Elusiveness, fluidity and patience are attributes that generally serve players well in college football and the NFL alike. Former Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey has all of these qualities, which is why I expect him to make a smooth transition to the pro game. Its also why he puts me strongly in mind of the Atlanta Falcons Devonta Freeman.

Freeman, whos earned consecutive Pro Bowl honors during the past two seasons, was a fourth-round draft pick out of Florida State in 2014. That was in large part because he lacked size at 5 feet 8 inches and 206 pounds, and because he ran an uninspiring 4.58 40 at the combine . McCaffrey is listed at 6 feet even and 197 pounds, which may not help his draft stock but wont hurt it much either.

While I expected a strong performance at the combine from McCaffrey, it turned out to be nothing short of brilliance. McCaffrey clocked a 4.48 40 . Just as impressive were his 37 1/2 vertical jump, 4.22 20-yard shuttle, 6.57 second 3-cone drill and 11.03 60-yard shuttle, all tops for running backs in Indianapolis.