Factoid
CJ Spiller is nearly certain to be a top 15 pick in this year's NFL Draft. Ryan Mathews might be; most likely, he'll be taken somewhere between 15 and 20. If recent history is any indication, both players should be very productive as rookies.
Ever since mid-'90s flops like Ki-Jana Carter and Curtis Enis, NFL GMs have a very solid track record selecting running backs with top-15 picks. Over the last decade, there have been 15 running backs selected in the top half of the first round. Two-thirds of them (10 of 15) have put up at least 1,000 total yards in their rookie seasons. Another scored 10 TDs. Two others, Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson, have turned into solid pros after shaky career starts.
The numbers for running backs selected in the top 15 over the past decade, sorted by total yards in their rookie seasons, are presented below.
Year RuYd ReYd TYd TDs Player, Team
1999 1553 586 2139 17 Edgerrin James, Colts
2000 1364 296 1660 6 Jamal Lewis, Ravens
2007 1341 268 1609 13 Adrian Peterson, Vikings
2001 1236 367 1603 10 LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers
2006 565 742 1307 9 Reggie Bush, Saints
2007 1115 184 1299 7 Marshawn Lynch, Bills
2005 1178 81 1259 6 Cadillac Williams, Bucs
2009 947 213 1160 9 Knowshon Moreno, Broncos
2005 907 232 1139 5 Ronnie Brown, Dolphins
1999 884 172 1056 2 Ricky Williams, Saints
2008 836 47 883 10 Jonathan Stewart , Panthers
2008 499 285 784 4 Darren McFadden, Raiders
2000 770 11 781 5 Ron Dayne, Giants
2000 373 208 581 2 Thomas Jones, Cardinals
2005 272 3 275 0 Cedric Benson, Bears
--Andy Richardson
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