But when you announce that you are drafting Tim Hightower in the last round—and that he is your sleeper pick, you are sure to hear some owners in your league say “Who?”
Hightower is the Arizona Cardinals’ back-up running back. The rookie out of Richmond is a late-bloomer—he didn’t break out until his senior season. The 6-1, 225 lbs. running back rushed for 1924 yards and scored 23 times for the Atlantic-10 school in 2007.
The Cardinals drafted him in the 5th round of the NFL Draft mostly because of the recommendations of Running Backs Coach Maurice Carthon, who saw something special in Hightower.
Offensive Coordinator Todd Haley has compared him to Marion Barber III. Hightower isn’t a burner—he doesn’t have home-run ability. But, he might just be the answer to the Cardinals short yarder troubles—and then some. Hightower is a bruising back that has shown a much better burst in training camp than anyone, except maybe Carthen, believed he had. He enters the NFL with a similar frame and running style as Barber, and with similar 40 times (Hightower ran a 4.51, Barber ran a 4.48).
Hightower has great strength in his lower body, and might already be an improvement in goal-line situations over Edgerrin James.
NFL scouts believed he lacked the explosiveness and speed to be an effective running back. But since the start of training camp, one of the things that have stood has been his burst. Hightower is hitting holes unlike any other running back on the Cardinals roster.
Arizona’s offensive line has been far from great the past two seasons, but even when they have managed to open up holes, James has failed to capitalize. It is clear that the 30-year-old running back has lost his burst, preventing him from getting into the second level of the defense and picking up big gains on the ground. He has only averaged 3.4 and 3.8 yards per carry over the past two seasons. The Cardinals will be looking to improve the production from their backfield, and it is in the best interest of both James and the Cardinals that they start giving carries to another running back.
James is not the running back he once was. He is now entering his third season since he had 1300 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Colts in 2005. He has not come close to matching that type of production since, and he is now approaching 3000 career carries—a number not many running backs live to see. James has proven to be a workhorse in the past, but all of those 300-carry seasons are catching up to him now. His production is down, and it is only a matter of time before his health declines, as well.
It would be hard to imagine that the Cardinals will stick with him full-time this season if he continues to produce less than 4.0 yards per carry, especially when the offensive coaches are so confident in Hightower.
Hightower has little competition outside of James. He will have to hold off former second-round disappointment J.J Arrington to be the primary back-up, a scatback that has failed to do much since his arrival in 2005, and the Cardinals recently cut veteran Marcel Shipp.
If and when the Cardinals do decide to take carries away from James, Hightower will be the man to take them. They may not start the season in a running back by committee, but before the year is over, Hightower will be getting his share of carries. He has good vision, and he has been proven that he can get to the hole quickly.
Hightower got off to a good professional start in the Cardinals’ preseason opener vs. New Orleans, when he had 5 carries for 23 yards, as well as a 1-yard touchdown run.
Hightower’s situation, playing back-up to an aging running back that hasn’t been able to put together a season close to his 2005 campaign in two years in Arizona, is good enough to justify owning him in fantasy leagues. He is a good handcuff for James, and although his owners cannot be guaranteed anything from him, he is a real threat to take James’ goal-line carries, and possibly more given an injury or another sub-par season for James.