Teams don’t value running backs like they used to, and this year perhaps more than any other. No running back will be selected in the first round, and I’m not sure that one will even be selected in the second.
Looking back at the ‘90s and earlier, a running back would be selected in the top 10 of almost every draft. Teams would draft them and plug them in for instant offense.
It’s different now, with the game evolving and a different labor agreement. It’s turned into a fungible position, with most teams preferring to rely on a combination of less expensive options.
There have been only four drafts that didn’t include a running back going with a top-30 pick, but they’ve all come in the last 11 years. The 2014 draft featured Bishop Sankey lasting until 54th overall; that’s the latest ever for the first pick of the draft. I think that mark is in jeopardy this year.
Only six other drafts haven’t included a running back in the top 20, and they’ve also trended recent.
In the chart below, you’re looking at the first running back selected in each draft. Players picked outside the top 30 are in bold. The others selected outside the top 20 are tagged with dots.
I don’t see a running back this year that I’m confident will go in the second round. Jonathon Brooks might have been one of those guys, but he’s coming off a knee injury. Blake Corum (pictured) and Bucky Irving were productive at the college level, but they’re small. Maybe a team is high on Trey Benson or Jaylen Wright, but they seem more likely to go in the third (or even fourth). That’s how teams seem to value the position nowadays.
| FIRST RUNNING BACK CHOSEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Pk | Player | School |
| 1967 | 2 | Clint Jones, Min. | Michigan State |
| 1968 | 8 | Larry Csonka, Mia. | Syracuse |
| 1969 | 1 | O.J. Simpson, Buff. | Southern California |
| 1970 | 8 | Larry Stegent, St.L. | Texas A&M |
| 1971 | 6 | John Riggins, NYJ | Kansas |
| 1972 | 13 | Franco Harris, Pitt. | Penn State |
| 1973 | 9 | Otis Armstrong, Den. | Purdue |
| 1974 | 2 | Bo Matthews, S.D. | Colorado |
| 1975 | 4 | Walter Payton, Chi. | Jackson State |
| 1976 | 3 | Chuck Muncie, N.O. | California |
| 1977 | 1 | Ricky Bell, T.B. | Southern California |
| 1978 | 1 | Earl Campbell, Hou. | Texas |
| 1979 | 8 | Ottis Anderson, St.L. | Miami |
| 1980 | 1 | Billy Sims, Det. | Oklahoma |
| 1981 | 1 | George Rogers, N.O. | South Carolina |
| 1982 | 7 | Darrin Nelson, Min. | Stanford |
| 1983 | 2 | Eric Dickerson, LAR | Southern Methodist |
| 1984 | 26 | • Greg Bell, Buff. | Notre Dame |
| 1985 | 15 | Ethan Horton, K.C. | North Carolina |
| 1986 | 1 | Bo Jackson, T.B. | Auburn |
| 1987 | 3 | Alonzo Highsmith, Hou. | Miami |
| 1988 | 14 | Gaston Green, LAR | UCLA |
| 1989 | 3 | Barry Sanders, Det. | Oklahoma State |
| 1990 | 2 | Blair Thomas, NYJ | Penn State |
| 1991 | 14 | Leonard Russell, N.E. | Arizona State |
| 1992 | 9 | Tommy Vardell, Clev. | Stanford |
| 1993 | 3 | Garrison Hearst, Ariz. | Georgia |
| 1994 | 2 | Marshall Faulk, Ind. | San Diego State |
| 1995 | 1 | Ki-Jana Carter, Cin. | Penn State |
| 1996 | 6 | Lawrence Phillips, St.L. | Nebraska |
| 1997 | 12 | Warrick Dunn, T.B. | Florida State |
| 1998 | 5 | Curtis Enis, Chi. | Penn State |
| 1999 | 4 | Edgerrin James, Ind. | Miami |
| 2000 | 5 | Jamal Lewis, Balt. | Tennessee |
| 2001 | 5 | LaDainian Tomlinson, S.D. | Texas Christian |
| 2002 | 16 | William Green, Clev. | Boston College |
| 2003 | 23 | • Willis McGahee, Buff. | Miami |
| 2004 | 24 | • Steven Jackson, St.L. | Oregon State |
| 2005 | 2 | Ronnie Brown, Mia. | Auburn |
| 2006 | 2 | Reggie Bush, N.O. | Southern California |
| 2007 | 7 | Adrian Peterson, Min. | Oklahoma |
| 2008 | 4 | Darren McFadden, Oak. | Arkansas |
| 2009 | 12 | Knowshon Moreno, Den. | Georgia |
| 2010 | 9 | C.J. Spiller, Buff. | Clemson |
| 2011 | 28 | • Mark Ingram, N.O. | Alabama |
| 2012 | 3 | Trent Richardson, Clev. | Alabama |
| 2013 | 37 | Giovani Bernard, Cin. | North Carolina |
| 2014 | 54 | Bishop Sankey, Ten. | Washington |
| 2015 | 10 | Todd Gurley, St.L. | Georgia |
| 2016 | 4 | Ezekiel Elliott, Dall. | Ohio State |
| 2017 | 4 | Leonard Fournette, Jac. | Louisiana State |
| 2018 | 2 | Saquon Barkley, NYG | Penn State |
| 2019 | 24 | • Josh Jacobs, Oak. | Alabama |
| 2020 | 32 | Clyde Edwards-Helaire, K.C. | Louisiana State |
| 2021 | 24 | • Najee Harris, Pitt. | Alabama |
| 2022 | 36 | Breece Hall, NYJ | Iowa State |
| 2023 | 8 | Bijan Robinson, Atl. | Texas |
—Ian Allan