There were no running backs selected in the first round this year, but there were two drafted in the first half of the second round. Breece Hall went to the Jets at the 36th pick, and Ken Walker went to the Seahawks with the 41st selection. It's a really nice area for running backs to go in these days.
In the last decade, there have been 12 other running backs selected between picks 33-48; the first 16 picks of round two. Those guys have been part of a lot of top fantasy seasons -- almost all of them.
Six of the 12 running backs selected in that area of the draft since 2012 have had at least one top-1o fantasy season (PPR). Five of those six have had two such seasons. Four of the remaining six have had a top-20 season. Two of them (D'Andre Swift and Javonte Williams) seem likely to deliver a top-10 season at some point in their careers; maybe even 2022.
Collectively those 12 players have combined for 55 NFL seasons. They've ranked in the top 20 at their position in just about half of them (27). In the table, top-10 seasons are in bold and top-20 in italics. (Even the misses, T.J. Yeldon and Kerryon Johnson, had top-25 and top-35 seasons, respectively.)
RUNNING BACKS DRAFTED PICKS 33-48, 2012-PRESENT | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pk | Year | Player | G | Att | Yds | Rec | Yds | TD | Rk |
41 | 2021 | Jonathan Taylor, Ind. | 17 | 332 | 1811 | 40 | 360 | 20 | 1 |
48 | 2021 | Joe Mixon, Cin. | 16 | 292 | 1205 | 42 | 314 | 16 | 4 |
35 | 2021 | Nick Chubb, Cle. | 14 | 228 | 1259 | 20 | 174 | 9 | 13 |
35 | 2021 | D'Andre Swift, Det. | 13 | 151 | 617 | 62 | 452 | 7 | 15 |
41 | 2021 | Dalvin Cook, Min. | 13 | 249 | 1159 | 34 | 224 | 6 | 16 |
35 | 2021 | Javonte Williams, Den. | 17 | 203 | 903 | 43 | 316 | 7 | 17 |
45 | 2021 | Derrick Henry, Ten. | 8 | 219 | 937 | 18 | 154 | 10 | 22 |
38 | 2021 | Ronald Jones, T.B. | 16 | 101 | 428 | 10 | 64 | 4 | 62 |
37 | 2021 | Giovani Bernard, T.B. | 12 | 8 | 58 | 23 | 123 | 3 | 73 |
48 | 2021 | LeVeon Bell, 2TM | 8 | 39 | 101 | 5 | 30 | 3 | 89 |
41 | 2020 | Dalvin Cook, Min. | 14 | 312 | 1557 | 44 | 361 | 17 | 2 |
45 | 2020 | Derrick Henry, Ten. | 16 | 378 | 2027 | 19 | 114 | 17 | 3 |
41 | 2020 | Jonathan Taylor, Ind. | 15 | 232 | 1169 | 36 | 299 | 12 | 6 |
35 | 2020 | Nick Chubb, Cle. | 12 | 190 | 1067 | 16 | 150 | 12 | 11 |
35 | 2020 | D'Andre Swift, Det. | 13 | 114 | 521 | 46 | 357 | 10 | 16 |
38 | 2020 | Ronald Jones, T.B. | 14 | 192 | 978 | 28 | 165 | 8 | 19 |
37 | 2020 | Giovani Bernard, Cin. | 16 | 124 | 416 | 47 | 355 | 6 | 30 |
48 | 2020 | Joe Mixon, Cin. | 6 | 119 | 428 | 21 | 138 | 4 | 48 |
48 | 2020 | LeVeon Bell, 2TM | 11 | 82 | 328 | 16 | 138 | 2 | 63 |
43 | 2020 | Kerryon Johnson, Det. | 16 | 52 | 181 | 19 | 187 | 3 | 64 |
36 | 2020 | T.J. Yeldon, Buff. | 3 | 10 | 70 | 1 | 22 | 1 | 118 |
45 | 2019 | Derrick Henry, Ten. | 15 | 303 | 1540 | 18 | 206 | 18 | 5 |
41 | 2019 | Dalvin Cook, Min. | 14 | 250 | 1135 | 53 | 519 | 13 | 6 |
35 | 2019 | Nick Chubb, Cle. | 16 | 298 | 1494 | 36 | 278 | 8 | 8 |
48 | 2019 | Joe Mixon, Cin. | 16 | 278 | 1137 | 35 | 287 | 8 | 13 |
48 | 2019 | LeVeon Bell, NYJ | 15 | 245 | 789 | 66 | 461 | 4 | 16 |
38 | 2019 | Ronald Jones, T.B. | 16 | 172 | 724 | 31 | 309 | 6 | 25 |
43 | 2019 | Kerryon Johnson, Det. | 8 | 113 | 403 | 10 | 127 | 4 | 54 |
37 | 2019 | Giovani Bernard, Cin. | 16 | 53 | 170 | 30 | 234 | 0 | 60 |
36 | 2019 | T.J. Yeldon, Buff. | 6 | 17 | 63 | 13 | 124 | 0 | 89 |
48 | 2018 | Joe Mixon, Cin. | 14 | 237 | 1168 | 43 | 296 | 9 | 10 |
45 | 2018 | Derrick Henry, Ten. | 16 | 215 | 1059 | 15 | 99 | 12 | 16 |
35 | 2018 | Nick Chubb, Cle. | 16 | 192 | 996 | 20 | 149 | 10 | 17 |
36 | 2018 | T.J. Yeldon, Jac. | 14 | 104 | 414 | 55 | 487 | 5 | 22 |
41 | 2018 | Dalvin Cook, Min. | 11 | 133 | 615 | 40 | 305 | 4 | 30 |
43 | 2018 | Kerryon Johnson, Det. | 10 | 118 | 641 | 32 | 213 | 4 | 33 |
37 | 2018 | Giovani Bernard, Cin. | 12 | 56 | 211 | 35 | 218 | 3 | 52 |
38 | 2018 | Ronald Jones, T.B. | 9 | 23 | 44 | 7 | 33 | 1 | 95 |
48 | 2017 | LeVeon Bell, Pitt. | 15 | 321 | 1291 | 85 | 655 | 11 | 2 |
37 | 2017 | Giovani Bernard, Cin. | 16 | 105 | 458 | 43 | 389 | 4 | 29 |
48 | 2017 | Joe Mixon, Cin. | 14 | 178 | 626 | 30 | 287 | 4 | 33 |
45 | 2017 | Derrick Henry, Ten. | 16 | 176 | 744 | 11 | 136 | 6 | 37 |
36 | 2017 | T.J. Yeldon, Jac. | 10 | 49 | 253 | 30 | 224 | 2 | 55 |
41 | 2017 | Dalvin Cook, Min. | 4 | 74 | 354 | 11 | 90 | 2 | 72 |
48 | 2016 | LeVeon Bell, Pitt. | 12 | 261 | 1268 | 75 | 616 | 9 | 3 |
36 | 2016 | T.J. Yeldon, Jac. | 15 | 130 | 465 | 50 | 312 | 2 | 34 |
37 | 2016 | Giovani Bernard, Cin. | 10 | 91 | 337 | 39 | 336 | 3 | 41 |
45 | 2016 | Derrick Henry, Ten. | 15 | 110 | 490 | 13 | 137 | 5 | 45 |
37 | 2015 | Giovani Bernard, Cin. | 16 | 154 | 730 | 49 | 472 | 2 | 18 |
36 | 2015 | T.J. Yeldon, Jac. | 12 | 182 | 740 | 36 | 279 | 3 | 28 |
48 | 2015 | LeVeon Bell, Pitt. | 6 | 113 | 556 | 24 | 136 | 3 | 49 |
48 | 2014 | LeVeon Bell, Pitt. | 16 | 290 | 1361 | 83 | 854 | 11 | 1 |
37 | 2014 | Giovani Bernard, Cin. | 13 | 168 | 680 | 43 | 349 | 7 | 18 |
37 | 2013 | Giovani Bernard, Cin. | 16 | 170 | 695 | 56 | 514 | 8 | 13 |
48 | 2013 | LeVeon Bell, Pitt. | 13 | 244 | 860 | 45 | 399 | 8 | 15 |
Both Hall and Walker are joining teams that have credible running backs in place. The Jets have Michael Carter, who had 964 total yards as a rookie. and the Seahawks have Rashaad Penny, the former first-round pick who was one of the most productive backs the second half of last season. Not a given that Hall or Walker starts right away (not out of the question, either). Either way, they'll have a role, and with injuries likely, they'll doubtless start some games.
If recent history is any indication, it won't be long before they're cranking out top-1o or top-20 seasons.
--Andy Richardson