It’s still unclear who Cam Skattebo will play for in the NFL. The rising star from the Arizona State Sun Devils is racking up praise after a great 2024 season. That year, he turned heads with his 1,711 rushing yards and also for getting to the end zone 21 times. Also in 2022, his last with the Sacramento State Hornets, he made 1,372 yards. While his draft projections continue to place him at all sorts of places, there’s no denying that Skattebo is a player to look out for. One veteran player definitely thinks so.
Cam Skattebo paid the Cardinals a visit last month, as part of the Top 30s. The Cardinals are keeping him in their circles, according to HC Jonathan Gannon. He said at a presser after the Combine, “Kenny [Dillingham] brings it [film] over to me, and he says, ‘Why don’t you check this guy out?’ I’m not through that part of the evaluation process, but I know he lit it up this year. I know he’s a really good dude with high football character who loves ball so that’d be cool to watch him.” Skattebo’s heroics in the Peach Bowl loss are one for the books. He’s the only Offensive MVP title holder from a losing side. But it’s not just the HC who seems to be hopeful about having Skattebo on board.
Veteran and stellar Arizona quarterback Kyler Warren thinks he’d be of significant use to the team. When someone with a career total yards of more than 22,000 runs banks on a player, he has to have some value. He narrated to PHNX what he observed of Skattebo from his Top 30 visit. Warren said, “I think he’s one of those guys where it’s like, you know, people want to do the whole measurables and all that stuff. He’s a good football player. He’s a damn good football player.” At the NFL combine, Skattebo recorded a 39.5 in. vertical and a 123-inch broad jump. He clocked in somewhere between 4.53-4.57 in the 40 yard dash, which happened in a private workout.
Warren is on the lookout for players like Skattebo, who he thinks can be a valuable addition to ‘his’ team. He said, “At the end of the day, if I was a… I’m trying to accumulate good football players. If I can just have a team full of good football players, we will be a good football team.” The Cardinals ranked 11th in total yards per game, and 18th and 7th in passing and receiving yards, respectively. Murray himself was the top performer when it came to passing yards, with 3,851 yards. He also added, “It’s like, you know, sometimes you over-fixate on the guy that, (0:43) you know, runs the 4’3″, and it looks like a unicorn.” The Cardinals don’t necessarily need an RB at the moment. But Murray would love to have support from someone with the strength of Skattebo.
“Can he play football?” That’s what Warren is leaving for Cam Skattebo to deliver upon. He’d get a shot at it if he joined the Cardinals. However, his draft projections are painting an immensely muddled picture at the moment.
Cam Skattebo to go to AFC instead?
Skattebo’s current chances at the draft do not look so good. This is despite the Sun Devils silencing all critics by clinching the Big 12 Championship last season. And Skattebo was the star of ASU’s campaign. He is currently falling between Rounds 3-5, in multiple mock drafts. And it won’t be easy for him, because the running back class this year is slated to be one of the deepest.
However, much to Warren’s dismay, a surprise team from the AFC is also showing interest in Skattebo. The RB was hosted by the Cleveland Browns for a visit recently. The team is currently looking to add one more RB to their roster. Skattebo could definitely be of use. He is expected to be a light recruit anyway, as he was after high school. He could be a sleeper hit for any of the teams who’d pick, even if it is late into the draft.
The Browns would be keen to have Skattebo on board, given that they averaged just 94.6 rushing yards per game. He would be looking at the RB room that will have some room after Nick Chubb becomes a free agent. That also makes the RB room very thin, which would only have Jerome Ford as a dependable talent.
With Chubb gone, the Browns will see a dire need to get a dependable RB. Will the Broncos get their hands on Cam Skattebo? Also, how far will the Cardinals go for Skattebo, who could make for a brilliant pairing with Kyler Warren? We’d have to wait and watch.
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