Fantasy Index

Factoid

Second-round running backs

Tough to follow Bernard, Lacy, Bell

Eddie Lacy, LeVeon Bell and Giovani Bernard all had big seasons last year. They each had over 1,200 total yards.

So we can fall into the trap of thinking that if a team has a need a running back, it can simply take care of that issue by selecting a running back in the second or third round. (Each of those three backs was selected in the second round of last year’s draft.)

Except it usually doesn’t work out that way.

In the last 15 drafts, 40 running backs have been selected in the second round of the draft. Only four other backs managed to reach 1,000 total yards in their first year – Clinton Portis, Matt Forte, Maurice Jones-Drew and Anthony Thomas.

SECOND-ROUND RUNNING BACKS, 1999-2013
YearPlayerRunRecTotal
1999James Johnson558100658
1999Jermaine Fazande3650365
1999Joe Montgomery3480348
1999Kevin Faulk22798325
1999Rob Konrad16251267
1999Mike Cloud12825153
2001Anthony Thomas11831781361
2001Travis Henry729179908
2001LaMont Jordan29244336
2002Clinton Portis15083641872
2002Ladell Betts307154461
2002Maurice Morris15325178
2002DeShaun Foster000
2004Julius Jones819107926
2004Tatum Bell39680476
2004Greg Jones16213175
2005J.J. Arrington370139509
2005Eric Shelton000
2006Maurice Jones-Drew9414361377
2006LenDale White24460304
2007Brandon Jackson267130397
2007Chris Henry11953172
2007Kenny Irons000
2008Matt Forte12384771715
2008Ray Rice454273727
2009LeSean McCoy 637308945
2010Toby Gerhart322167489
2010Montario Hardesty000
2010Ben Tate000
2011Daniel Thomas58172653
2011Shane Vereen57057
2011Mikel Leshoure000
2011Ryan Williams000
2012LaMichael James12529154
2012Isaiah Pead541670
2013Giovani Bernard6955141209
2013LeVeon Bell8603991259
2013Montee Ball559145704
2013Eddie Lacy11782571435
2013Christine Michael79079

Not that all of those other second-round picks were misses. Ray Rice and LeSean McCoy broke out in their second years. Travis Henry, Julius Jones and LaMont Jordan had their moments. Shane Vereen is becoming a really good third-round type back for the Patriots. And I have always had a soft spot for Tatum Bell.

But plenty of misses while looking for running backs in the second round.

—Ian Allan

Fantasy Index