Just how important are these preseason games? Breece Hall and Kenneth Walker, after all, were both underwhelming in the preseason last year. They got a lot better in the real games.
In the case of Hall, he carried 14 times for 29 yards in August last year. He was also iffy in New York’s initial games, before evolving into the difference maker they expected him to be when they drafted him early in the second round.
Maybe we should all just enjoy vacations in August, showing up in early September to draft the guys we were going to select in the first place.
There are exceptions, of course. I remember Adrian Peterson ripping off a long run against the Jets in his first preseason. Both Saquon Barkley and Alvin Kamara averaged over 10 yards per carry. And Dameon Pierce played his way onto my radar last year by carrying 11 times for 86 yards, consistently breaking tackles.
When it comes to watching preseason football, there’s an eyeball test element (does the guy look like an NFL player?). And it makes sense to look at where the team is using him – big difference between the first quarter and the fourth quarter of a preseason game.
Raw numbers, though. I don’t know that they’re all that useful. Especially in 2023, with teams more reluctant to put front-line players on the field.
Below see the 43 running backs who’ve finished with top-30 overall numbers as rookies (using PPR scoring). In the table below, you’re seeing the rushing stats from their first preseason. The final three columns show their rushing yards and rushing touchdown totals in the regular season, along with their PPR ranking (which, of course, includes receiving stats that aren’t listed).
PRESEASON RUSHING BY ROOKIES WHO ENDED UP BEING GOOD | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Att | Yards | Avg | TD | RS Yds | RS TD | PPR Rk |
2016 | Ezekiel Elliott, Dall. | 7 | 48 | 6.9 | 0 | 1631 | 15 | 2 |
2018 | Saquon Barkley, NYG | 4 | 43 | 10.8 | 0 | 1307 | 11 | 2 |
2021 | Najee Harris, Pitt. | 13 | 42 | 3.2 | 0 | 1200 | 7 | 3 |
2017 | Alvin Kamara, N.O. | 9 | 96 | 10.7 | 1 | 728 | 8 | 3 |
2017 | Kareem Hunt, K.C. | 18 | 79 | 4.4 | 0 | 1327 | 8 | 4 |
2020 | Jonathan Taylor, Ind. | dnp | dnp | dnp | dnp | 1169 | 11 | 6 |
2020 | James Robinson, Jac. | dnp | dnp | dnp | dnp | 1070 | 7 | 7 |
2015 | David Johnson, Ariz. | 17 | 64 | 3.8 | 0 | 581 | 8 | 7 |
2013 | Eddie Lacy, G.B. | 18 | 36 | 2.0 | 0 | 1178 | 11 | 8 |
2017 | Christian McCaffrey, Car. | 17 | 87 | 5.1 | 1 | 435 | 2 | 9 |
2015 | Todd Gurley, St.L. | dnp | dnp | dnp | dnp | 1106 | 10 | 9 |
2014 | Jeremy Hill, Cin. | 41 | 190 | 4.6 | 0 | 1124 | 9 | 10 |
2016 | Jordan Howard, Chi. | 36 | 173 | 4.8 | 1 | 1313 | 6 | 10 |
2017 | Leonard Fournette, Jac. | 9 | 31 | 3.4 | 1 | 1040 | 9 | 10 |
2013 | Giovani Bernard, Cin. | 27 | 116 | 4.3 | 3 | 695 | 5 | 13 |
2018 | Phillip Lindsay, Den. | 13 | 70 | 5.4 | 0 | 1037 | 9 | 13 |
2020 | Antonio Gibson, Was. | dnp | dnp | dnp | dnp | 795 | 11 | 14 |
2019 | Miles Sanders, Phil. | 8 | 34 | 4.3 | 0 | 818 | 3 | 15 |
2013 | LeVeon Bell, Pitt. | 4 | 9 | 2.3 | 0 | 860 | 8 | 15 |
2020 | D'Andre Swift, Det. | dnp | dnp | dnp | dnp | 521 | 8 | 16 |
2018 | Nick Chubb, Cle. | 45 | 140 | 3.1 | 2 | 996 | 8 | 17 |
2021 | Javonte Williams, Den. | 12 | 49 | 4.1 | 0 | 903 | 4 | 17 |
2022 | Kenneth Walker, Sea. | 5 | 19 | 3.8 | 0 | 1050 | 9 | 18 |
2013 | Zac Stacy, St.L. | 23 | 68 | 3.0 | 1 | 973 | 7 | 21 |
2019 | Josh Jacobs, Oak. | 4 | 21 | 5.3 | 0 | 1150 | 7 | 21 |
2020 | Clyde Edwards-Helaire, K.C. | dnp | dnp | dnp | dnp | 803 | 4 | 22 |
2020 | J.K. Dobbins, Balt. | dnp | dnp | dnp | dnp | 805 | 9 | 24 |
2019 | David Montgomery, Chi. | 3 | 16 | 5.3 | 1 | 889 | 6 | 24 |
2015 | Duke Johnson, Cle. | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 379 | 0 | 24 |
2022 | Dameon Pierce, Hou. | 11 | 86 | 7.8 | 1 | 939 | 4 | 25 |
2014 | Branden Oliver, S.D. | 35 | 161 | 4.6 | 1 | 582 | 3 | 26 |
2013 | Andre Ellington, Ariz. | 22 | 57 | 2.6 | 0 | 652 | 3 | 26 |
2021 | Elijah Mitchell, S.F. | 6 | 24 | 4.0 | 0 | 963 | 5 | 26 |
2014 | Andre Williams, NYG | 38 | 195 | 5.1 | 2 | 721 | 7 | 27 |
2017 | Tarik Cohen, Chi. | 19 | 121 | 6.4 | 0 | 370 | 2 | 28 |
2018 | Nyheim Hines, Ind. | 13 | 19 | 1.5 | 0 | 314 | 2 | 28 |
2015 | T.J. Yeldon, Jac. | 8 | 10 | 1.3 | 1 | 740 | 2 | 28 |
2015 | Javorius Allen, Balt. | 35 | 88 | 2.5 | 0 | 514 | 1 | 29 |
2021 | Michael Carter, NYJ | 24 | 86 | 3.6 | 0 | 639 | 4 | 29 |
2016 | Devontae Booker, Den. | 21 | 60 | 2.9 | 0 | 612 | 4 | 29 |
2014 | Tre Mason, St.L. | 43 | 124 | 2.9 | 0 | 765 | 4 | 30 |
2015 | Jeremy Langford, Chi. | 28 | 153 | 5.5 | 1 | 537 | 6 | 30 |
2022 | Tyler Allgeier, Atl. | 17 | 68 | 4.0 | 1 | 1035 | 3 | 30 |
—Ian Allan