Doug Martin went No. 31 overall in the NFL Draft to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as part of a mini-run on running backs, and he's already drawing extremely high praise. His teammate, offensive guard Davin Joseph, is already drawing comparisons to some of the best running backs in football after only a couple of practices.
"He made some explosive runs (Sunday) where you really see why they drafted him so high. He reminds you of a Ray Rice or Maurice Jones-Drew. He's very crafty and he really understands the run game."
It would be surprising if Martin reached the level of Rice or Jones-Drew in his first year in the league, especially considering how shaky the Bucs' offense was last season. He put up incredible numbers at Boise State, however, and has fantastic hands for a running back.
His head coach, Greg Schiano, coached Rice in college. He stopped a bit short of that comparison, but said that Martin has a chance to become a regular every-down NFL back because of his build.
"I think what allows him to have a chance is he is a stout guy. If he was 5-9, 185, I would say not. He's close to 220 pounds. He's pretty rocked up."
For more on the Buccaneers, head over to Bucs Nation and SB Nation Tampa Bay.
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