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 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Run | Rec | Total |
1999 | James Johnson | 558 | 100 | 658 |
1999 | Jermaine Fazande | 365 | 0 | 365 |
1999 | Joe Montgomery | 348 | 0 | 348 |
1999 | Kevin Faulk | 227 | 98 | 325 |
1999 | Rob Konrad | 16 | 251 | 267 |
1999 | Mike Cloud | 128 | 25 | 153 |
2001 | Anthony Thomas | 1183 | 178 | 1361 |
2001 | Travis Henry | 729 | 179 | 908 |
2001 | LaMont Jordan | 292 | 44 | 336 |
2002 | Clinton Portis | 1508 | 364 | 1872 |
2002 | Ladell Betts | 307 | 154 | 461 |
2002 | Maurice Morris | 153 | 25 | 178 |
2002 | DeShaun Foster | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2004 | Julius Jones | 819 | 107 | 926 |
2004 | Tatum Bell | 396 | 80 | 476 |
2004 | Greg Jones | 162 | 13 | 175 |
2005 | J.J. Arrington | 370 | 139 | 509 |
2005 | Eric Shelton | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2006 | Maurice Jones-Drew | 941 | 436 | 1377 |
2006 | LenDale White | 244 | 60 | 304 |
2007 | Brandon Jackson | 267 | 130 | 397 |
2007 | Chris Henry | 119 | 53 | 172 |
2007 | Kenny Irons | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2008 | Matt Forte | 1238 | 477 | 1715 |
2008 | Ray Rice | 454 | 273 | 727 |
2009 | LeSean McCoy | 637 | 308 | 945 |
2010 | Toby Gerhart | 322 | 167 | 489 |
2010 | Montario Hardesty | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2010 | Ben Tate | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2011 | Daniel Thomas | 581 | 72 | 653 |
2011 | Shane Vereen | 57 | 0 | 57 |
2011 | Mikel Leshoure | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2011 | Ryan Williams | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2012 | LaMichael James | 125 | 29 | 154 |
2012 | Isaiah Pead | 54 | 16 | 70 |
2013 | Giovani Bernard | 695 | 514 | 1209 |
2013 | LeVeon Bell | 860 | 399 | 1259 |
2013 | Montee Ball | 559 | 145 | 704 |
2013 | Eddie Lacy | 1178 | 257 | 1435 |
2013 | Christine Michael | 79 | 0 | 79 |
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