The Redskins had scouts at Grice's private workout at ASU on April 8th along with several other teams. They were reportedly very interested in Grice and have now scheduled a private workout with him sometime next week. Head Coach Jay Gruden is looking for a pass catching running back, and Grice would fit that need very well. He transferred from a junior college to Arizona State University and was a rotational starter for two years. He has 91 receptions for 863 yards and 14 TDs at ASU. On the ground he had 1675 yards, 5.7 ypc, and 25 TDs. Grice also returned kickoffs last season, returning 21 kickoffs for 507 yards with a 24.1 yards/return average.
Grice missed the final two games of the 2013 season after breaking his fibula in November. Grice has been rated as high as the 3rd round, but uncertainty about his injury has kept him low on a lot of rankings and draft boards. He can play both inside and outside, but has a lean frame for his height. He is also a willing blocker, and has some of the best hands for a running back in this draft.
The question is, when will the Redskins start looking at RBs in this draft, or do they try to sign an undrafted free agent to groom and use one of their current backs for this role? The Redskins have Alfred Morris, Roy Helu Jr, Evan Royster and Chris Thompson on the roster at RB. Helu had almost as many snaps as Morris last season, but was limited in the passing game by OC Kyle Shanahan's aversion to RB screens. Helu and a healthy Chris Thompson could compete for the 3rd down back role, but a lot of people feel that Gruden still wants to bring in a RB that he chooses. If Grice falls far enough in this draft, he will definitely be on the Redskins radar.
10 teams attend Marion Grice's pro day + #Redskins among those showing most interest. http://t.co/ToK9V7DzsD
— CollegeFootball 24/7 (@NFL_CFB) April 8, 2014
Grice broke a bone in his leg while playing against UCLA in November, and missed both the NFL Scouting Combine and ASU's primary pro day as a result. His rehab, however, was successful enough for him to record unofficial 40-yard dash times in the 4.6 range on Tuesday, along with a 32-inch vertical jump.
The most interested club? One never knows for certain, but Grice said he has a private workout scheduled next week with the Redskins. Roy Helu led Redskins running backs in receiving last year with pedestrian totals of 31 catches for 251 yards and no touchdowns. By comparison, some of the NFL's top receivers at the running back position last season included San Diego's Danny Woodhead (76-605-6) and New Orleans' Darren Sproles (71-604-2).
Grice (6-foot 1/2, 208 pounds) ran the 40-yard dash in 4.68 and 4.69 seconds. He had a 32-inch vertical jump and a 9-foot-7 broad jump. He did the three-cone drill in 7.03 seconds and the short shuttle in 4.37 seconds. He also performed 14 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.
He caught the ball extremely well out of the backfield, but did not show a lot of explosion in the running back drills. That might be because he is not yet fully recovered from his leg injury. Grice appears to be a likely third-day selection in the 2014 NFL Draft.