According to the Chinese, 2024 was the Year of the Dragon. Over in America, though, it was the year of the running back. Across both the NFL and college football, the fading position has been resuscitated back into vogue. The game’s evolution towards more passing-centric offenses was putting a lid on even the best RBs. Preventing the full extent of their talent from bubbling over. However, things changed last season. In the NFL, the likes of Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry epitomized this return to prominence for tailbacks. A step down in CFB, Cam Skattebo made people sit up and take notice when he led his ASU team to the Big 12 Championship and a near-upset win in the Peach Bowl over Texas. Something that helped raise his draft stock. However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. This running back renaissance is a bit of a double-edged sword.

The NFL Draft isn’t necessarily a meritocracy. It is not an exact rundown of the players from best to worst. The big boards that rank the prospects on pure skill, regardless of position, don’t match with the actual draft order. Quarterbacks get bumped up, for instance, and understandably. That’s the centerpiece of your franchise, the crown jewel. Even if, say, a running back is perceived to be better than the entire class, their name may not get called in accordance with their talent. This is something Cam Skattebo, who finished 5th in the Heisman last season, is going to deal with. RBs aren’t usually early-round picks given their relatively shorter shelf lives and the game’s evolution towards a passing game, rendering them a little bit less important. Additionally, there’s one more issue for Skattebo. Something that’s led to one analyst predicting him to fall to Day 3.

The draft is an exercise of supply vs. demand. Take that aforementioned example about quarterbacks. This year’s QB class is relatively weak, so there’s not enough high-quality supply to meet the number of teams that are in need of a QB. This has led to Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, the two consensus best ones, having their stock swell a little. For Cam Skattebo and the running back class, though, it’s the inverse. The 2025 draft is stacked to the brim with talent in that position. Supply is exceeding demand. This means Skattebo is facing a reality where even though he’d warrant getting picked higher, he may fall to Round 4 or beyond. Guesting over the PHNX Sports YouTube channel, NFL analyst Fran Duffy shed light on this reality for Cam Skattebo.

Projecting what range Skattebo will go in the draft, Duffy said, “I would say the earliest is round 3. [But] my guess is he’s going to be there on Day 3.” Duffy proceeded to acknowledge that the strength in depth in this RB class is a factor in this assessment. “Is that a byproduct of how strong this running back class is?” he was asked. “Yes, I think that the number of names that we’re talking [about] going in that Day 2 range… I think that’s just naturally going to bump some of those guys down.” There’s been reporting around the Cardinals looking to keep Cam Skattebo in Arizona. Which Duffy also weighed in on.

NFL franchises get 30 player interviews in their building after the Combine concludes. This is called a “Top-30 visit.” Scouts and front offices have to be very meticulous and strategic about which players they’ll use these limited slots on. It’s certainly gotta be players you see yourself drafting and want a closer look. Mind you, players from schools that are within a 50-mile radius do not count among these 30 slots. Therefore, franchises can assess any number of local prospects. So when the Cardinals reportedly spent a Top-30 on Skattebo, it was a big deal. But Duffy doesn’t seem to be all that positive. 

“Interesting that they used the 30 visit on [Skattebo]…I’m assuming that meant that they couldn’t get them for one of the local visits,” said Fran Duffy. This “assumption” dispels the traction Skattebo was gaining even further. Since it seemed like the Cards using a 30 on him was a sign they were very serious. Not great from Cam’s perspective. Well, you know how they say when it rains, it pours? This hit to his draft stock follows from Cam Skattebo running into legal trouble about a fortnight ago.

Cam Skattebo faces a lawsuit over a freakish incident at Arizona State

Cam Skattebo is a revered figure in Tempe, AZ. He’s a cult hero for the ASU Sun Devils who’s unilaterally cherished by everyone. Expect perhaps one former teammate. Skattebo faces a lawsuit from ex-ASU offensive lineman Mattheos Katergaris. It stems from an ASU practice where Skattebo is alleged to have “jumped up and down” on a golf cart Katergaris was on, which caused the cart to break and left the O-lineman injured.

Katergaris alleges that he’s yet to recover from the ruptured triceps tendon he suffered in that incident, which happened in July 2023. The damages he’s asking for from Cam Skattebo exceed $300,000. Skattebo or his camp have maintained silence from their end over this ordeal that may have ended Katergaris’ football career.

This lawsuit running simultaneously with the draft process is something Cam Skattebo could’ve avoided. Not only could it permeate over to his stock, but it’s an extra distraction and burden to contend with for him. Hopefully, that’s not how things are transpiring. It remains to be seen where this versatile running back lands in the draft, which is beginning to see pieces fall in place elsewhere for certain players. There are a couple of clouds looming over it, but the future’s still bright for the most part for Skattebo.