This week's draft appears to have a strong group of running backs, two of whom figure to be selected in the first round, and several of whom will probably be immediate starters. Maybe there will be a few 1,000- or at least 800-yard rushers. That's quite a change from the 2014 rookie class.
Last year, only one rookie runner reached 1,000 yards; only one reached 800, in fact.
On the bright side, eight rookie runners finished between 500-800 rushing yards. Although none were season-long starters, each did, at some point during the season, help fantasy teams.
The top rookie runners over the last 20 years, sorted by rushing yards, are presented below. The 2014 rookies are in bold.
TOP ROOKIE RUSHERS, 1995-2014 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Team | Att | Ypc | Yds | TD |
2012 | Alfred Morris | WAS | 335 | 4.8 | 1,613 | 13 |
1999 | Edgerrin James | IND | 369 | 4.2 | 1,553 | 13 |
2002 | Clinton Portis | DEN | 273 | 5.5 | 1,508 | 15 |
2000 | Mike Anderson | DEN | 297 | 5 | 1,487 | 15 |
1995 | Curtis Martin | NE | 368 | 4 | 1,487 | 14 |
2012 | Doug Martin | TB | 319 | 4.6 | 1,454 | 11 |
1996 | Eddie George | HOU | 335 | 4.1 | 1,368 | 8 |
2000 | Jamal Lewis | BAL | 309 | 4.4 | 1,364 | 6 |
2007 | Adrian Peterson | MIN | 238 | 5.6 | 1,341 | 12 |
2008 | Steve Slaton | HOU | 268 | 4.8 | 1,282 | 9 |
2008 | Matt Forte | CHI | 316 | 3.9 | 1,238 | 8 |
2001 | LaDainian Tomlinson | SD | 339 | 3.6 | 1,236 | 10 |
2008 | Chris Johnson | TEN | 251 | 4.9 | 1,228 | 9 |
1998 | Fred Taylor | JAC | 264 | 4.6 | 1,223 | 14 |
2001 | Anthony Thomas | CHI | 278 | 4.3 | 1,183 | 7 |
2013 | Eddie Lacy | GB | 284 | 4.1 | 1,178 | 11 |
2005 | Cadillac Williams | TB | 290 | 4.1 | 1,178 | 6 |
1999 | Olandis Gary | DEN | 276 | 4.2 | 1,159 | 7 |
2004 | Kevin Jones | DET | 241 | 4.7 | 1,133 | 5 |
1997 | Corey Dillon | CIN | 233 | 4.8 | 1,129 | 10 |
2014 | Jeremy Hill | CIN | 222 | 5.1 | 1,124 | 9 |
1995 | Terrell Davis | DEN | 237 | 4.7 | 1,117 | 7 |
1996 | Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar | MIA | 307 | 3.6 | 1,116 | 11 |
2007 | Marshawn Lynch | BUF | 280 | 4 | 1,115 | 7 |
1998 | Robert Edwards | NE | 291 | 3.8 | 1,115 | 9 |
2001 | Dominic Rhodes | IND | 233 | 4.7 | 1,104 | 9 |
2006 | Joseph Addai | IND | 226 | 4.8 | 1,081 | 7 |
1995 | Rashaan Salaam | CHI | 296 | 3.6 | 1,074 | 10 |
2003 | Domanick Williams | HOU | 238 | 4.3 | 1,031 | 8 |
2010 | LeGarrette Blount | TB | 201 | 5 | 1,007 | 6 |
1997 | Warrick Dunn | TB | 224 | 4.4 | 978 | 4 |
2008 | Kevin Smith | DET | 238 | 4.1 | 976 | 8 |
2013 | Zac Stacy | STL | 250 | 3.9 | 973 | 7 |
2012 | Trent Richardson | CLE | 267 | 3.6 | 950 | 11 |
2009 | Knowshon Moreno | DEN | 247 | 3.8 | 947 | 7 |
1995 | Rodney Thomas | HOU | 251 | 3.8 | 947 | 5 |
2006 | Maurice Jones-Drew | JAC | 166 | 5.7 | 941 | 13 |
2005 | Ronnie Brown | MIA | 207 | 4.4 | 907 | 4 |
2011 | DeMarco Murray | DAL | 164 | 5.5 | 897 | 2 |
2002 | William Green | CLE | 243 | 3.7 | 887 | 6 |
1999 | Ricky Williams | NO | 253 | 3.5 | 884 | 2 |
2013 | Le'Veon Bell | PIT | 244 | 3.5 | 860 | 8 |
1997 | Antowain Smith | BUF | 194 | 4.3 | 840 | 8 |
2008 | Jonathan Stewart | CAR | 184 | 4.5 | 836 | 10 |
2004 | Julius Jones | DAL | 197 | 4.2 | 819 | 7 |
2012 | Vick Ballard | IND | 211 | 3.9 | 814 | 2 |
1997 | Fred Lane | CAR | 182 | 4.4 | 809 | 7 |
2009 | Beanie Wells | ARI | 176 | 4.5 | 793 | 7 |
2000 | Ron Dayne | NYG | 228 | 3.4 | 770 | 5 |
2014 | Tre Mason | STL | 179 | 4.3 | 765 | 4 |
2006 | Laurence Maroney | NE | 175 | 4.3 | 745 | 6 |
2007 | Selvin Young | DEN | 140 | 5.2 | 729 | 1 |
2001 | Travis Henry | BUF | 213 | 3.4 | 729 | 4 |
2014 | Andre Williams | NYG | 217 | 3.3 | 721 | 7 |
2010 | Chris Ivory | NO | 137 | 5.2 | 716 | 5 |
1995 | Darick Holmes | BUF | 172 | 4.1 | 698 | 4 |
2013 | Giovani Bernard | CIN | 170 | 4.1 | 695 | 5 |
2001 | Michael Bennett | MIN | 172 | 4 | 682 | 2 |
2010 | Ryan Mathews | SD | 158 | 4.3 | 678 | 7 |
2006 | Mike Bell | DEN | 157 | 4.3 | 677 | 8 |
2014 | Terrance West | CLE | 171 | 3.9 | 673 | 4 |
2004 | Steven Jackson | STL | 134 | 5 | 673 | 4 |
2013 | Andre Ellington | ARI | 118 | 5.5 | 652 | 3 |
2006 | Leon Washington | NYJ | 151 | 4.3 | 650 | 4 |
2011 | Roy Helu | WAS | 151 | 4.2 | 640 | 2 |
2009 | LeSean McCoy | PHI | 155 | 4.1 | 637 | 4 |
2006 | Jerious Norwood | ATL | 99 | 6.4 | 633 | 2 |
1996 | Lawrence Phillips | STL | 193 | 3.3 | 632 | 4 |
2005 | Frank Gore | SF | 127 | 4.8 | 608 | 3 |
2014 | Isaiah Crowell | CLE | 148 | 4.1 | 607 | 8 |
2001 | Correll Buckhalter | PHI | 129 | 4.5 | 586 | 2 |
2014 | Branden Oliver | SD | 160 | 3.6 | 582 | 3 |
2005 | Samkon Gado | GB | 143 | 4.1 | 582 | 6 |
2011 | Daniel Thomas | MIA | 165 | 3.5 | 581 | 0 |
2003 | Onterrio Smith | MIN | 107 | 5.4 | 579 | 5 |
2014 | Bishop Sankey | TEN | 152 | 3.7 | 569 | 2 |
2006 | Reggie Bush | NO | 155 | 3.6 | 565 | 6 |
2012 | Bryce Brown | PHI | 115 | 4.9 | 564 | 4 |
2013 | Montee Ball | DEN | 120 | 4.7 | 559 | 4 |
1999 | J.J. Johnson | MIA | 164 | 3.4 | 558 | 4 |
2010 | Jahvid Best | DET | 171 | 3.2 | 555 | 4 |
2001 | James Jackson | CLE | 195 | 2.8 | 554 | 2 |
2009 | Shonn Greene | NYJ | 108 | 5 | 540 | 2 |
2014 | Jerick McKinnon | MIN | 113 | 4.8 | 538 | 0 |
2005 | Marion Barber | DAL | 138 | 3.9 | 538 | 5 |
2012 | Bernard Pierce | BAL | 108 | 4.9 | 532 | 1 |
2002 | Jonathan Wells | HOU | 197 | 2.7 | 529 | 3 |
2014 | Alfred Blue | HOU | 169 | 3.1 | 528 | 2 |
1995 | James Stewart | JAC | 137 | 3.8 | 525 | 2 |
2001 | Kevan Barlow | SF | 125 | 4.1 | 512 | 4 |
2000 | Travis Prentice | CLE | 173 | 3 | 512 | 7 |
1997 | Tiki Barber | NYG | 136 | 3.8 | 511 | 3 |
2002 | T.J. Duckett | ATL | 130 | 3.9 | 507 | 4 |
1998 | John Avery | MIA | 143 | 3.5 | 503 | 2 |
2006 | DeAngelo Williams | CAR | 121 | 4.1 | 501 | 1 |
--Andy Richardson