There are a half-dozen top-tier running backs, and in that group, I think Kareem Hunt is the most underrated. He’s good, and he’s tending to be drafted too late, I think.
I can understand Todd Gurley and Ezekiel Elliott being selected before him. But I don’t understand Hunt being selected after Melvin Gordon and Saquon Barkley. In non-PPR, he’s also being selected after Leonard Fournette. Some are taking Dalvin Cook before Hunt, which is crazy to me.
In my eyes, Hunt is right there with the other top-level running backs – LeVeon Bell, David Johnson and Alvin Kamara. Bell and Johnson both come with unresolved contract issues.
Hunt is talented. He’s been durable, and I like the way Kansas City will use him. Andy Reid has been a head coach for 19 years, and he has a strong history of featuring his tailback as not only a runner but also in the passing game. Give Reid a decent-enough running back to work with, and the numbers will be there.
In over half of Reid’s 19 seasons, he’s had a running back put up top-10 numbers. That’s standard scoring, and I’ve got those numbers in bold. In all but three of those 19 seasons, Reid has had a running back finish with at least numbers putting him in the top 21. Only three years that were big misses (and I’ve got them tagged with black dots).
ANDY REID'S RUNNING BACKS | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Rec | Run | Total | TD | Points | Rk |
1999 | Duce Staley | 294 | 1,273 | 1,567 | 6 | 192.7 | 10 |
2001 | Duce Staley | 626 | 604 | 1,230 | 4 | 147.0 | 20 |
2002 | Duce Staley | 541 | 1,029 | 1,570 | 8 | 207.0 | 15 |
2003 | • Correll Buckhalter | 133 | 542 | 675 | 9 | 121.5 | 30 |
2003 | Brian Westbrook | 332 | 613 | 945 | 13 | 172.5 | 18 |
2004 | Brian Westbrook | 703 | 812 | 1,515 | 9 | 205.5 | 10 |
2005 | Brian Westbrook | 616 | 617 | 1,233 | 7 | 167.3 | 18 |
2006 | Brian Westbrook | 699 | 1,217 | 1,916 | 11 | 257.6 | 6 |
2007 | Brian Westbrook | 771 | 1,333 | 2,104 | 12 | 282.4 | 2 |
2008 | Brian Westbrook | 402 | 936 | 1,338 | 14 | 217.8 | 10 |
2009 | • LeSean McCoy | 308 | 637 | 945 | 4 | 120.5 | 36 |
2010 | LeSean McCoy | 592 | 1,080 | 1,672 | 9 | 221.2 | 8 |
2011 | LeSean McCoy | 315 | 1,309 | 1,624 | 20 | 282.4 | 2 |
2012 | LeSean McCoy | 373 | 840 | 1,213 | 5 | 151.3 | 21 |
2013 | Jamaal Charles | 693 | 1,287 | 1,980 | 19 | 312.0 | 1 |
2014 | Jamaal Charles | 291 | 1,033 | 1,324 | 14 | 216.4 | 7 |
2015 | • Charcandrick West | 214 | 634 | 848 | 5 | 114.8 | 32 |
2016 | Spencer Ware | 447 | 921 | 1,368 | 5 | 166.8 | 16 |
2017 | Kareem Hunt | 455 | 1,327 | 1,782 | 11 | 244.2 | 3 |
—Ian Allan