Eric Shelton and Vernand Morency are both out of a job while Ryan Moats hangs on to his career by participating as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad. Maurice Clarett has spent time in and out of jail while seeing his once promising NFL career turn into a constant bout with the law.
So much for the “can’t miss” theory.
If teams cannot count on a high percentage of running-backs in the first three rounds to produce, where should they turn to?
Free agents are always a good option because you at least have an idea of how the players perform on an NFL level. However, that can sometimes be too pricey depending on the market value of the backs in any given year.
The most affordable and least risky option would be to study the final four rounds of the NFL draft studiously and look for diamonds in the ruff.
In the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, and San Diego Chargers walked away with a Pro Bowler, a Super Bowl winning back, and a solid backup to MVP and future Hall of Famer, Ladainian Tomlinson.
Marion Barber went 109th overall with Brandon Jacobs following at the 110th spot and Darren Sproles at pick 130. The schools that they attended? University of Minnesota, Southern Illinois, and Kansas State, respectively.
It is evident that you do not need to be a back out of the University of Miami, Texas, or USC to be successful in the NFL. In fact, the top five leaders in rushing for the 2007 season were Tomlinson, Peterson, Westbrook, Parker, and Lewis. Tomlinson attended Texas Christian, Westbrook was from Villanova, and Parker wore UNC blue. Only Peterson and Lewis attended big time football schools (Oklahoma and Tennessee).
Beyond the fourth round, the St. Louis Rams found Madison Hedgecock (seventh round, 251st overall) and ironically enough, he is now the starting fullback for the New York Giants. For those keeping track, the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants’ backfield is made up of the 110th and 251st overall picks while the 2007 Miami Dolphins’ 1-15 squad featured the second and fifth overall picks. Figure that one out.
The New York Giants did blunder on Ryan Grant though, as the undrafted free agent went on to sign with the Green Bay Packers after being cut by New York, en route to a stellar season with the NFC Champion runner-ups.
To compare the first three rounds of the top heavy 2005 draft with the latter four, you can note the following: The first three rounds feature a Pro Bowl back and an inconsistent starter. The bottom four rounds bring a Pro Bowl back on a Super Bowl contender, a Super Bowl champion starting running back and fullback, and a backup to one of the best players to ever suit up. Let’s not forget undrafted Ryan Grant who starts for a team many foresee going deep into the playoffs.
It should be noted that not every player drafted in the first few rounds should be looked at with skepticism. However, there is a misconception that drafting running backs in the early rounds is less risky than drafting a quarterback or a “stud” defensive end. As seen in the 2005 draft, running backs are just as likely to bust as any other position.
Looking at the 2008 NFL Draft, one can see a lot of similarities to that of 2005. It was very top heavy and featured some big time names, including Darren McFadden, Felix Jones and Rashard Mendenhall. While each of those three backs has shown glimpses of greatness, don’t forget about the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh rounders. Keep the names of Tashard Choice, Ryan Torain, and Tim Hightower in the back of your minds.
Come 2011, you might be pleasantly surprised.
We'd like to send you the most entertaining New York Giants articles, videos, and podcasts from around the web.
18 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete