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2017 NFL Draft profile: Wyoming RB Brian Hill

Brian Hill is one of three backs to be taken from the Mountain West.

Wyoming v UNLV Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

In the last ten years, five Wyoming Cowboys have been picked in the draft. Three of them are still playing in the NFL (Mark Nzeocha, Marqueston Huff, and Chris Prosinski). Wyoming hasn’t had multiple names called in 20 years (EDIT: Robert Herron was drafted in 2014 alongside Huff) and hasn’t had a player go higher than the third round since 1994.

One of those two things (maybe both, who knows) could change over the weekend.

In a conference stocked with excellent running backs, Wyoming’s Brian Hill put himself at the top of the group.

Over the last two seasons, Hill has found himself in the top-10 in rushing in the entire FBS, rushing for nearly 3,500 yards in that timeframe.

At 6’1, 219 lbs (as measured at the combine), Hill measures up with the proto-typical NFL running back, being only five pounds lighter than David Johnson, Ezekiel Elliot and Le’Veon Bell.

Hill is a powerful runner who’s able to break arm tackles like butter. He’s a force to be reckoned with in open space. He also has incredible ball control, fumbling only once in 349 carries last season.

Hill is also prone to running full bore into the line without looking for holes. He doesn’t have the best vision and, while he’s good at letting his blockers open lanes for him, can get overexcited and run them over.

Unfortunately, Hill has an uphill battle to getting drafted. SB Nation rates him as the 11th best back in the draft behind the likes of Christian McCaffrey, Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook, and D’Onta Foreman, but he’s ahead of Jeremy McNichols and Donnel Pumphrey.

Hill is expected to be drafted anywhere between the 5-7th rounds.