2012 NFL Draft: 3 Late-Round Running Backs the Washington Redskins Could Add

Roy Helu and Evan Royster are an exciting young running back tandem. However, both are still relatively unproven, and it's difficult to predict how they will fare in their second seasons. So the Redskins could take the opportunity to find another potential field runner in the late rounds of the draft.

Mike Shanahan's history of unearthing talented runners in the draft's late-rounds is the stuff of NFL legend. Thanks to a strict adherence to scouting the traits which can make a successful runner in his equally famed zone blocking system, Shanahan has plucked multiple gems from the late rounds.

Veteran Tim Hightower remaining unsigned, along with Helu's injury record, should provide all the encouragement Shanahan needs to try and work this particular brand of magic once again. Here are three late-round backs who could fit in Washington's ground attack:

Robert Turbin, Utah State

Robert Turbin could be a steal for the Redskins in the fourth round. He possesses all the attributes needed in a zone runner.

Turbin runs with patience and is blessed with excellent vision. He particularly excels at making quick and decisive cuts, a crucial requirement in the Shanahan zone-based system.

The Redskins held a pre-draft visit with Turbin, and he has the discipline and sudden burst to be a prolific back in the Shanahan offense. Bruce Allen could certainly justify using one of the team's two fourth-round picks to snatch this sleeper.

Edwin Baker, Michigan State

Spartans dynamo Edwin Baker is a player who could appeal to the Redskins, thanks to a similar level of scheme suitability to Turbin. Baker is also a patient runner and has excellent recognition skills.

It is Baker's superior footwork that should most intrigue Shanahan. Baker has the ability to plant his foot and execute sharp turns. This makes him a dangerous threat on the cutback and therefore a good fit for the stretch plays the Redskins like to run.

The 5'8", 204-pounder does not possess prototype size and also lacks game-breaking speed. These perceived deficiencies have restricted Baker to fourth- or fifth-round status.

Yet he is a productive runner who is a natural system fit and could post more than respectable numbers behind the Redskins zone blocking.

Bobby Rainey, Western Kentucky

Another undersized runner, Bobby Rainey would certainly be worth a seventh-round pick by the Redskins. He has the foot speed and natural acceleration to produce plenty of big plays in the right scheme.

Rainey offers the kind of agility and balance to be very effective as a one-cut runner. He is also a useful receiver out of the backfield and a dangerous return man.

Rainey's age, small stature and concerns about the level of competition he faced, have dropped the 5'7", 205-pound 24-year-old to the bottom round of the draft. However, Rainey is a versatile rusher with some decent big play potential. He is the kind of back who could surprise in Shanahan's system.

Conclusion

Shanahan's track record with late-round runners prevents any running back chosen from being immediately regarded as a wasted pick, despite the presence of Helu and Royster.

With a rookie quarterback about to take the reins, the ground game has to become the focus of the offense, more so than it was in 2011. So the more options the Redskins can rely on in the backfield rotation, the better.