Summary

Samaje Perine was selected in Round 4 (#114 Overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft out of the University of Oklahoma. Perine finished his Sooners career with 3,685 rushing yards and 49 rushing touchdowns, setting a then–NCAA single-game rushing record with 427 yards as a sophomore. He earned First-Team All-Big 12 honors (2016) and was known for his physical downhill running style and toughness. In the NFL, Perine has carved out a long, fruitful career as a reliable rotational running back, playing for Washington, Cincinnati, Denver, and Kansas City. Through the 2024 season, he has accumulated 3,000+ yards from scrimmage, 20+ total touchdowns, and extensive third-down usage due to his pass protection and receiving reliability. He played a key role in the Bengals’ Super Bowl LVI run and has earned league-wide respect as a high-character, intelligent, and team-first professional, praised for preparation, durability, and unselfishness in complementary roles, including kick return duties.

Strengths

• Pass Protection: One of the most reliable blocking backs in the NFL. Effective on early downs, third downs, and in two-minute offense.

• Football IQ: Strong understanding of protections, blitz recognition, and assignments. Generally reliable handling the football.

• Receiving Ability: Dependable hands and effective on check downs and screens.

• Power Running: Finishes runs with strength and is effective in short-yardage situations. Falls forward and absorbs hits to gain extra yards.

Weaknesses

• Top-End Speed: Limited breakaway ability and pedestrian explosiveness and breakaway rate.

• Explosiveness: More methodical than dynamic and relies on blocking rather than burst. Not a make-you-miss runner in space.

• Workload Ceiling: Best suited for rotational usage rather than feature-back volume. More effective downhill than in wide-zone systems.

• Age & Mileage: Athletic decline is a consideration in later career stages.

Outlook

Perine is best suited for balanced or pass-heavy offenses that value third-down reliability, pass protection, and situational execution. He excels in systems that require the running back to identify blitzes, protect the quarterback, and serve as a safety valve in the passing game, while still offering physical downhill running between the tackles. Pairing Perine with an explosive change-of-pace back maximizes overall backfield efficiency. At this point in his career, Perine projects as a veteran RB2/RB3 and situational specialist whose value lies in dependability rather than volume production. While he is unlikely to be a featured offensive centerpiece, his intelligence, toughness, and pass-protection ability give him a high floor and continued roster value. Teams competing for playoff success will continue to view Perine as a winning-role player capable of stabilizing backfields and supporting quarterbacks in critical situations.