Where do great running backs come from? Do you have to use a first-round pick to get a difference-making back? LaDainian Tomlinson and Adrian Peterson were selected in the top 10.
But others have gone a lot later. The second and third rounds have become a popular area for picking up running backs in the draft, and others even pop up out of the blue - late-round picks or not even drafted. Alfred Morris and Arian Foster are in that last group.
Here's the top 100 running back seasons of the last 20 years. I've got them ranked by fantasy production, using the scoring system of 6 points for touchdowns and 1 point for every 10 run/rec yards.
Everyone who was originally a first-round pick, those guys are in bold. Guys selected in the second or third, they're in italics. And the other are in just plain type.
Lots of bold names on this list. Fewer running backs are being selected in the first round nowadays, but if there's somebody special - Tomlinson, Peterson - those guys aren't making it to the second round.
TOP RUNNING BACKS OF THE LAST 20 YEARS
Points Year
426.3 2006 LaDainian Tomlinson
378.9 2000 Marshall Faulk
373.0 2003 Priest Holmes
372.7 2002 Priest Holmes
364.8 1995 Emmitt Smith
363.8 2005 Shaun Alexander
360.5 1998 Terrell Davis
348.9 2009 Chris Johnson
345.0 2003 Ahman Green
343.0 2003 LaDainian Tomlinson
342.7 2001 Marshall Faulk
340.3 2000 Edgerrin James
335.3 2005 Larry Johnson
333.9 2006 Larry Johnson
330.0 2010 Arian Foster
329.4 2006 Steven Jackson
323.6 2002 Ricky Williams
319.8 1997 Barry Sanders
316.9 1999 Marshall Faulk
315.9 1999 Edgerrin James
315.2 2005 LaDainian Tomlinson
314.5 1994 Emmitt Smith
312.5 1998 Jamal Anderson
311.4 2012 Adrian Peterson
311.1 2003 Jamal Lewis
307.2 2002 LaDainian Tomlinson
307.0 2005 Tiki Barber
306.9 2007 LaDainian Tomlinson
306.6 2004 Shaun Alexander
300.8 2011 Ray Rice
299.7 1997 Terrell Davis
299.6 2004 Tiki Barber
292.2 2000 Eddie George
289.9 2009 Adrian Peterson
289.2 2002 Clinton Portis
285.6 2008 DeAngelo Williams
285.6 2004 LaDainian Tomlinson
282.7 1998 Marshall Faulk
282.4 2007 Brian Westbrook
282.4 2011 LeSean McCoy
280.7 1996 Terry Allen
278.2 2004 Curtis Martin
276.9 2001 Priest Holmes
276.5 2003 Clinton Portis
276.0 2008 Michael Turner
274.8 1996 Terrell Davis
272.5 2009 Maurice Jones-Drew
272.0 2006 Frank Gore
271.5 2002 Shaun Alexander
270.0 2002 Deuce McAllister
269.0 2003 Shaun Alexander
268.3 2005 Edgerrin James
267.6 2006 Willie Parker
266.5 1998 Garrison Hearst
266.4 1998 Fred Taylor
266.1 2012 Arian Foster
264.8 1995 Curtis Martin
264.6 1994 Barry Sanders
264.6 2012 Doug Martin
264.4 2002 Tiki Barber
264.1 2001 Ahman Green
264.0 2011 Maurice Jones-Drew
263.7 2003 Deuce McAllister
263.5 1996 Ricky Watters
262.1 2001 Shaun Alexander
261.8 1995 Barry Sanders
261.6 2004 Domanick Davis
259.1 2004 Edgerrin James
258.9 2000 Mike Anderson
258.7 2002 Travis Henry
257.6 2006 Brian Westbrook
256.3 2002 Charlie Garner
256.1 2011 Arian Foster
255.6 1999 Stephen Davis
255.3 1995 Chris Warren
254.8 1994 Chris Warren
254.5 1997 Dorsey Levens
254.2 1999 Eddie George
253.8 2004 Corey Dillon
252.5 1996 Curtis Martin
252.4 1994 Marshall Faulk
252.1 2009 Ray Rice
251.4 2000 Ahman Green
250.6 2012 Marshawn Lynch
250.0 1993 Emmitt Smith
248.5 2008 Adrian Peterson
247.9 2000 Fred Taylor
247.3 2001 Curtis Martin
247.0 2012 Alfred Morris
246.9 2000 Robert Smith
245.2 2005 Clinton Portis
243.5 2008 Matt Forte
243.4 2010 Peyton Hillis
242.7 1995 Ricky Watters
242.7 2006 Tiki Barber
241.9 2010 Adrian Peterson
241.9 2008 Thomas Jones
241.5 2010 Jamaal Charles
241.2 2000 Curtis Martin
240.7 1998 Emmitt Smith
^aEUR"Ian Allan
May 10, 2013