2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Roman Hemby

Last Updated: 10/5/2023

Roman Hemby emerged last year for Maryland, producing 5.3 yards per carry and scoring 10 touchdowns (second most by a Maryland freshman). He would end up finishing top 10 in the Big Ten in most rushing categories. 

Hemby has a stout frame despite his height and weight measurements, he looks like a bowling ball out there and runs like it. He seeks out contact once he clears the first level and has a good pad level once he finds it. This allows him to either push defenders back or bounce off would-be tacklers who don’t wrap him up. He does lean on this style due to a lack of elusiveness and twitch in the open field. Don’t get me wrong he has some smoothness and understanding of leverage that allows him to set up missed tackles, but he isn’t making you miss in a phone booth. 

In the backfield, Hemby displays effective vision and finds the correct hole or cutback lane more times than not. He adds good patience and use of leverage manipulation to set up blocks and create holes. Once he finds the hole, he displays the ability to quickly plant his foot in the ground and get north and south. He marries this with solid burst and speed to eat up yards quickly. He lacks a ton of top-end speed but this doesnt hold him back from being effective. 

In the passing game, Hemby excels. He is very comfortable catching the ball out of the backfield or out wide. He has soft hands and transitions quickly and smoothly from receiver to runner post-catch. This allows him to produce quality yards after the reception. 

• Good Hands 
• Physical and bounces of tacklers
• Patience

• Elusiveness
• Power 
• Top-end speed

• College Football News Third Team Freshman All-American (2022)
• Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (2022)
• Academic All-Big Ten selection. (2022)

• 40-yard dash: TBD
• Vertical: TBD
• Broad Jump: TBD
• Three-cone: TBD
• Shuttle: TBD
• Bench: TBD

• Third-down or backup committee back 

• Gap/Interior Zone

Roman Hemby likely starts as a backup or spellback for an offense, which will limit his immediate impact. This could develop into a more prominent role on third downs almost like a Nyheim Hines-type role or more. 

From a college fantasy level, it’s likely he is a bench player who you’ll roll out if an injury happens due to the Maryland rotation.