In the comments of yesterday's draft thread, there was some discussion of rookie running backs, the ones outside the biggest names. So not Clyde Edwards-Helaire or Jonathan Taylor, who will be selected in the first few rounds of every draft, but the ones available a little later. What kind of rookie impact might the guys taken a little later have?
There were five running backs taken in the third round of April's draft. Two of those guys (Lynn Bowden, Darrynton Evans) are definitely no better than No. 2s behind franchise guys, Josh Jacobs and Derrick Henry. A third, Zack Moss, will likely be behind Devin Singletary (a third-round pick himself).
But Antonio Gibson (pictured) in Washington and KeShawn Vaughn in Tampa Bay at least have some potential to carve out committee or even larger roles. It's a new coaching staff in Washington that doesn't need to be committed to oft-injured Derrius Guice, and a new offense in Tampa Bay that won't necessarily hand anything to Ronald Jones. So maybe.
There have been some third-rounders who have made an immediate impact, although not many. Of the 56 drafted in the that round since 2000, four (7 percent) have ranked in the top 10 as rookies. Not great odds, but those who gambled and won probably did pretty well in their leagues, led by Alvin Kamara, Kareem Hunt, Steve Slaton or David Johnson. Table shows rookie numbers and PPR rank that season.
THIRD-ROUND RUNNING BACKS, 2000-PRESENT | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Pk | Player | Run | Rec | Tot | TD | Rk |
2017 | 67 | Alvin Kamara, N.O. | 728 | 826 | 1554 | 14 | 3 |
2017 | 86 | Kareem Hunt, K.C. | 1327 | 455 | 1782 | 11 | 4 |
2008 | 89 | Steve Slaton, Hou. | 1282 | 377 | 1659 | 10 | 7 |
2015 | 86 | David Johnson, Ariz. | 581 | 457 | 1038 | 13 | 7 |
2008 | 64 | Kevin Smith, Det. | 976 | 286 | 1262 | 8 | 17 |
2019 | 73 | David Montgomery, Chi. | 889 | 185 | 1074 | 7 | 24 |
2015 | 77 | Duke Johnson, Clev. | 379 | 534 | 913 | 2 | 24 |
2000 | 63 | Travis Prentice, Clev. | 512 | 191 | 703 | 8 | 29 |
2011 | 71 | DeMarco Murray, Dall. | 897 | 183 | 1080 | 2 | 30 |
2014 | 75 | Tre Mason, St.L. | 765 | 148 | 913 | 5 | 30 |
2019 | 74 | Devin Singletary, Buff. | 775 | 194 | 969 | 4 | 33 |
2001 | 80 | Kevan Barlow, S.F. | 512 | 247 | 759 | 5 | 33 |
2015 | 95 | Matt Jones, Wash. | 490 | 304 | 794 | 4 | 41 |
2014 | 94 | Terrance West, Clev. | 673 | 64 | 737 | 5 | 41 |
2005 | 65 | Frank Gore, S.F. | 608 | 131 | 739 | 3 | 42 |
2001 | 85 | Travis Minor, Mia. | 281 | 263 | 544 | 4 | 42 |
2000 | 76 | J.R. Redmond, N.E. | 406 | 126 | 532 | 3 | 42 |
2002 | 84 | Lamar Gordon, St.L. | 228 | 278 | 506 | 3 | 43 |
2018 | 71 | Royce Freeman, Den. | 521 | 72 | 593 | 5 | 46 |
2006 | 79 | Jerious Norwood, Atl. | 633 | 102 | 735 | 2 | 47 |
2014 | 96 | Jerick McKinnon, Minn. | 538 | 135 | 673 | 0 | 48 |
2008 | 73 | Jamaal Charles, K.C. | 357 | 272 | 629 | 1 | 54 |
2001 | 65 | James Jackson, Clev. | 554 | 56 | 610 | 2 | 55 |
2013 | 96 | Knile Davis, K.C. | 242 | 75 | 317 | 5 | 56 |
2012 | 84 | Bernard Pierce, Balt. | 532 | 47 | 579 | 1 | 59 |
2019 | 102 | Alexander Mattison, Minn. | 462 | 82 | 544 | 1 | 61 |
2007 | 71 | Lorenzo Booker, Mia. | 125 | 0 | 125 | 0 | 65 |
2009 | 65 | Shonn Greene, NYJ | 540 | 0 | 540 | 2 | 66 |
2012 | 67 | Ronnie Hillman, Den. | 330 | 62 | 392 | 1 | 67 |
2016 | 90 | C.J. Prosise, Sea. | 172 | 208 | 380 | 1 | 68 |
2011 | 73 | Stevan Ridley, N.E. | 441 | 13 | 454 | 1 | 73 |
2014 | 69 | Charles Sims, T.B. | 185 | 190 | 375 | 1 | 73 |
2017 | 89 | D'Onta Foreman, Hou. | 327 | 83 | 410 | 2 | 74 |
2016 | 73 | Kenyan Drake, Mia. | 179 | 46 | 225 | 2 | 74 |
2005 | 77 | Ryan Moats, Phil. | 278 | 7 | 285 | 3 | 75 |
2005 | 73 | Vernand Morency, Hou. | 184 | 87 | 271 | 2 | 76 |
2009 | 74 | Glen Coffee, S.F. | 226 | 76 | 302 | 1 | 78 |
2015 | 73 | Tevin Coleman, Atl. | 392 | 14 | 406 | 1 | 79 |
2008 | 69 | Jacob Hester, S.D. | 95 | 91 | 186 | 2 | 80 |
2002 | 91 | Brian Westbrook, Phil. | 193 | 86 | 279 | 0 | 82 |
2003 | 93 | Chris Brown, Tenn. | 221 | 61 | 282 | 0 | 88 |
2007 | 93 | Garrett Wolfe, Chi. | 85 | 117 | 202 | 0 | 92 |
2019 | 70 | Darrell Henderson, LAR | 147 | 37 | 184 | 0 | 98 |
2003 | 96 | Justin Fargas, Oak. | 203 | 2 | 205 | 0 | 103 |
2017 | 105 | James Conner, Pitt. | 144 | 0 | 144 | 0 | 113 |
2003 | 77 | Musa Smith, Balt. | 31 | 0 | 31 | 2 | 118 |
2007 | 90 | Tony Hunt, Phil. | 16 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 132 |
2006 | 74 | Brian Calhoun, Det. | 19 | 20 | 39 | 0 | 133 |
2019 | 87 | Damien Harris, N.E. | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 142 |
2001 | 82 | Heath Evans, Sea. | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 142 |
2011 | 96 | Alex Green, G.B. | 11 | 6 | 17 | 0 | 150 |
2014 | 97 | Dri Archer, Pitt. | 40 | 23 | 63 | 0 | 155 |
2003 | 85 | B.J. Askew, NYJ | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 157 |
2005 | 101 | Maurice Clarett, Den. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- |
2000 | 81 | Reuben Droughns, Det. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- |
2000 | 88 | Doug Chapman, Minn. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- |
2020 | 66 | Antonio Gibson, Wash. | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
2020 | 93 | Darrynton Evans, Tenn. | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
2020 | 76 | KeShawn Vaughn, T.B. | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
2020 | 80 | Lynn Bowden, L.V. | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
2020 | 86 | Zack Moss, Buff. | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
Three other third-rounders (Kevin Smith, Duke Johnson and David Montgomery last year) at least ranked in the top 25 among running backs. Singletary last year made it into the top 35. So if you can select Moss or Gibson in a later round, just maybe you'll wind up with a fantasy starter at a very cheap price.
Gibson was a wide receiver in college, and Ron Rivera compared him to Christian McCaffrey for his receiving ability. Neither Guice nor Adrian Peterson is much of a pass-catcher, so that's a role Gibson could take over right away. He wasn't heavily used at Memphis (77 offensive touches last year) but scored 14 touchdowns. With Moss, who ran for 36 touchdowns the last three seasons at Utah, maybe he can take on goal-line duties. Those are the most intriguing of this group.
--Andy Richardson