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Dynasty Analysis
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Draft Sharks Model
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Will Shipley Player Comp
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Will Shipley Dynasty Trade Values
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Will Shipley Combine Results
Will Shipley Future Projections
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Will Shipley Scouting Report
Will Shipley Scouting Report
Shipley had a volatile college career that has led to an uncertain NFL outlook.
Once touted as the next Christian McCaffrey coming out of high school, Shipley never lived up to the hype. He did not develop into a multifaceted weapon who could take over a game with his receiving and/or rushing.
But, was this entirely his fault?
Shipley was dealing with a Clemson offense that crashed over the past two seasons. The offensive line ranked 92nd in run blocking in 2023, per Pro Football Focus.
Let’s look at Shipley’s history and skill set to see how his talent projects into the fantasy landscape of the NFL.
Will Shipley Draft Profile
Position: RB
Height: 5’11
Weight: 206
BMI: 28.7
Draft Age: 21.7
NFL Draft Pick: Round 4, Pick 27
Draft Sharks Model Score: 6.61
Analytics Score: 0.52
Film Score: 0.39
Production Score: 0.32
Will Shipley Combine Results
| Wingspan | Arm Length | HAnd Size | 40-yard Dash | 10-yard split |
| 74 1/8" | 30 1/4" | 9 5/8" | N/A | N/A |
| Bench Press | Vertical | Broad Jump | 3-cone drill | 20-yard shuttle |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Percentiles vs Combine RBs since 1999, per MockDraftable
Will Shipley College Stats
| Carries | Rush YDs | Tds | YPC | Targets | Catches | Rec Yds | Rec TDs | |
| 2021 | 149 | 739 | 11 | 5.0 | 24 | 16 | 116 | 0 |
| 2022 | 210 | 1,182 | 15 | 5.6 | 42 | 38 | 242 | 0 |
| 2023 | 167 | 827 | 5 | 5.0 | 38 | 31 | 244 | 2 |
Dynamic High School Career
Shipley burst onto the scene as a multi-sport athlete in football, lacrosse, and track & field at Weddington High School in North Carolina. He received his first scholarship offer from South Carolina as a freshman.
In his final high school season, Shipley ran for 2,040 yards and 30 touchdowns while notching another 8 receiving TDs and even throwing for two more.
He led Weddington to a state championship after an undefeated season.
Shipley would get offers from almost every major program including Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State. He chose to stay in the Carolinas with Clemson.
Shipley Flashes His Potential
Shipley was expected to take a backseat in his true freshman season to the veteran RBs, but Clemson simply couldn’t keep him off the field. He would lead the team in carries and score 11 TDs.
In the Cheez-It Bowl, Shipley flashed his receiving potential with five catches for 53 yards against Iowa State. The arrow was pointing up for Shipley’s future.
Clemson Makes Shipley Focal Point
In Shipley’s sophomore season, the offense began to crumble around him. QB DJ Uiagalelei struggled to move the football consistently, so the coaching staff leaned on Shipley.
He would run for 1,182 yards with five 100-yard rushing performances. Shipley also caught 38 passes, mostly dump-offs and checkdowns.
Shipley joined Giovanni Bernard and Lamar Jackson as the only ACC players since 2000 to rush for 11+ TDs in their freshman and sophomore seasons.
Shipley’s Role Reduced
Clemson saw numerous transfers ahead of the 2023 season, including the QB and most of the O-line. A new OC also proved negative for Shipley.
The new offense favored the between-the-tackles style of teammate Phil Mafah, who led the 2023 Tigers in carries. Mafah would see the red-zone work and often be on the field in two-RB sets with Shipley.
This led to a drastic reduction in Shipley’s stats:
- carries dipped from 210 as a sophomore to 167 as a junior
- rushing yards from 1,182 to 827
- even yards per carry (5.63 to 4.95).
Shipley ranked just 245th in PFF grade among 440 eligible RBs.
Impressive Off-Field Accomplishments
Shipley is the first Clemson player to graduate in three years with a perfect 4.0 GPA. He was also a Wuerffel Trophy semifinalist, awarded for community service and philanthropy.
As a teammate and person, Shipley is unmatched in this draft class.
But the on-field performance leaves a lot of questions.
Will Shipley Highlights
Games Watched: Syracuse (2022), Tennessee (2022), Notre Dame (2022), Duke (2023), Florida State (2023), Georgia Tech (2023), North Carolina (2023), Kentucky (2023)
Shipley’s stats his final year are questionable on paper, but was his film as bad as it seemed?
The highlights below tell a slightly different story of Shipley’s talent, though we will also address the red flags.
Elite Receiving & Contact Balance
Though he may not be Christian McCaffrey, Shipley can absolutely handle receiving work in the NFL. The key is Shipley’s ability in space.
In open space with adequate blocking, Shipley showed off his contact balance consistently on film in both his sophomore and junior seasons.
Shipley’s Quick in Space
Shipley’s footwork and quickness in traffic are underrated. He changes direction well and can navigate in space.
In the clip below, Shipley uses his feet to quickly cut and navigate into the zone gap to the left against Duke. There isn’t a wasted step to get around the guard and center and pick up additional yardage.
A back with less skill in the short area would earn 3 yards there instead of 10.
Shipley Tougher Than He Seems
One surprising trait that popped for Shipley was his toughness. He isn’t afraid of contact and will churn his legs through it.
In the clip below, Shipley takes a 2nd-and-1 up the gut and uses power to pick up the first down and more against the Seminoles. At the end of the clip, he pushes the pile a bit to pick up additional yardage.
This showed up in nearly every game I watched. When Clemson would run Shipley on short-yardage plays, he almost always picked it up with sheer grit. That may not always work in the NFL but is often left off of his profile.
For a prospect whose fantasy strength will be catching the football, Shipley’s toughness between the tackles could be key to earning more playing time and even getting some TDs.
Shipley Lacks Vision
Shipley falls short is his explosion off the snap and vision when the hole is not obvious.
These can often go hand in hand with runners who are not confident in their ability to diagnose the evolving play. When a RB has to think before his cut, it usually spells disaster.
Shipley commonly misses post-snap reads and lacks the explosiveness to take advantage of the holes he does have.
Will Shipley Team Fit: Philadelphia Eagles
Tell me if you’ve heard this story before: The Eagles draft a pass-catching RB then refuse to give him targets.
Similar to Kenneth Gainwell in 2021, the Eagles are unlikely to utilize Shipley properly as a receiver. Fortunately, the offense does fit Shipley’s rushing skill set.
The wide zone blocking scheme the Eagles implement most will allow Shipley’s change of direction and contact balance to be utilized. Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley took some pieces from the Eagles this past season in implementing the new offense.
Saquon Barkley will be the bellcow for at least the next two seasons. The Eagles don’t have an out on his contract until after the 2025 season. The best Shipley can hope for is to show enough talent to win the backup job over Gainwell.
Shark Bites
Will Shipley RB PHI
11:38am EST 1/5/25Will Shipley Active
Will Shipley Active
Eagles RB Will Shipley (concussion) is active for today’s game vs. the Giants. RB Kenneth Gainwell is the only other active RB for Philadelphia. Expect Shipley to get the ball plenty in this one. He cracks the top 25 in our Week 18 RB Rankings.
Jalen Hurts QB PHI
5:14pm EST 1/3/25Key Eagles Won't Play Week 18
Key Eagles Won't Play Week 18
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts (concussion) is out for Sunday's game vs. the Giants. He should be cleared in time to play in next week's Wild Card game. RB Saquon Barkley and WRs A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are listed as doubtful. They won't play in this meaningless game. TE Dallas Goedert (knee) is not listed on the final injury report and could get a few snaps in this one to knock off some rust. We'd still avoid him in Week 18 fantasy lineups. QB Kenny Pickett (ribs) is listed as questionable but didn't practice all week. We're expecting QB Tanner McKee to get the start. RB Will Shipley (concussion) is listed as questionable but was a full-go in the final two practices of the week. He should be cleared for this one and figures to operate as Philadelphia's lead back.
Will Shipley RB PHI
8:21pm EST 1/1/25Will Shipley Limited Wednesday
Will Shipley Limited Wednesday
Eagles RB Will Shipley (concussion) got in a limited practice on Wednesday. He's a name to monitor with RB Saquon Barkley being held out of this weekend's finale vs. the Giants. That could mean a significant role for Shipley if he clears protocol. We'll keep you posted on his progress.
Saquon Barkley RB PHI
12:56pm EST 1/1/25Eagles Will Rest Starters Week 18
Eagles Will Rest Starters Week 18
Eagles HC Nick Sirianni said Wednesday that he'll rest starters, including RB Saquon Barkley, in Sunday's finale vs. the Giants. The Eagles are locked in as the NFC's No. 2 seed. So Barkley won't have a chance to get the 101 rushing yards he needs to break Eric Dickerson's single-season record. But he'll be healthy heading into the playoffs. Don't expect QB Jalen Hurts or WRs A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith to play on Sunday, either. We'll see whether Kenny Pickett (ribs) or Tanner McKee starts at QB. Backfield duties figure to be handled by Kenneth Gainwell and Will Shipley.
Saquon Barkley RB PHI
12:45pm EST 12/30/24Saquon Barkley Just 100 Yards Short of NFL Record
Saquon Barkley Just 100 Yards Short of NFL Record
Eagles RB Saquon Barkley delivered 167 yards on 31 carries in Sunday's beatdown of the Cowboys, getting him to 2,005 rushing yards for the season. That puts Barkley just 101 yards short of breaking Eric Dickerson's single-season NFL record. The question now, of course, is whether Philly will Barkley enough Week 18 carries to go after that record -- or any carries at all. The Eagles have already locked up the NFC's No. 2 seed and thus have nothing (team wise) to play for in the regular-season finale.
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