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2015 NFL Combine Preview: Auburn Running Back Cameron Artis-Payne

By Nicholas Ian Allen

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The 2015 NFL Combine begins this week in Indianapolis, and running back Cameron Artis-Payne is one of seven Auburn football players that will participate in the event.

What Did Cameron Artis-Payne Do at Auburn?

Following a stint in junior college, Cameron Artis-Payne rushed for an impressive 610 yards and six touchdowns on just 91 attempts (6.7 yards per carry) as a backup to Tre Mason in 2013 and entered the 2014 season listed as the co-starter at running back with fellow senior Corey Grant.

Jan 1, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Auburn Tigers running back Cameron Artis-Payne (44) runs with the ball against the Wisconsin Badgers during the second half in the 2015 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. Wisconsin Badgers defeated the Auburn Tigers 34-31 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

However, Artis-Payne earned the start in the season opener against Arkansas, and with 177 yards established himself as the Tigers’ primary ball carrier. He set a career-high in Week 2 with three touchdowns against San Jose State and racked up a personal best 221 yards on the ground against Texas A&M.

Once all was said and done, the 5-foot-11, 210-pound running back not only led the SEC in rushing yards, he became the third leading single-season rusher in Auburn football history. Only Mason – a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2013 – and 1985 Heisman winner Bo Jackson gained more.

With 126 rushing yards and two touchdowns against Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl, Artis-Payne broke the century mark for the ninth time in 2014 and eleventh in his career. The performance pushed his 2014 total to 1,608 yards and 13 scores on a workman-like 303 carries.

Despite playing only two seasons at Auburn and only one as the starter at running back, Artis-Payne now ranks 14th on the school’s career rushing list with 2,218 yards.

What is His Current Draft Stock?

Despite his big numbers in 2014, there are questions about how well Cameron Artis-Payne will develop as a pro. NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock shared his scouting report during a Monday teleconference, and why he sees the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania native as a fourth round pick.

“Quick feet, strong kid, upper body,” Mayock said. “The only thing I don’t like is that he goes down a little too easily with (tacklers) around his legs.”

Artis-Payne doesn’t have elite, home run speed and though he’s a strong runner, he isn’t a big, bruising back either. Instead, he’s lumped in with about ten others jockeying for position behind potential first rounders Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon.

“Cameron Artis-Payne, just because he’s a running back, is going to be a late-round pick,” ESPN analyst Mel Kiper said in December, “but obviously has a lot of ability. He’s going to play in this league.”

Of course, even if he falls into the fourth or fifth round, the 24-year-old bring a mature understanding as well as confidence in his abilities.

“Running backs can make it from all over, but at the end of the day you can’t tell me no one cares about where they go,” Artis-Payne said in January. “I obviously want to go as high as you possibly can but at the end of the day once you get there, you’re there. It’s about sticking and having success.”

What Can He Improve?

For most running backs, the hay is in the barn come pro day or the NFL Combine. However, if Artis-Payne can put up a surprising number in the 40-yard dash or shuttle drill to show he’s faster and more explosive than people thought, he’ll rise.

However, because he relies on vision as a runner and doesn’t possess any one dynamic quality, mediocre times will probably cause him to fall deep into Day 3.

NFL Combine Objective

Simply, Cameron Artis-Payne needs to do something to separate himself from the plethora of running backs projected to be selected between the third and seventh rounds of the draft.

“It’s important to see how he works out in comparison to his peers this week, because there are a bunch of guys that are kind of jumbled together in third, fourth, fifth-round range,” Mayock said. “I think some of those guys will kind of distinguish themselves this week.”

To improve his chances of being drafted on Day 2, Artis-Payne needs to distinguish himself this week.

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