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Factoid

Andre Williams / fourth-round running backs

Andre Williams opened some eyes with a strong preseason debut in the Hall of Fame Game. It looks like the Giants might have uncovered a future starting running back in their fourth-round pick.

They're not alone. The Falcons (Devonta Freeman) and Patriots (James White) also selected running backs in the fourth round of this year's draft, and both of those players are also drawing a lot of preseason accolades. The three other fourth-round running backs selected in April -- KaDeem Carey in Chicago, Lorenzo Taliaferro in Baltimore, and DeAnthony Thomas in Kansas City -- are all candidates for significant roles with their teams this year. Carey will probably be Matt Forte's primary backup. Thomas could fill the old Dexter McCluster role in Kansas City. Taliaferro is less likely to do anything, but it might only take an injury to Ray Rice or Bernard Pierce for him to be a significant part of that offense.

Even if it's only Williams, Freeman and White who amount to anything in the NFL, that trio will be beating the odds for fourth-rounders. The table below shows the 52 running backs selected in the fourth round this century. In only one of the 14 seasons have three of those players amounted to anything in the NFL. That was 2005, which produced Darren Sproles, Marion Barber and Brandon Jacobs, all of whom had decent NFL careers.

The best players from that time frame are listed in bold. The jury is still out on some of the recent picks (Lamar Miller, for example), but it's unlikely any recent year will be as good as 2014 looks at this early stage.

FOURTH-ROUND RUNNING BACKS, 2000-2013
YearPlayerTeam
2013Johnathan Franklin Packers
2013Marcus Lattimore 49ers
2012Robert TurbinSeahawks
2012Lamar MillerDolphins
2011Roy HeluWashington
2011Kendall Hunter49ers
2011Bilal PowellJets
2011Delone CarterColts
2011Owen MarecicBrowns
2011Taiwan JonesRaiders
2011Jamie HarperTitans
2010Joe McKnightJets
2009Mike GoodsonPanthers
2009Andre BrownGiants
2009Gartrell JohnsonChargers
2008Tashard ChoiceCowboys
2007Michael BushRaiders
2007Antonio PittmanSaints
2007Dwayne WrightBills
2006Leon WashingtonJets
2006P.J. DanielsRavens
2005Marion BarberCowboys
2005Brandon JacobsGiants
2005Darren SprolesChargers
2005Ciatrick FasonVikings
2005Manuel WhiteWashington
2005Alvin PearmanJaguars
2004Mewelde MooreVikings
2004Cedric CobbsPatriots
2003Domanick DavisTexans
2003Onterrio SmithVikings
2003Lee SuggsBrowns
2003Artose PinnerLions
2003Quentin GriffinBroncos
2003Jeremi JohnsonBengals
2003Justin GriffithFalcons
2003LaBrandon ToefieldJaguars
2003Ovie MughelliRavens
2002Jonathan WellsTexans
2002Omar EasyKansas City
2002Travis StephensBuccaneers
2002Jamar MartinCowboys
2002Najeh DavenportPackers
2001Correll BuckhalterEagles
2001Rudi JohnsonBengals
2001George LayneKansas City
2001Moran NorrisSaints
2000Terrelle SmithSaints
2000Curtis KeatonBengals
2000Aaron SheaBrowns
2000Frank MoreauKansas City
2000Deon DyerDolphins

--Andy Richardson

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