2024 Atlanta Falcons Potential Draft Pick Profile: RB Isaac Guerendo

Sometimes, there are players that come out of the draft who are fantastic athletes and creators with the ball in their hand, but they just don't have an obvious role in the NFL. Isaac Guerendo is one of those guys, and he could be a steal for the Atlanta Falcons if they draft him. He would instantly upgrade the depth for their offensive weapons and could be best used at running back and kick returner. Guerendo played primarily running back in college, but his NFL position is a little murkier.

Isaac Guerendo

University of Louisville

Running Back/Kick Returner

Athletic Comparison and Numbers

Isaac Guerendo is one of the best athletes to ever come out of the combine. He has insane speed and agility comparable to what Ben Tate had coming out of Auburn back in the day. He has prototypical running back size while also having explosive measurables in the short area and on his vertical. Add in long speed of a 4.33 40-yard dash, and Guerendo got himself from an undraftable range to potentially being an early day three pick for a team.

Stats and Awards

2023: 14 Games Played, 132 Carries, 810 Yards, 11 Touchdowns, 22 Catches, 234 Yards, 11 Kick Returns, 211 Yards, 1 Tackle
Transferred from Wisconsin to Louisville between the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
2022: 12 Games Played, 64 Carries, 385 Yards, 5 Touchdowns, 17 Catches, 115 Yards, 1 Touchdown, 19 Kick Returns, 443 Yards, 1 Tackle, Academic All-Big Ten
2021: 4 Games Played, 23 Carries, 160 Yards, 1 Touchdown, 2 Catches, 6 Yards, 1 Tackle, Academic All-Big Ten
2020: 1 Games Played, 11 Carries, 36 Yards, Academic All-Big Ten
2019: 6 Games Played, 1 Carry, 1 Yard, 1 Catches, 1 Yard, 1 Tackle

Highlight Reel

Scouting Report

Strengths

Teams will fall in love with the grittiness that Isaac Guerendo plays with. He's someone who fights tooth and nail for every possible yard. He's excellent at getting through tackles with power and his agility on his cuts. He has good enough vision at this time to make an impact and benefits most from outside or wide zone schemes with the one-cut-and-go ideal. He's an intelligent receiver who can find spots underneath to sit and has an expansive catch radius. As a blocker, he will meet blitzers head-on and knock them back with his understated amount of power.

Weaknesses

Guerendo is a fantastic athlete, but he's not really that twitchy. His technique with his cuts, route running and just overall everything in his game is still raw despite being a college starter for five years. He tries to take runs outside more often than he should because he's still developing his vision. With his pass blocking, he needs to get better at reading where the blitzers are coming from and learning how to set his feet better in pass protection.

Intangibles & Off-Field Red Flags

Isaac Guerendo was never arrested or suspended and runs hard when he's on the field. He's more than willing to get in the face of blitzers and do the nitty, gritty part of the job as a running back. Teams can see just how hard he works and how much he loves the game on his film because he is never giving up on any play. Guerendo was also a multi-sport star in high school having played basketball and running track to go along with football.

NFL Stylistic Comparison: Cordarrelle Patterson

Much like Cordarrelle Patterson, Isaac Guerendo's best role is probably as a complementary running back who will contribute on kickoffs. Considering the kickoff rules are changing this season, teams will use him on kickoffs, and with his insane athleticism, he could be like Patterson in that role. Much like Patterson, he runs angry and like he's possessed by Kratos, the God of War himself. He'll find a role easily because teams already know what works for players like him.

How does he fit in with the Atlanta Falcons

If the Falcons do take Isaac Guerendo, it's likely in the fifth or sixth round and with the idea that he's going to compete for a roster spot and playing time at running back. Guerendo would instantly be another option as a No. 3 running back and should compete with Carlos Washington, Robert Burns, and Avery Williams for playing time at the spot. He will also likely compete with Ray-Ray McCloud, Rondale Moore, and the aforementioned Williams at kick and punt returner.

All advanced stats are courtesy Pro Football Focus or Football Outsiders. All traditional stats are courtesy of official team websites, NFLGSIS or CFB Stats. All RAS and athletic testing numbers are courtesy of DraftScout.com and Kent Lee Platte's RAS Football website.