Fast Forward Day Two: Ball Carrier's of the Future

Welcome to day two of my series dedicated to looking toward the future of the NFL. Yesterday, we looked at quarterbacks all under the age of 29 and which five of them would be the ones who we still talk about years from now.

Let's get right down to business and check out which stiff-arming, high-stepping and all out powerhouse running backs will still have highlight reels on ESPN ten years from now. Again, I decided to choose a prime age to whittle down my search. The average career of a quarterback is a good 3-4 years longer than that of a running back, and thus it was only fair to pick a new age to look at.

The four men listed below are all under the age of 26 and, boy, do they have a thing to show the world...

Adrian Peterson [23 years old, 2nd season]

Adrian Peterson has accomplished more in one year in the NFL than many people hope to do for their entire career. He was drafted seventh overall in the 2007 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, straight out of Oklahoma University.

He quickly entered straight into a timeshare with running back Chester Taylor, and it proved to be the right move after week one. Peterson made his NFL debut against the Atlanta Falcons where he carried the ball 19 times for over 100 yards. At this rate he had many people wondering what else was to come.

How about a 224-yard, three-touchdown performance against one of the NFL's best defense, the Chicago Bears? No? Not good enough? How about finishing second in the league only to LaDainian Tomlinson for rushing yards with a stellar 1,453?

Ok, if that doesn't impress you than surely his 296-yard, NFL all-time record, rushing performance against another solid San Diego Chargers defense will. Yeah, I knew I would get you eventually...

While all these things are amazing feats in themselves, it doesn't say what type of person he is.

Deion Sanders was once quoted as saying "He has the vision of Faulk, the speed of Payton, and the power of Jim Brown, I just hope he has the endurance of Emmit".

Peterson capped off his stellar season by filling his trophy case. He brought home the NFL Offensive ROTY, 2-Time Player of the Month, 2008 NFL Pro Bowl MVP, and the record for most rushing yards in a single game in NFL history.

Fast Forward 2008

Peterson is clearly not pleased with himself. He the second leading rusher in the NFL but nowhere near his personal goal of 2,000. Don't fret though, for he still has time. A recent computer tech lab in California recently projected his final statistics when he is done with his NFL career, factoring in injuries, opponents, and increase in talent.

They projected him to finish well over 13,000 career rushing yards and fifth place on the All-Time Rushing list. If Peterson has one tweak, it is his injuries. But if he can stay healthy, and continue to play with the same drive, then reaching Canton would be just about as easy as averaging over 100 yards a game (yeah, he's doing that too).

Marshawn Lynch [22 years old, 2nd season]

If there is any running back from the 2007 NFL Draft that will ever compete at the same level as All-Day Peterson, it's this guy. Marshawn Lynch was the second running back taken in the draft and 12th overall by the Buffalo Bills. If he has any one thing over Peterson however, it is consistency, and the stats back in up.

Lynch was the starting running back right out of the gate, and nn his first NFL game he ran for 90 yards on 19 carries and scored his first NFL touchdown. His dominance would continue while he achieved over 1,300 total yards from scrimmage and hit paydirt 7 times. Many people for the Bills however, say his best quality comes not on the football field, but off of it. 

Teammate Robert Royal was quoted as saying "Lynch is a breath of fresh air" and that the coaches love his attitude. Consistency his is niche when it comes to the gridiron, as he ran for under seventy yards in only three games in 2007... and in all those he had at least twenty receiving.

Fast Forward 2008

Lynch is continuing right where he left off from '07 with a little bit extra in the tank this year. Dick Jauron said in the pre-season that he would like to get Lynch more involved in the passing game this year and has done just that.

While only pulling down 18 catches in 2007, Lynch already has 12 with only a quarter of the season in the books. If he can stay out of trouble, stay focused, and most important, stay smart, then Marshawn Lynch will be donning the Blue and White longer than most people expected.  

Marion Barber III [25 years old, 4th season]

Third on our list is Marion "The Barbarian" Barber III. Recently voted by his peers "The Hardest Player to tackle in Football", he left college after his junior season, he was selected in the 4th round (109th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys.

A toe infection that required surgery and some preseason fumbles left him at the bottom of 'Boys depth chart. After a Julius Jones injury he had his chance to move up on the chart with a 120 yard performance against Arizona. Along with his special teams abilities he certainly proved to be a threat.

In the 2006 season, Barber only continued to see success. He led the entire NFC with 14 touchdowns from the ground. Dallas Cowboy's fans and media alike were calling for him to be the lead rusher entering the 2007 season but head coach Wade Phillips continued to deploy his "Running back by Committee" with MB3 and fellow tail-back Julius Jones.

He finished the 2007 season by being voted the Pro Bowl after technically being a "back-up" to start the season.

Fast Forward 2008

Julius Jones has moved on to Seattle and all the carries now belong to one man. Already proving his worth in a 140 yard performance against the Green Bay Packers on prime time, Barber should have a very successful season.

Thankfully for him, injuries have never been a primary problem for this determined back. As long as his health stays as steady in year's past, and he continues to believe in his hit-or-be-hit mantra, then there will be many opposing linebackers in Ice-tubs after playing against the Barbarian.

Steven Jackson [25 years old, 5th season]

If there was ever a man who's stiff arm had the potential to knock off someone's head, it would be Steven Jackson's.

His career started extremely early after being selected 24th overall by the St. Louis Rams out of Oregon State in the 2004 NFL Draft. He saw green early as he played second fiddle to starting tailback Marshall Faulk. Even while not seeing as many carries as the Hall of Famer, he still managed over 600 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

Things were only just beginning for this young, talented phenom.

He was named the starter in 2006 and had an absolutely killer year. Racking up over 1,500 rushing yards, and even 800 receiving yards, Jackson was the starting runninback in the Pro Bowl.

The next year was not as good as the last and he didn't really perform to the standards he knew he could achieve.

Fast Forward 2008

After a holdout that lasted the entire training camp, Jackson finally signed an extension with the St. Louis Rams. With a quarter of the season gone however, it seems unlikely that the Rams will make the post-season [0-4 record].

That doesn't mean thought that his stats will be as dismal as 2007. If he can continue perfecting his deadly stiff arm and the cute and jukes that put defenders on their backsides, then we can expect 1000 plus rushing yards... Again.

Just Missed the Cut

Part of me really wanted to put Frank Gore on the list but I just couldn't do it, even though I could see myself looking stupid when he proves me completely wrong. I also think that Darren McFadden is the REAL deal if there ever was one.

Written By, Edited By, and Developed By Travis Rand, Bleacher Reporter NFL