How much does yards per carry in college matter for running backs? If a back manages a high yards per carry number in his final year of college, does this mean he'll be a good pro? Or was he just the beneficiary of a great offensive line in a great system.
Ohio State running back Carlos Hyde is one of the top prospects at the position this year, with an outside chance of being selected in the first round. (It's also possible that no back will be selected in the first for the second straight year; there's no perceived Adrian Peterson, or, uh, Trent Richardson in the draft class.) And Hyde put up strong numbers last season, carrying 208 times for 1,521 yards -- a whopping 7.3 yards per carry.
But that number might not mean much, even if he does wind up being a first-round pick. Over the last 20 years, there have been 58 running backs selected in the first round. Only five of those backs managed a higher yards per carry in their final season than Hyde did, but of those five, only Larry Johnson went on to have an outstanding pro career. (Reggie Bush has been pretty good, but not great.)
Injuries and off-field issues have factored into the struggles of some of these backs, but note that some of the truly elite performers -- like Peterson, and Marshall Faulk -- come in near the bottom of the list in terms of yards per carry. At the very bottom are Jamal Lewis and Steven Jackson, two guys who had pretty fair NFL careers. Probably best, then, not to place too much stock in college yards per carry.
| FIRST-ROUND RBs, YPC FINAL COLLEGE SEASON, 1994-PRESENT | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Pk | Player, Team | YPC | Att | Run |
| 2008 | 22 | Felix Jones, Dall. | 8.7 | 133 | 1162 |
| 2006 | 2 | Reggie Bush, N.O. | 8.7 | 200 | 1740 |
| 1995 | 1 | Ki-Jana Carter, Cin. | 7.8 | 198 | 1539 |
| 2003 | 27 | Larry Johnson, K.C. | 7.7 | 271 | 2087 |
| 1996 | 6 | Lawrence Phillips, St.L. | 7.4 | 96 | 712 |
| 1995 | 21 | Rashaan Salaam, Chi. | 6.9 | 298 | 2055 |
| 1993 | 3 | Garrison Hearst, Ariz. | 6.8 | 228 | 1547 |
| 2010 | 12 | Ryan Mathews, S.D. | 6.6 | 276 | 1808 |
| 2008 | 23 | Rashard Mendenhall, Pitt. | 6.4 | 262 | 1681 |
| 2006 | 27 | DeAngelo Williams, Car. | 6.3 | 310 | 1964 |
| 2000 | 31 | Trung Canidate, St.L. | 6.3 | 253 | 1602 |
| 1997 | 12 | Warrick Dunn, T.B. | 6.2 | 189 | 1179 |
| 2003 | 23 | Willis McGahee, Buff. | 6.2 | 282 | 1753 |
| 1996 | 8 | Tim Biakabutuka, Car. | 6.2 | 279 | 1724 |
| 2008 | 13 | Jonathan Stewart, Car. | 6.2 | 280 | 1722 |
| 2010 | 30 | Jahvid Best, Det. | 6.1 | 141 | 867 |
| 1997 | 23 | Antowain Smith, Buff. | 6.1 | 202 | 1239 |
| 2007 | 12 | Marshawn Lynch, Buff. | 6.1 | 223 | 1356 |
| 2000 | 11 | Ron Dayne, NYG | 6.1 | 303 | 1834 |
| 1995 | 19 | James Stewart, Jac. | 6.0 | 170 | 1028 |
| 1998 | 9 | Fred Taylor, Jac. | 6.0 | 214 | 1292 |
| 2008 | 24 | Chris Johnson, Tenn. | 6.0 | 236 | 1423 |
| 1996 | 14 | Eddie George, Hou. | 6.0 | 303 | 1826 |
| 1998 | 5 | Curtis Enis, Chi. | 6.0 | 228 | 1363 |
| 2005 | 2 | Ronnie Brown, Mia. | 6.0 | 153 | 913 |
| 2012 | 3 | Trent Richardson, Cle. | 5.9 | 283 | 1679 |
| 1999 | 5 | Ricky Williams, N.O. | 5.9 | 361 | 2124 |
| 2002 | 16 | William Green, Cle. | 5.9 | 265 | 1559 |
| 2004 | 30 | Kevin Jones, Det. | 5.9 | 281 | 1647 |
| 1999 | 4 | Edgerrin James, Ind. | 5.9 | 242 | 1416 |
| 2001 | 5 | LaDainian Tomlinson, S.D. | 5.8 | 369 | 2158 |
| 2009 | 31 | Beanie Wells, Ariz. | 5.8 | 207 | 1197 |
| 1994 | 25 | Greg Hill, K.C. | 5.7 | 124 | 707 |
| 2009 | 27 | Donald Brown, Ind. | 5.7 | 367 | 2083 |
| 2008 | 4 | Darren McFadden, Oak. | 5.6 | 325 | 1830 |
| 2005 | 4 | Cedric Benson, Chi. | 5.6 | 326 | 1834 |
| 2010 | 9 | C.J. Spiller, Buff. | 5.6 | 216 | 1212 |
| 2009 | 12 | Knowshon Moreno, Den. | 5.6 | 250 | 1400 |
| 2011 | 28 | Mark Ingram, N.O. | 5.5 | 158 | 875 |
| 1998 | 18 | Robert Edwards, N.E. | 5.5 | 165 | 908 |
| 1995 | 18 | Napoleon Kaufman, Oak. | 5.5 | 253 | 1390 |
| 1995 | 17 | Tyrone Wheatley, NYG | 5.5 | 194 | 1064 |
| 2001 | 27 | Michael Bennett, Minn. | 5.4 | 294 | 1598 |
| 2000 | 7 | Thomas Jones, Ariz. | 5.4 | 334 | 1798 |
| 2007 | 7 | Adrian Peterson, Minn. | 5.4 | 188 | 1012 |
| 1993 | 10 | Jerome Bettis, St.L. | 5.3 | 156 | 825 |
| 2002 | 18 | T.J. Duckett, Atl. | 5.2 | 236 | 1236 |
| 2006 | 21 | Laurence Maroney, N.E. | 5.2 | 281 | 1464 |
| 1998 | 29 | John Avery, Mia. | 5.2 | 166 | 862 |
| 1994 | 2 | Marshall Faulk, Ind. | 5.1 | 300 | 1530 |
| 1994 | 28 | William Floyd, S.F. | 5.1 | 63 | 321 |
| 2004 | 26 | Chris Perry, Cin. | 5.0 | 338 | 1674 |
| 2005 | 5 | Cadillac Williams, T.B. | 4.9 | 239 | 1165 |
| 2006 | 30 | Joseph Addai, Ind. | 4.9 | 187 | 911 |
| 2001 | 23 | Deuce McAllister, N.O. | 4.8 | 159 | 767 |
| 2000 | 19 | Shaun Alexander, Sea. | 4.6 | 302 | 1383 |
| 2000 | 5 | Jamal Lewis, Balt. | 4.5 | 182 | 817 |
| 2004 | 24 | Steven Jackson, St.L. | 4.4 | 350 | 1545 |
--Andy Richardson

