5 comparisons to Khalil Herbert rookie season with Chicago Bears
2. Wendell Smallwood
Wendell Smallwood is another player that physically can be compared to Herbert. Their big difference coming out of college was that Smallwood was much more respected as a pass-catcher. Smallwood was better as a pass-catcher, but Herbert caught twice as many balls as a rookie.
| Rushing | Receiving | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rk | Player | Year | G | Att | Yds | TD | Y/A | Lng | Rec | Yds | TD | Y/R | Lng |
| 1 | Khalil Herbert | 2021 | 17 | 103 | 433 | 2 | 4.2 | 29 | 14 | 96 | 0 | 6.9 | 20 |
| 2 | Wendell Smallwood | 2016 | 13 | 77 | 312 | 1 | 4.1 | 19 | 6 | 55 | 0 | 9.2 | 18 |
Overall Herbert was a bit more productive than Wendell Smallwood as a rookie. Still, the comparison is there. Smallwood would probably be a middle outcome between Murray, and Brown. He is entering year seven in the NFL and has been active for all six of his years.
Still, he has been a third-string running back for most of his career. Off of the bat, it is hard to make the comparison to Smallwood because of the roles, but the outcome of a player who is depth in the NFL for five years without real starting work is a legitimate outcome for Khalil Herbert.