Fantasy Index

Factoid

Derrick Henry / Final year of college rushing

Derrick Henry rushed for over 2,200 yards at Alabama last year. Tennessee selected him in the second round, and he'll probably play behind DeMarco Murray initially, then take over perhaps a year from now. Does college production mean he'll be a good pro? Not necessarily.

Over the last 10 years, there have been 50 other running backs drafted in the first two rounds. Eleven of those backs rushed for at least 1,800 yards in their final years of college, and fewer than half of them have gone on to be good NFL players. Only two have really been great: Matt Forte and Ray Rice.

The number of disappointments at the top of the list, meanwhile, suggests optimism about Henry should be tempered. Ball, Sankey, Gerhart, James. Rushing for huge numbers in college doesn't consistently translate to the NFL.

Final year of college rushing numbers for all running backs drafted in the first two rounds since 2006, sorted by yardage, are shown below; 2016 rookies are in bold.

FINAL YEAR OF COLLEGE RUSHING, 1ST AND 2ND-ROUND RBS, 2006-
YearRdPkPlayerCollegeYardsTD
2015115Melvin Gordon, S.D.Wisconsin258732
2016245Derrick Henry, Tenn.Alabama221928
2008244Matt Forte, Chi.Tulane212723
2009127Donald Brown, Ind.Connecticut 208318
2008255Ray Rice, Balt.Rutgers201225
2006127DeAngelo Williams, Car.Memphis196419
2010251Toby Gerhart, Minn.Stanford187128
2014254Bishop Sankey, Tenn.Washington187021
2013258Montee Ball, Den.Wisconsin183022
200814Darren McFadden, Oak.Arkansas183017
201614Ezekiel Elliott, Dall.Ohio State182123
2010112Ryan Mathews, S.D.Fresno State180819
2012261LaMichael James, S.F.Oregon180519
2013248LeVeon Bell, Pitt.Michigan State179313
200612Reggie Bush, N.O.Southern California174018
2008113Jonathan Stewart, Car.Oregon172213
2012132David Wilson, NYGVirginia Tech170910
2011257Mikel Leshoure, Det.Illinois169720
2008123Rashard Mendenhall, Pitt.Illinois168119
201213Trent Richardson, Clev.Alabama167924
2015254Ameer Abdullah, Det.Nebraska161122
2011262Daniel Thomas, Mia.Kansas State158519
2014257Carlos Hyde, S.F.Ohio State152118
2009253LeSean McCoy, Phil.Pittsburgh 148821
2006121Laurence Maroney, N.E.Minnesota146411
2008124Chris Johnson, Tenn.East Carolina142323
2014255Jeremy Hill, Cin.Louisiana State140116
2009112Knowshon Moreno, Den.Georgia 140018
2010258Ben Tate, Hou.Auburn136210
2007112Marshawn Lynch, Buff.California135615
2010259Montario Hardesty, Clev.Tennessee134514
2013261Eddie Lacy, G.B.Alabama132219
2006245LenDale White, Tenn.Southern California130226
2012131Doug Martin, T.B.Boise State129918
2012250Isaiah Pead, St.L.Cincinnati125915
2013237Giovani Bernard, Cin.North Carolina122817
201019C.J. Spiller, Buff.Clemson121216
2009131Beanie Wells, Ariz.Ohio State 11978
2011256Shane Vereen, N.E.California116716
2008122Felix Jones, Dall.Arkansas116211
200717Adrian Peterson, Minn.Oklahoma101213
2007263Brandon Jackson, G.B.Nebraska98910
2015236T.J. Yeldon, Jac.Alabama97912
2006260Maurice Jones-Drew, Jac.UCLA91417
2015110Todd Gurley, St.L.Georgia9119
2006130Joseph Addai, Ind.Louisiana State91110
2007249Kenny Irons, Cin.Auburn8934
2011128Mark Ingram, N.O.Alabama87514
2010130Jahvid Best, Det.California86716
2007250Chris Henry, Tenn.Arizona5818
2011238Ryan Williams, Ariz.Virginia Tech47710
2013262Christine Michael, Sea.Texas A&M41712

--Andy Richardson

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