The 2012 NFL draft is finally upon us, and months of speculation can finally end as the landing spots for all the top prospects are revealed—including some highly coveted running backs.
Although some of the shine has come off the running back position in recent years as the NFL has shifted to a more pass-intensive attack, that hasn't decreased the importance of finding and drafting the top talent from the college ranks. Teams can always use fresh bodies for the meat grinder that waits between the tackles, and there's no more efficient source than the draft—the new blood is fresh, young and relatively cheap.
But it's also unpredictable, and not everyone sees the same thing when it comes to scouting these athletes.
Luckily, our own Matt Miller has done the dirty work and ranked the top 25 players at running back. So all we need to do is sit back and track where each one has gone.
RB No. 3: Chris Polk, Washington
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Player: Chris Polk
School: Washington
Pro Comparison: Arian Foster
Polk was First Team All-Pac 12 despite having knee surgery before the 2011 season started. In his best game last season, he ran for 189 yards at Utah despite not scoring a touchdown.
RB No. 13: Tauren Poole, Tennessee
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Player: Tauren Poole
School: Tennessee
Pro Comparison: Jackie Battle
Based on pure numbers, Poole isn't the typical big-time player who usually hits the draft. However, he still led the Volunteers in rushing his junior and senior years, and his work ethic cannot be ignored.
RB No. 17: Edwin Baker, Michigan State
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Player: Edwin Baker
School: Michigan State
Pro Comparison: Javon Ringer
Going into his junior year, Baker wanted to gain 2,000 yards and score 20 touchdowns. He didn't, but that kind of ambition drove him to forgo his senior year and declare for the draft this year.
RB No. 18: Davin Meggett, Maryland
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Player: Davin Meggett
School: Maryland
Pro Comparison: Deji Karim
The government and politics major picked a good spot for college—in a state bordering Washington, DC—and he wants to go to law school after his playing days are over. That may not be any time soon for Meggett, who was chosen by his teammates as the best offensive Terp in 2011.
RB No. 19: Bobby Rainey, Western Kentucky
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Player: Bobby Rainey
School: Western Kentucky
Pro Comparison: Darren Sproles
Rainey (no relation to Chris Rainey of Florida) was the 2010 and 2011 Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year. He also made five different All-American teams after finishing second in the nation in rushing yards.
RB No. 20: Brandon Bolden, Mississippi
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Player: Brandon Bolden
School: Mississippi
Pro Comparison: Donald Brown
Bolden finished second in Ole Miss history in both total and rushing touchdowns (33 and 27, respectively). He scored four via the ground and one via the air in 2011.
RB No. 21: Marc Tyler, USC
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Player: Marc Tyler
School: USC
Pro Comparison: Kregg Lumpkin
Tyler was suspended for one game early in the season for making some inappropriate comments to TMZ. That was one of the bigger headlines he made last season, as he rushed for more than 100 yards only twice, and he didn't score more than one touchdown in any game.
RB No. 22: Michael Smith, Utah State
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Player: Michael Smith
School: Utah State
Pro Comparison: Leon Washington
Smith missed most of the 2010 season with a foot injury, and that didn't help his momentum on the field. Still, he scored 11 rushing touchdowns in 2011 and saved his best performances for the last two games of the season, rushing for 121 and 157 yards in those games.
RB No. 23: Adonis Thomas, Toledo
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Player: Adonis Thomas
School: Toledo
Pro Comparison: Roy Helu
Injury concerns are a big flaw in Thomas' game, as he sat out the middle part of the 2011 season with a broken bone in his arm. He is small and fast, making him a decent later-round pickup for a team in need of many positions that doesn't want to use an early pick on a running back, such as the Cleveland Browns.
RB No. 24: Lennon Creer, Louisiana Tech
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Player: Lennon Creer
School: Louisiana Tech
Pro Comparison: Dexter McCluster
Creer's best season in college was his junior year, after transferring from Tennessee. He dropped off in his final year, but that was because of an injury that kept him out of the last three games. Creer was Second Team All-WAC in his junior year.
RB No. 25: Foswitt Whittaker, Texas
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Player: Foswitt Whittaker
School: Texas
Pro Comparison: Jarious Norwood
Whittaker has perhaps the most unusual name of this bunch, and he has some versatility as well. He has both rushing and receiving numbers from all four years, although the bulk of his talent comes via the running game.
RB No. 1: Trent Richardson, Alabama: Browns Round 1 (3)
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Name: Trent Richardson
School: Alabama
Pro Comparison: Steven Jackson
In almost every mock draft and pundit's estimation, Richardson is the premier running back in the draft. The consensus All-American and Heisman Trophy finalist's style matches most closely with Steven Jackson, but his draft value has been compared to Adrian Peterson. Neither is bad company.
RB No. 4: Doug Martin, Boise State: Buccaneers Round 1 (31)
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Player: Doug Martin
School: Boise State
Pro Comparison: Fred Jackson
Martin may be small (5'9") and come from a small school, but his back-to-back 1,200-plus yard seasons are no joke. He also scored a touchdown in the Maaco Bowl, helping Boise State rout Arizona State, 56-24.
RB No. 5: David Wilson, Virginia Tech: Giants Round 1 (32)
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Player: David Wilson
School: Virginia Tech
Pro Comparison: Jamaal Charles
Wilson's 41-inch vertical embodies his explosiveness on the field. He runs past opponents all day, making them look slow in the process.
RB No. 6: Isaiah Pead, Cincinnati: Rams 2 (50)
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Player: Isaiah Pead
School: Cincinnati
Pro Comparison: Jahvid Best
With a 4.47-second 40-yard dash that was good for fifth among running backs at the NFL Combine, Pead is likely to be a second- or third-round choice. He returned 10 punts for the Bearcats in 2011, showing his versatility on the field.
RB No. 7: LaMichael James, Oregon: 49ers Round 2 (61)
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Player: LaMichael James
School: Oregon
Pro Comparison: Darren Sproles
A dislocated elbow couldn't keep James off the field for long during his senior season. He went on to become the 2011 Pac-12 Championship Game MVP for the Ducks.
RB No. 10: Ronnie Hillman, San Diego State: Broncos Round 3 (67)
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Player: Ronnie Hillman
School: San Diego State
Pro Comparison: Kendall Hunter
The Aztec finished fourth among running backs in the vertical jump and second in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. His 99-yard touchdown run against Wyoming Oct. 29 was impressive, even if it couldn't keep San Diego State from losing.
RB No. 8: Bernard Pierce, Temple: Ravens Round 3 (84)
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Player: Bernard Pierce
School: Temple
Pro Comparison: Pierre Thomas
Pierce scored a career-high five touchdowns in a 38-7 win at Maryland last season. He also scored two touchdowns in the New Mexico Bowl.
RB No. 2: Lamar Miller, Miami: Dolphins Round 4 (97)
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Player: Lamar Miller
School: Miami
Pro Comparison: LeSean McCoy
Miller is the first Miami running back since Willis McGahee to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season. He ran for 1,272 yards and nine rushing touchdowns last season.
RB No. 12: Chris Rainey, Florida: Steelers Round 5 (159)
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Player: Chris Rainey
School: Florida
Pro Comparison: Dexter McCluster
Despite being arrested on a stalking charge in 2010, Rainey came back and played his senior year in 2011 at Florida. However, he only managed four touchdowns in the Gators' first three games, and he didn't score again. He makes the list on sheer athleticism.
RB No. 9: Robert Turbin, Utah State: Seahawks Round 4 (106)
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Player: Robert Turbin
School: Utah State
Pro Comparison: James Starks
Turbin's season-high rushing performance came at Idaho on Nov. 19, when he ran for 208 yards. He visited the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos before the draft, so we know he has at least two potential suitors.
RB No. 15: Vick Ballard, Mississippi State: Colts Round 5 (170)
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RB No. 11: Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M: Chiefs Round 6 (182)
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Player: Cyrus Gray
School: Texas A&M
Pro Comparison: Javon Ringer
Even during his freshman year, Gray was a contributor. He set a Texas A&M freshman record with 1,592 all-purpose yards in 2008.
RB No. 14: Dan Herron, Ohio State: Bengals Round 6 (191)
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Player: Dan Herron
School: Ohio State
Pro Comparison: Lance Ball
Dan could be the second Herron to make the NFL—his brother, David, is a linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings. His involvement in the Ohio State scandal resulted in a five-game suspension for 2011, but he turned in 678 rushing yards in half a season.
RB No. 16: Terrance Ganaway, Baylor: Jets Round 6 (202)
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Player: Terrance Ganaway
School: Baylor
Pro Comparison: Alex Green
After transferring from Houston, Ganaway saw action in every game at Baylor. He hit 200 yards twice last season, including in a 67-56 win over Washington in the Alamo Bowl in which he also scored five touchdowns.
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