Marlon Mack looked like a quality young running back with the Colts a couple of years ago. In 2018-2019 he averaged exactly 1,000 rushing yards and scored 17 TDs on the ground. But he tore his Achilles, Indianapolis drafted Jonathan Taylor, and Mack's time seems to have come and gone.
But Mack just turned 26 years old, and he's now landed with a team where he couldn't ask for a clearer path to the starting lineup. He signed with the Texans, who last year had about the ugliest backfield in recent memory. It's not a great situation if we're talking about offensive line or scheme, but it's perfect if looking at the odds of him moving atop the depth chart.
Houston has veteran David Johnson under contract, and it also re-signed Rex Burkhead to a one-year, $2.3 million deal, so he'll have a role. It also has Dare Ogunbowale, and Royce Freeman, really cornering the market on veteran pass-catching backs whose names you're dimly familiar with. But none of those guys looks like lead runners at this point; the addition of Mack might mean the team plans to release Johnson. Certainly, there's no reason for the team to feel much loyalty to any of its holdover backs.
Last year the team trundled out a ridiculous four-back committee involving Johnson, Burkhead, Phillip Lindsay and Mark Ingram, with Freeman also mixing in to the tune of a pitiful 2.6 yards per attempt late in the year. Yards per carry isn't always a telling stat, since offensive line, blocking scheme, and overall quality of the offense are a large part of that. The deck was stacked against those runners from the get-go, and things won't necessarily be dramatically better for Mack.
But when you look at every back in the NFL who carried the ball at least 60 times a year ago, and see that Houston managed to roster the worst four runners in the league in terms of yards per attempt, you see a team that shouldn't hesitate to give Mack opportunities to resurrect his career. If he can't move to the top of this depth chart, where can he?
| RUNNING BACK RUSHING, 2021 (60-PLUS ATTEMPTS) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Att | Yds | Avg | TD |
| Rashaad Penny, Sea. | 119 | 749 | 6.3 | 6 |
| Tony Pollard, Dall. | 130 | 719 | 5.5 | 2 |
| Nick Chubb, Cle. | 228 | 1259 | 5.5 | 8 |
| Miles Sanders, Phil. | 137 | 754 | 5.5 | 0 |
| Jonathan Taylor, Ind. | 332 | 1811 | 5.5 | 18 |
| Justin Jackson, LAC | 68 | 364 | 5.4 | 2 |
| D'Ernest Johnson, Cle. | 100 | 534 | 5.3 | 3 |
| Chase Edmonds, Ariz. | 116 | 592 | 5.1 | 2 |
| Kareem Hunt, Cle. | 78 | 386 | 5.0 | 5 |
| Jordan Howard, Phil. | 86 | 406 | 4.7 | 3 |
| James Robinson, Jac. | 164 | 767 | 4.7 | 8 |
| Aaron Jones, G.B. | 171 | 799 | 4.7 | 4 |
| Dalvin Cook, Min. | 249 | 1159 | 4.7 | 6 |
| Elijah Mitchell, S.F. | 207 | 963 | 4.7 | 5 |
| Duke Johnson, Mia. | 71 | 330 | 4.7 | 3 |
| Devin Singletary, Buff. | 188 | 870 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Darrell Henderson, LAR | 149 | 688 | 4.6 | 5 |
| Damien Harris, N.E. | 202 | 929 | 4.6 | 15 |
| Rhamondre Stevenson, N.E. | 133 | 606 | 4.6 | 5 |
| Melvin Gordon, Den. | 203 | 918 | 4.5 | 8 |
| Leonard Fournette, T.B. | 180 | 812 | 4.5 | 8 |
| Christian McCaffrey, Car. | 99 | 442 | 4.5 | 1 |
| Javonte Williams, Den. | 203 | 903 | 4.5 | 4 |
| Austin Ekeler, LAC | 206 | 911 | 4.4 | 12 |
| Michael Carter, NYJ | 147 | 639 | 4.4 | 4 |
| Clyde Edwards-Helaire, K.C. | 119 | 517 | 4.3 | 4 |
| Devonta Freeman, Balt. | 133 | 576 | 4.3 | 5 |
| AJ Dillon, G.B. | 187 | 803 | 4.3 | 5 |
| Boston Scott, Phil. | 87 | 373 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Derrick Henry, Ten. | 219 | 937 | 4.3 | 10 |
| Kenneth Gainwell, Phil. | 68 | 291 | 4.3 | 5 |
| D'Onta Foreman, Ten. | 133 | 566 | 4.3 | 3 |
| Ronald Jones, T.B. | 101 | 428 | 4.2 | 4 |
| Tevin Coleman, NYJ | 84 | 356 | 4.2 | 0 |
| Ezekiel Elliott, Dall. | 237 | 1002 | 4.2 | 10 |
| Latavius Murray, Balt. | 119 | 501 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Khalil Herbert, Chi. | 103 | 433 | 4.2 | 2 |
| Joe Mixon, Cin. | 292 | 1205 | 4.1 | 13 |
| D'Andre Swift, Det. | 151 | 617 | 4.1 | 5 |
| Devontae Booker, NYG | 145 | 593 | 4.1 | 2 |
| Sony Michel, LAR | 208 | 845 | 4.1 | 4 |
| Cordarrelle Patterson, Atl. | 153 | 618 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Kenyan Drake, L.V. | 63 | 254 | 4.0 | 2 |
| Antonio Gibson, Was. | 258 | 1037 | 4.0 | 7 |
| Josh Jacobs, L.V. | 217 | 872 | 4.0 | 9 |
| Jamaal Williams, Det. | 153 | 601 | 3.9 | 3 |
| Najee Harris, Pitt. | 307 | 1200 | 3.9 | 7 |
| Jaret Patterson, Was. | 68 | 266 | 3.9 | 2 |
| Ty Johnson, NYJ | 61 | 238 | 3.9 | 2 |
| Darrel Williams, K.C. | 144 | 558 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Alex Collins, Sea. | 108 | 411 | 3.8 | 2 |
| David Montgomery, Chi. | 225 | 849 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Alvin Kamara, N.O. | 240 | 898 | 3.7 | 4 |
| James Conner, Ariz. | 202 | 752 | 3.7 | 15 |
| Jeff Wilson, S.F. | 79 | 294 | 3.7 | 2 |
| Saquon Barkley, NYG | 162 | 593 | 3.7 | 2 |
| Alexander Mattison, Min. | 134 | 491 | 3.7 | 3 |
| Mike Davis, Atl. | 138 | 503 | 3.6 | 3 |
| Zack Moss, Buff. | 96 | 345 | 3.6 | 4 |
| Chuba Hubbard, Car. | 172 | 612 | 3.6 | 5 |
| Myles Gaskin, Mia. | 173 | 612 | 3.5 | 3 |
| Carlos Hyde, Jac. | 72 | 253 | 3.5 | 1 |
| Rex Burkhead, Hou. | 122 | 427 | 3.5 | 3 |
| Mark Ingram, 2TM | 160 | 554 | 3.5 | 2 |
| David Johnson, Hou. | 67 | 228 | 3.4 | 0 |
| Phillip Lindsay, 2TM | 88 | 249 | 2.8 | 1 |
Maybe the situation will be too poor for Mack to prosper. Thus far Houston has added only one player of note to its offensive line in former Jacksonville guard A.J. Cann, so the team isn't going to start mauling anyone on the ground. But they've got the NFL Draft and some decent picks to work with, and a new coaching staff installed. Things can only get better.
If you're in the middle rounds and all of the league's starting running backs are gone, Mack starts to make some sense as a potential option. Best guess is that Burkhead (who turns 32 this summer) or Johnson slides into a passing downs role, and Mack is the team's main runner. If this team has a viable runner -- and I'm not promising it will -- he'll probably be the guy.
--Andy Richardson