Camerun Peoples, RB Appalachian State: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Peoples was a two-star recruit from Clay Central High School in Clay County, Ala. in the class of 2018

The Appalachian State Mountaineers have produced four NFL Draft selections in the past three years. Both of the team’s current running backs, Nate Noel and Camerun Peoples, have a chance to continue the streak by earning spots in the 2023 NFL Draft. Today, we’ll examine Peoples’ prospect profile.

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Camerun Peoples, RB Appalachian State: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt junior running back from Lineville, Ala.

Background: Peoples was a two-star recruit from Clay Central High School in Clay County, Ala. in the class of 2018. He was an unranked two-star recruit for Rivals and a three-star recruit for On3.com. Peoples didn’t receive a ranking on the 247Sports composite board, but he was a two-star recruit for the outlet, ranking 229th among running backs in his class (one spot below former BYU back Tyler Allgeier). Peoples didn’t receive a ranking or grade from ESPN. As a high school senior, he produced 2,082 all-purpose yards, including 230 carries for 1,672 yards and 21 touchdowns. Peoples also scored on kick and punt returns. He was born on Sept. 14, 1999.

2021 Production: 12 games, 166 carries, 926 yards, 14 touchdowns

2020 Production: 11 games, 168 carries, 1,124 yards, 12 touchdowns

2019 Production: 1 game, 3 carries, 23 yards

2018 Production: 3 games, 17 carries, 164 yards, 2 touchdowns (Redshirt Year)

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed 13 games in 2019 with a torn ACL, missed one game in 2020, missed two games in 2021

Awards: 2020 Second-Team All-Sun Belt, 2020 Myrtle Beach Bowl MVP, 2021 Second-Team All-Sun Belt

Pros: Cut fumble total in half from 2020 to 2021, never drawn a penalty in college, averaging over four yards after contact for his career, physical, pile-moving running back, finishes falling forward, play strength helps him break arm tackles, will lower his shoulder in the hole and drop the defender, does a decent job staying square to the defender in pass pro and getting into his pads, active footwork in pass pro, hits the hole with good burst if he’s not hit behind the line of scrimmage, carries 225 lbs. on his frame really well, powerful stiff arm, makes subtle and quick open-field cuts surprisingly well for a player his size, good vision and footwork

Cons: Four fumbles in 2020, little to no experience as a pass catcher even dating back to high school, one drop in 2020 and 2021 despite only four targets both years, no significant special teams experience in college, allowed four pressures on under 100 snaps in pass pro in 2021, lacks burner speed, not an angle eraser, lacks the speed and bend to bounce runs outside consistently, awareness and angles in pass pro leave his QB vulnerable, makes the wrong reads in pass pro, lacks stop-start acceleration, lacks wiggle and suddenness, runs high, limited agility to change directions quickly, lower body contact balance could improve (gets chopped down at the legs often), sometimes will drop his head and whiff on a block

Overview: Peoples is unofficially listed at 6'2", 225 lbs. He’s added roughly 40 lbs. since graduating high school. The Alabama native forced missed tackles on roughly 23.2% of his carries in 2020 and 29.5% of his carries in 2021. About 66% of his rushing yards this past season came after contact. Peoples set or tied the all-time NCAA bowl records for rushing yards (319) and rushing touchdowns (five) during the 2020 Myrtle Beach Bowl against North Texas. He looked quicker and more explosive in 2020 than 2021, which hints that losing weight and playing closer to 215 lbs. could improve his draft projection. Peoples is a physical running back who has no trouble moving piles or lowering his shoulder to crush defenders in the hole. His burst surprises some defensive backs who quickly find themselves trailing Peoples. The redshirt junior has the strength to play through arm tackles, and his stiff arm is highly effective. For a player his size, Peoples executes subtle and quick open-field cuts surprisingly well. He displays excellent vision and footwork, which are foundational parts of his game. However, Peoples offers very little as a true third down back. Even dating back to high school, he wasn’t involved in the passing game. While he shows effort in pass protection, Peoples takes ineffective angles to defenders, and his awareness and recognition as a blocker are rudimentary at best. He’s not a sudden or twitchy player and lacks the agility to move east-to-west quickly. Peoples naturally runs high, which leaves him vulnerable to being chopped down at the legs. He lacks the speed to consistently bounce the play outside.

Overall, Peoples is a physical player with impressive footwork and vision, but he lacks the agility, speed, and passing down skills NFL teams covet in modern running backs. He projects as a late Day 3 pick whose profile only fits a limited role in the NFL.

Role & Scheme Fit: Short yardage back in an inside zone scheme

Round Projection: Early Seventh to UDFA

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 08-27-22