Alvin Kamara Has a Chance at Joining Elite Club in Week 13

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara has proven to be one of the most explosive running backs in the league through the first 12 games of his young career.

After being taken in the third round of the 2017 draft out of Tennessee by the Saints, Kamara has accumulated 546 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground and another 54 grabs for 548 yards and four scores as a receiver out of the backfield. With 54 more rushing yards and 52 more receiving yards Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, he would become just the third rookie running back in NFL history with 600 yards in both facets, per NFL Communications.

It's likely only a matter of time before Kamara reaches the plateaus, joining the likes of Charley Taylor (1964) and Billy Sims (1980). Taylor was eventually inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Sims was well on his way before a devastating knee injury cost him the remainder of his career.

Kamara's usage early in the season was minimized by the presence of both Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson, but he's steadily carved out a consistent role and proved good enough to warrant Peterson's trade to the Arizona Cardinals.

The 22-year-old takes to the field Sunday with a chance at joining the group in a bid for the top spot in the NFC South between the Saints (8-3) and the Panthers (8-3). He may find it a challenge against a Carolina defense that allows just 83.2 rushing yards per game (third in NFL) and 288.3 total yards per game (second in NFL), but Kamara has been up to the task so far this season.