I don't usually wind up with the top rookie running backs on my roster. People draft them early, usually too early, selecting them as if they're going to be the next LaDainian Tomlinson or Kareem Hunt, even though a lot has to go right for that to happen. I like to take stabs at the later guys.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jonathan Taylor, D'Andre Swift, Cam Akers -- these guys intrigue me. But they're being selected in the second or third rounds (if not earlier) in best-ball drafts going on right now, and that's just too soon for me. It's not that they can't live up to that status, but to get them I need to pass up a player I feel much better about. So with the possible exception of Akers, who's a little under the radar compared to the others, none of these guys will be on my team.
With the later-round guys -- players who were selected in the middle or late rounds of the actual draft, generally, and are going into situations where they'll definitely start out as backups -- I like to look at their receiving production last season. Were they involved in the passing game, catching balls and making plays that way? Because that's how they might start out in the offense as a rookie (if they can prove serviceable in pass protection, of course). And if they make an impact there, it will be easier for them to work their way into a large role in the offense if the starter struggles or gets hurt.
Here are the receiving numbers from last season for college running backs, sorted by receptions (minimum 20). I've bolded the guys who were drafted into interesting situations where they'll either start (including guys I've already said I won't be drafting) or could be an injury or two away from a key role.
| COLLEGE RUNNING BACK RECEIVING, 2019 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | School | Run | TD | No | Rec | TD |
| Max Borghi | Washington State | 817 | 11 | 86 | 597 | 5 |
| Clyde Edwards-Helaire | LSU | 1414 | 16 | 55 | 453 | 1 |
| Kenny Gainwell | Memphis | 1459 | 13 | 51 | 610 | 3 |
| Ronnie Rivers | Fresno State | 899 | 13 | 43 | 352 | 3 |
| Eno Benjamin | Arizona State | 1083 | 10 | 42 | 347 | 2 |
| Lamical Perine | Florida | 676 | 6 | 40 | 262 | 5 |
| Jason Huntley | New Mexico State | 1090 | 9 | 40 | 192 | 2 |
| SaRodorick Thompson | Texas Tech | 765 | 12 | 39 | 154 | 0 |
| Torrance Marable | Coastal Carolina | 1085 | 11 | 38 | 295 | 3 |
| Travis Etienne | Clemson | 1614 | 19 | 37 | 432 | 4 |
| Gerold Bright | Utah State | 921 | 9 | 35 | 230 | 1 |
| De'Michael Harris | Southern Mississippi | 541 | 5 | 34 | 346 | 3 |
| Jonathan Ward | Central Michigan | 1108 | 15 | 34 | 329 | 1 |
| J.J. Taylor | Arizona | 721 | 5 | 32 | 289 | 0 |
| Tra Minter | South Alabama | 1057 | 5 | 32 | 209 | 0 |
| Otis Anderson | UCF | 726 | 5 | 31 | 365 | 3 |
| Lynn Bowden Jr. | Kentucky | 1468 | 13 | 30 | 348 | 1 |
| Cam Akers | Florida State | 1144 | 14 | 30 | 225 | 4 |
| Toa Taua | Nevada | 807 | 6 | 30 | 185 | 0 |
| Keaontay Ingram | Texas | 853 | 7 | 29 | 242 | 3 |
| Moe Neal | Syracuse | 846 | 7 | 29 | 242 | 0 |
| Isaiah Spiller | Texas A&M | 946 | 10 | 29 | 203 | 0 |
| Zack Moss | Utah | 1416 | 15 | 28 | 388 | 2 |
| Ke'Shawn Vaughn | Vanderbilt | 1028 | 9 | 28 | 270 | 1 |
| Najee Harris | Alabama | 1224 | 13 | 27 | 304 | 7 |
| DeJon Packer | San Jose State | 567 | 11 | 27 | 270 | 1 |
| Bryson Denley | Bowling Green State | 544 | 4 | 27 | 267 | 3 |
| Pooka Williams | Kansas | 1061 | 3 | 27 | 214 | 2 |
| Alex Fontenot | Colorado | 874 | 5 | 27 | 122 | 0 |
| Walter Fletcher | Ball State | 726 | 5 | 26 | 306 | 2 |
| Jonathan Taylor | Wisconsin | 2003 | 21 | 26 | 252 | 5 |
| Stevie Scott | Indiana | 845 | 10 | 26 | 211 | 1 |
| George Holani | Boise State | 1014 | 7 | 26 | 206 | 3 |
| Cameron Scarlett | Stanford | 840 | 7 | 25 | 240 | 0 |
| DK Billingsley | Troy | 901 | 10 | 25 | 211 | 0 |
| JaMycal Hasty | Baylor | 627 | 7 | 25 | 184 | 0 |
| D'Andre Swift | Georgia | 1218 | 7 | 24 | 216 | 1 |
| Justin Henderson | Louisiana Tech | 1062 | 15 | 24 | 200 | 1 |
| Sincere McCormick | UTSA | 983 | 8 | 24 | 194 | 1 |
| Tyler Goodson | Iowa | 638 | 5 | 24 | 166 | 0 |
| Gaej Walker | Western Kentucky | 1208 | 8 | 24 | 140 | 0 |
| Sewo Olonilua | Texas Christian | 537 | 8 | 24 | 114 | 1 |
| A.J. Davis | Pitt | 530 | 4 | 23 | 269 | 0 |
| Breece Hall | Iowa State | 897 | 9 | 23 | 252 | 1 |
| J.K. Dobbins | Ohio State | 2003 | 21 | 23 | 247 | 2 |
| Chuba Hubbard | Oklahoma State | 2094 | 21 | 23 | 198 | 0 |
| Art Pierce | Oregon State | 873 | 6 | 23 | 169 | 1 |
| Kobe Lewis | Central Michigan | 1074 | 12 | 23 | 164 | 0 |
| Roschon Johnson | Texas | 649 | 7 | 23 | 158 | 1 |
| Christopher Brown Jr. | California | 914 | 8 | 22 | 166 | 4 |
| Darius Anderson | Texas Christian | 823 | 6 | 22 | 128 | 0 |
| Darrynton Evans | Appalachian State | 1480 | 18 | 21 | 198 | 5 |
| Deon Jackson | Duke | 641 | 6 | 21 | 192 | 2 |
| Michael Carter | North Carolina | 1003 | 3 | 21 | 154 | 2 |
| Michael Warren | Cincinnati | 1265 | 14 | 21 | 153 | 2 |
| Jerrion Ealy | Ole Miss | 722 | 6 | 20 | 172 | 1 |
| Xavier Jones | SMU | 1276 | 23 | 20 | 90 | 2 |
Three of the bolded players -- Taylor, Hasty, Anderson -- weren't drafted, but all three are interesting. They signed as undrafted free agents with the Patriots, 49ers and Cowboys. Definitely places where a running back can make an impact if injuries strike (and they usually do).
Among drafted players, I'm interested in Perine (behind LeVeon Bell and Frank Gore) and Eno Benjamin (pictured; vying with Chase Edmonds to back up Kenyan Drake).
These are the rookie running backs I'll be looking at in the later rounds of a best-ball draft I'm in right now. Because you never know.