently run with good body lean -- runs with good lean only when he runs aggressively. He shows athletic versatility by lining up out at receiver and has the hands and coordination to catch the ball consistently well out of the backfield.
Q.A.B. Quick Feet C.O.D. Flexibility Coordination 6.5 6.5 6.0 6.0 6.5

COMPETITIVENESS	Section Grade: 6.0
Maroney has shown very good toughness playing through pain during his career, but he does not run with an aggressive, tough attitude on a consistent basis. He has shown the ability to make big plays in important situations, but he does not consistently attack the line of scrimmage if there is no hole, which limits his production on important short yardage plays. His overall production has been very good -- despite splitting carries with Barber his first two years. He finished his career at Minnesota as the first running back with three straight 1,000 yard seasons. Despite his production at Minnesota, he is not a consistently dominant runner -- does not attack line of scrimmage if there is no clear hole and does not always lower shoulders to run aggressively. He has been a good team player who has played in a rotating back system through most of his career at Minnesota, but has not complained. He is generally a very competitive runner who fights and competes hard for extra yards, but at times when there is not a hole he will get upright, turns back toward the line of scrimmage and goes down easy.
Toughness Clutch Play Production Consistency Team Player Pride/Quit 6.0 6.0 6.5 5.5 6.0 6.0

MENTAL ALERTNESS	Section Grade: 6.0
Maroney is a smart football player -- he's productive lining up out at receiver and could adjust and pick up pass rushers consistently well. He has very good instincts running with the ball and his foot quickness gives him the ability to make sharp cuts and get through the hole quickly. He can bounce runs to outside when the middle is clogged up and has the speed to get the corner. He generally plays with a very high level of concentration, but he does not always run aggressively -- tends to run upright, does not lower his shoulders or attack the line of scrimmage if there is no hole.
Learn/Retain Instincts/Reactions Concentration 6.5 6.5 6.0

STRENGTH/EXPLOSION	Section Grade: 6.0
Maroney has very good size for a running back, but he does not always play up to his natural size. He has been a durable player in terms of staying healthy and in the lineup, but his ability to be a durable 25-plus carry per game running back in the NFL is a question because he often rotated with another back and did not get a ton of carries on a consistent basis. He has very quick feet and can burst quickly through the hole, but he does not have a real explosive burst to shoot through the hole and get behind the defense in a flash. He has very good natural strength and when he runs aggressively he delivers a hard blow to the tackler, drives defenders backward and drags tacklers for extra yards. The trouble is that if there is no hole and he does not get some space to get up to full speed before contact he tends to stay running upright and gets tackled too easily.
Body Type Durability Explosion Play Strength 6.5 5.5 5.5 6.0