With the NFL Draft slated for April 25-26, this is the 23rd of our daily looks at a player who could be on the New England Patriots’ radar. All profiles can also be found at projo.com/patriots.

Player: Rashad Jennings, Liberty

Height and Weight: 6-foot-1, 231 pounds

Position: Running back

Hometown: Forest, Va. (Lynchburg Christian HS)

Senior year: 263 carries for 1,500 yards (5.7 ypc), 17 TD; 24 receptions for 190 yards, 2 TD

Career: 633 carries for 3,633 yards (5.7 ypc), 42 TD; 4,155 all-purpose yards

Honors: Associated Press first-team All-America (Division I-AA), three-time first-team All-Big South, two-time Big South offensive player of the year

NFL Combine

4.59 seconds (40-yard dash)

29 reps (bench press)

34 inches (vertical leap)

10-foot-0 (broad jump)

Is he a fit for the Patriots?

New England uncovered a young contributor at Liberty last year in Vince Redd, and Jennings could be the second. After transferring from Pittsburgh to be closer to home (his father suffers from diabetes), Jennings set school and Big South records and was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, given to the top player in I-AA.

Powerful and with a great burst on short catches, scouts have compared Jennings to Cleveland Browns bruiser Jamal Lewis. He has the potential to be both a goal-line or short-yardage rusher as well as a third-down receiver out of the backfield. Jennings opened eyes with his performance at the Senior Bowl, but he struggled academically and may have trouble with a complicated playbook.

Jennings certainly has NFL bloodlines, as brothers Butch and Bryan both played in the league.

smanza@projo.com