Devontae Booker, I think, is a key running back. One of those guys that should be available in the later rounds and could pay off nicely. He’s more talented than C.J. Anderson, and I don’t think Jamaal Charles has anything left.
I have seen Charles selected before Booker in multiple drafts, and that’s hard to understand. Great as Charles used to be, he’s 30, has undergone multiple knee injuries, and I think his time has past. In my eyes, Booker is the clear No. 2 in this offense. I don’t know that there’s much difference between Anderson and Booker, and I’ve got Charles as a distant 3rd (if he even makes the team).
There’s an article on ESPN that outlines Booker’s struggles last year. He was transitioning to the pros, he’d undergone two knee surgeries in his final year at Utah, and he says he hit the wall. “You learn it's different than college, a lot different,” Booker told Jeff Legwold. “In college you're winding down when things really get going (in the NFL). You see good teams and good players start strong, finish strong.”
Vance Joseph says he envisions using multiple backs and seeing what transpires. “It's going to take two or three guys at that spot to make it a complete unit in my opinion,” the new coach says.
I like Booker as a flyer option in the later rounds. Maybe he develops into something and dramatically outperforms his draft position. You win leagues with those kind of picks.
But I can’t promise that he’ll be a star. He was poor enough at the end of last year that they signed Justin Forsett off the street and made him their primary back in short order.
For the season, Booker averaged only 3.5 yards per carry. In this century, 11 other running backs chosen in the third or fourth round have averaged under 4 per attempt in their first season (that’s with at least 100 attempts). None of those 11 backs ever ran for 1,000 yards in a season.
Running backs can turn things around, of course. Lamar Miller, Devonta Freeman and Chris Brown (Titans) didn’t do much in their first seasons and then became 1,000-yard rushers (none of them had 100 carries in their first year). But the more common outcome is that when a running back plays plenty in his first season and can’t quite do it, those guys don’t tend to become successful players.
In this chart below, the players are in order by their yards-per-carry averages. If the player ever ran for 1,000 yards in a season, I’ve got him flagged with a black dot.
I’ve got Booker has a good later round pick for now. Let’s see what he looks like in the preseason games – how he’s running, and how they’re using him. With a strong preseason, he might look pretty much equivalent to Anderson.
| BACKS TAKEN IN 3rd OR 4th ROUND | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Att | Yards | Avg |
| 2011 | • DeMarco Murray, Dall. | 164 | 897 | 5.47 |
| 2003 | Onterrio Smith, Minn. | 107 | 579 | 5.41 |
| 2009 | • Shonn Greene, NYJ | 108 | 540 | 5.00 |
| 2012 | Bernard Pierce, Balt. | 108 | 532 | 4.93 |
| 2005 | • Frank Gore, S.F. | 127 | 608 | 4.79 |
| 2008 | • Steve Slaton, Hou. | 268 | 1282 | 4.78 |
| 2014 | Jerick McKinnon, Minn. | 113 | 538 | 4.76 |
| 2015 | • David Johnson, Ariz. | 125 | 581 | 4.65 |
| 2001 | Correll Buckhalter, Phil. | 129 | 586 | 4.54 |
| 2003 | • Domanick Davis, Hou. | 238 | 1031 | 4.33 |
| 2006 | Leon Washington, NYJ | 151 | 650 | 4.30 |
| 2014 | Tre Mason, St.L. | 179 | 765 | 4.27 |
| 2011 | Roy Helu, Wash. | 151 | 640 | 4.24 |
| 2011 | Kendall Hunter, S.F. | 112 | 473 | 4.22 |
| 2008 | Kevin Smith, Det. | 238 | 976 | 4.10 |
| 2001 | • Kevan Barlow, S.F. | 125 | 512 | 4.10 |
| 2014 | Terrance West, Clev. | 171 | 673 | 3.94 |
| 2005 | Marion Barber, Dall. | 138 | 538 | 3.90 |
| 2015 | Javorius Allen, Balt. | 137 | 514 | 3.75 |
| 2015 | Duke Johnson, Clev. | 104 | 379 | 3.64 |
| 2015 | Jeremy Langford, Chi. | 148 | 537 | 3.63 |
| 2016 | Devontae Booker, Den. | 174 | 612 | 3.52 |
| 2015 | Matt Jones, Wash. | 144 | 490 | 3.40 |
| 2014 | Andre Williams, NYG | 217 | 721 | 3.32 |
| 2000 | J.R. Redmond, N.E. | 125 | 406 | 3.25 |
| 2000 | Travis Prentice, Clev. | 173 | 512 | 2.96 |
| 2001 | James Jackson, Clev. | 195 | 554 | 2.84 |
| 2002 | Jonathan Wells, Hou. | 197 | 529 | 2.69 |
—Ian Allan