Tre Mason

Mason, a 2014 third-round pick, began his rookie season on the bench behind the pedestrian Zac Stacy, but by Week 7 he had bumped Stacy aside as the Rams' lead back and remained a large part of the offense the rest of the season. A short, thick runner, Mason is agile and has good vision, and his low pad level allows him to grind forward for extra yards after contact. He doesn't run with a lot of burst or power, however, and sometimes relies too much on his nimble feet to make things happen, rather than hitting the hole he's given or simply lowering his shoulder. The Rams replaced three-fifths of their starting offensive line this offseason, looking to improve on a mediocre unit, but also grabbed Todd Gurley with the 10th overall pick in the draft. Mason could open the season as the team's starting RB if Gurley's recovery from knee surgery is a slow, but assuming Gurley returns without having lost a step, Mason's role will likely diminish.

At 5-8, 207, Mason's body type and physical, elusive running style have drawn inevitable comps to Ray Rice – though they may not be fair ones. However, the Rams took Mason in the third round after a massive junior campaign at Auburn – 1,816 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns – and he could immediately step into a backup role behind incumbent starter Zac Stacy, possibly turning it into a timeshare as the year goes on. There are some downsides with Mason that could keep him from winning a large role, though. He's not regarded as a very good blocker, didn't show much as a receiver in college, and lacks elite speed – all red flags that mean he's a long way from being considered a three-down back. Most likely, the best he can hope for this year is to be mixed in with Stacy on early downs and at the goal line, where he did so much of his damage in college.