Bob McGinn's annual series on scouts' views of the draft's top prospects, by position, is pretty much required reading. It's particularly useful to get critical views of these players before they're drafted, after which all the talk is team-driven sunshine and lollipops about how great the new rookies are.
For fantasy teams, the running back edition is the most interesting one, since these are the most valuable players in fantasy leagues, and the most likely to make a rookie impact. Although none are expected to be drafted in the first round, that doesn't mean there are no good ones. It's just that teams know they'll be able to wait and take them in the second or third rounds, like Eddie Lacy, Giovani Bernard, and LeVeon Bell, among others, a year ago.
Of the 18 scouts McGinn talked to, nine see Ohio State's Carlos Hyde as the draft's top running back, while seven favored LSU's Jeremy Hill. Two other backs got first-place votes. There's not much consensus. To see individual scout comments on the various backs, check here.
It will be interesting to see which back is drafted earliest; last year few would have expected it to be Giovani Bernard. Sometimes it will come down to what a team is looking for -- an explosive change-of-pace type, an early-down pounder, a pass-catcher out of the backfield. Injury red flags, off-field issues and other concerns will all factor into where these players end up.
At a glance, it doesn't look like a great group. The draft is considered very strong at receiver, but at running back you've got a lot of guys with flaws. Some will no doubt turn into solid players that help teams, but the next Adrian Peterson? Doesn't look like he's coming out of this draft.
--Andy Richardson
