From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Navy running back Eli Heidenreich.
NO. 22 ELI HEIDENREICH/RB/NAVY – 5112, 197 POUNDS (SENIOR)
MEASUREMENTS
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
Eli Heidenreich 5112/197 N/A N/A N/A
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
N/A N/A N/A N/A
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
N/A
THE GOOD
– Versatile, explosive weapon at running back and at wide receiver
– Flashes good hands and body control as a receiver; consistency catching football through contact
– Tough, willing blocker in Navy’s offense; unafraid to stick his face in there as lead blocker
– Good vision and feel in space; quick-twitch guy that can create separation quickly as route runner
– Tracks the ball well down the field despite lack of experience as true WR
– Tough, durable runner between the tackles; has the speed to turn the corner on outside runs
– Falls forward consistently as a runner; plays behind his pads well in compact build
– Showed good vision on inside runs in zone scheme
THE BAD
– Lacks true wiggle in open field; doesn’t make many defenders miss 1-on-1
– Limited route tree as a boundary and slot receiver; lots of slants, screens, quick outs and posts
– Will be questions about transition from Wing-T offense to true NFL offensive scheme
– A lot of manufactured touches to get on perimeter
– Rarely asked to stand and deliver blow in pass protection
– Lacks true, elite long speed; unlikely to hit the home run consistently in the NFL like in college
STATS
– 2025 stats: 77 carries for 499 yards and three touchdowns; 51 receptions, 941 yards, six touchdowns
– Played in 38 career games for Navy, finished with 169 career carries for 1,157 yards and seven touchdowns; added 109 receptions for 1,994 yards and 16 touchdowns
– Set the program record for most career receiving touchdowns with 16, surpassing the record of 13 held by Phil McConkey (1975-78) and Rob Taylor (1965-67)
– Six touchdown receptions in 2024 and 2025 tied for single-season Navy record
– Caught game-winning touchdown against Army in Army-Navy Game in 2025
– Competed in the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl
INJURY HISTORY
– No injury history
BACKGROUND
– Pittsburgh native who attended Mt. Lebanon High School and played for Hall of Fame head coach Bob Palko
– Won a WPIAL and PIAA championship in senior season
– Played football and baseball in high school; named to Post-Gazette’s Fab 22 as Senior and played in Big 33 between Ohio and Pennsylvania
– Majored in cyber operations at Naval Academy, and is set to join United States Marines upon graduation
– Second-team All-AAC wide receiver in 2025
TAPE BREAKDOWN
NFL teams are all about searching for explosive, dependable, dual-threat weaponry offensively in today’s NFL. They just typically don’t expect to find it at the military academies.
But that’s what Navy running back Eli Heidenreich brings to the table. A dual-threat weapon for the Midshipmen who handled the “snipe” role in Navy’s Wing-T offense, Heidenreich projects as a running back at the NFL level, but one that can line up all over the place and catch the football as a dynamic weapon.
At the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl, Heidenreich worked primarily as a running back, but he showed his receiving chops in 1-on-1 drills, flashing great hands throughout the week. It shows up on his tape, too.
He’s still developing as a route runner, but he has a good feel overall in space and knows how to create separation. That’s what he did on the game-winning reception against Army.
He understands leverage well at the position, and he’s able to get into and out of his cuts quickly, allowing him to win on those in-breaking routes. The more development he gets as a route runner, the better he’ll get. But he enters the NFL with a good foundation as a pass-catching weapon.
He’s an explosive player, one that has good agility in tight quarters and can explode through his cuts to create separation and win inside.
This was a great slant route on an RPO against Air Force, which came in a game in which he hauled in eight passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns. The route tree is largely limited, as he wasn’t asked to do much more than slants, posts, go routes and quick-outs. But he was very good at what Navy asked him to do.
Heidenreich showed the ability to take the top off of defenses in American Athletic Conference play, but it remains to be seen if he’ll be able to do that in the NFL. I do expect him to test well, but that long speed in the 40-yard dash might not show up at the Combine.
It shows up on the field, though, no doubt about it.
Where I think he’ll be at his best though is on crossing routes. He can create separation working laterally across the field, and he’s shown some tremendous body control in the air to make some big-time plays on the football.
This catch against Army in the first half was a great example of that.
This isn’t a good throw from the Navy quarterback. It should have been picked off. But Heidenreich was able to contort in the air and make a great catch over the middle, high-pointing the football thrown behind him for the splash play.
As a true running back, Heidenreich rarely had opportunities to carry the football in the traditional sense out of shotgun or aligned behind the quarterback at Navy. Instead, most of his carries were of the jet sweep variety.
He doesn’t have a ton of wiggle in space, but he’s a tough runner who consistently falls forward and can run through arm tackle attempts with ease. He’s a determined runner, as shown by this rep against Tulsa.
But then there’s this rep against North Texas that shows the lack of wiggle and the struggles to make defenders miss in space.
He’ll have to make improvements in space as a runner at the next level. He’s a tough, determined runner who plays well behind his pads and can wear defenders down with his ability to fall forward. But he has to add some wiggle to his game and be a bit more decisive in space in situations like this.
CONCLUSION
Overall, it might seem like a tough projection to the NFL for Eli Heidenreich coming out of Navy and the unique style of offense the Midshipmen run. But he had a tremendous week at the Shrine Bowl and should test well at the Combine.
He displayed time and time again throughout the last two seasons at Navy that he’s a good runner with the ball and can create splash plays as a receiver. I see a dependable third-down running back right away in the NFL, one that can add some kick return abilities.
Heidenreich reminds of a mix between James White and Danny Woodhead. He can run the ball between the tackles and withstand some punishment, but will do his best work in third-down situations as a pass catcher. He’ll also add some special teams abilities as a kick returner.
NFL Projection: Early Day 3
Steelers Depot Grade: 7.4 (Spot Starter)
Grade Range: 7-0-8.0
Games Watched: UAB (2025), Tulsa (2025), Air Force (2025), North Texas (2025), Notre Dame (2025), Army (2025), Cincinnati (2025)
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