The New Orleans Saints went through all seven rounds of the draft this year without taking a running back. Although they didn't wait long to get one afterwards, signing Ohio State's C.J. Donaldson as an undrafted free agent.
Donaldson joins an already crowded running back room. However, that doesn't have to be his only path to the practice squad or 53-man roster. A former tight end, Donaldson has a unique ability to play all over the field on offense. Not so different from Taysom Hill, it's that versatility that could land him a spot on the team.
Donaldson himself even says that it's his greatest strength. "I want them (NFL teams) to understand that I'm a Swiss Army Knife. I can do anything on the field," he said to Nicole Shearin of WBNS. "You need me to run, need me to block, need me to catch, need me to line up in the slot, need me to do special teams; I can do whatever it is the team needs."
In what was a down year, C.J. Donaldson still manage to lead Ohio State in one category
Coming out of high school, C.J. Donaldson was being recruited as a tight end. However, after one season at West Virginia, he would make the switch to running back. In the backfield, he really came alive, averging 766 rushing yards through his two seasons as a running back for the Mountaineers. Then Donaldson made the decision to transfer to Ohio State, and it's a move that might've hurt his draft stock.
Donaldson only had 361 rushing yards last season, a career low. He even had more his freshman year, and he wasn't even a running back at that point. However, while his yardage took a dip, his touchdown totals stayed the same. A year ago, he was actually the Buckeye's leader in rushing touchdowns, with 10.
Donaldson's stock may have been hurt by the transfer, but he still seems satisfied with the transfer. During the pre-draft process, he called Ohio State the closest thing to the NFL and shrugged off any potential disappointment. "It went the way it needed to go. I had some adversity, but it put me in the position where I needed to be at."
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