If you like slow running backs, this is your year. Plenty of runners without much speed were drafted into situations where they’ll have a chance to land significant roles.
A pair of third-round picks lead the way. Devin Singletary from Florida Atlantic (pictured) ran only 4.66 at the combine and was drafted by the Bills, whose other two significant backs are both older guys (LeSean McCoy and Frank Gore will be a combined 67 years old when the season starts). With Singletary, his lack of speed is particularly troubling because he’s a smaller back (5-7, 203) who relies on his elusiveness.
Also in the third round, the Bears drafted David Montgomery, hoping he can step in and do a lot of the things Jordan Howard previously in that offense. Montgomery runs 4.63, and if you plug in his Iowa State highlights, he looks slow on the field.
The Steelers selected Benny Snell in the fourth round. He was very productive at Kentucky, but he also comes without a breakaway gear. If Snell wins the backup job behind James Conner, they would have a rare backfield with their top two backs both failing to run faster than 4.65 at the combine.
In the last 10 years, there have been 20 running backs selected in the first four rounds who ran 4.60 or slower at the combine. (For this exercise, I’m leaving out players who chose not to run at Indianapolis – better to leave it at an apples-to-apples comparison.) Of these 20 previous backs, six at some point in their career ran for 1,000 yards (and I’ve got those guys tagged with black dots). Three ran for 1,000 yards at least twice, and they’ve got the double dots.
When you start getting into saying who’s good and who’s not, it can be a slippery slope, but I’ll point out that neither Conner nor Carlos Hyde has had a 1,000-yard rushing season, but those guys have had some success. Kareem Hunt has just the one 1,000-yard season so far, but he might have plenty of successful games left in him.
On the chart below, you’re seeing total yards (both rushing and receiving) and total touchdowns.
| SLOW RUNNING BACKS (last 10 years) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Rd | Player | Ht | Wt | 40 | Yds | TD |
| 2009 | 4 | Gartrell Johnson, S.D. | 5.10 | 219 | 4.67 | 43 | 0 |
| 2009 | 3 | •• Shonn Greene, NYJ | 5.10 | 227 | 4.62 | 540 | 2 |
| 2011 | 3 | • Stevan Ridley, N.E. | 5.11 | 220 | 4.65 | 454 | 1 |
| 2011 | 1 | •• Mark Ingram, N.O. | 5.09 | 215 | 4.62 | 520 | 5 |
| 2013 | 4 | Marcus Lattimore, S.F. | 5.11 | 221 | 4.65 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | 2 | •• LeVeon Bell, Pitt. | 6.01 | 230 | 4.60 | 1,259 | 8 |
| 2013 | 2 | Montee Ball, Den. | 5.10 | 215 | 4.66 | 704 | 4 |
| 2014 | 4 | KaDeem Carey, Chi. | 5.09 | 207 | 4.70 | 215 | 0 |
| 2014 | 2 | Carlos Hyde, S.F. | 6.00 | 230 | 4.66 | 401 | 4 |
| 2014 | 2 | • Jeremy Hill, Cin. | 6.01 | 233 | 4.66 | 1,339 | 9 |
| 2015 | 4 | Mike Davis, S.F. | 5.09 | 217 | 4.61 | 96 | 0 |
| 2015 | 3 | Matt Jones, Wash. | 6.02 | 231 | 4.61 | 794 | 4 |
| 2015 | 2 | Ameer Abdullah, Det. | 5.09 | 205 | 4.60 | 780 | 3 |
| 2015 | 2 | T.J. Yeldon, Jac. | 6.01 | 226 | 4.61 | 1,019 | 3 |
| 2017 | 4 | Wayne Gallman, NYG | 6.00 | 215 | 4.65 | 669 | 1 |
| 2017 | 4 | Samaje Perine, Wash. | 5.11 | 233 | 4.65 | 785 | 2 |
| 2017 | 3 | James Conner, Pitt. | 6.01 | 233 | 4.65 | 144 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 | • Kareem Hunt, K.C. | 5.10 | 216 | 4.62 | 1,782 | 11 |
| 2018 | 4 | Mark Walton, Cin. | 5.10 | 202 | 4.60 | 75 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 | Ronald Jones, T.B. | 6.00 | 200 | 4.66 | 77 | 1 |
| 2019 | 3 | Devin Singletary, Buff. | 5.07 | 203 | 4.66 | ? | ? |
| 2019 | 3 | David Montgomery, Chi. | 5.10 | 222 | 4.63 | ? | ? |
| 2019 | 4 | Benny Snell, Pitt. | 5.10 | 224 | 4.66 | ? | ? |
On the above chart, you’re looking mostly at backs selected in the second, third and fourth rounds, and all coming from the last 10 years.
Other notable backs who ran slower than 4.60 at the combine, including six who had multiple seasons over 1,000 rushing yards.
| OTHER SLOW RUNNING BACKS | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Rd | Player | Ht | Wt | 40 | Yds | TD |
| 2000 | 3 | •• Rueben Droughns, Det. | 5.11 | 215 | 4.66 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | 2 | •• Travis Henry, Buff. | 5.09 | 223 | 4.61 | 908 | 4 |
| 2008 | -- | •• BenJarvus Green-Ellis, N.E. | 5.11 | 220 | 4.60 | 312 | 5 |
| 2008 | 7 | • Peyton Hillis, Den. | 6.02 | 250 | 4.64 | 522 | 6 |
| 2010 | -- | •• LeGarrette Blount, Tenn. | 6.00 | 250 | 4.70 | 1,021 | 6 |
| 2012 | 6 | •• Alfred Morris, Wash. | 5.10 | 218 | 4.63 | 1,690 | 13 |
| 2013 | 6 | Theo Riddick, Det. | 5.09 | 200 | 4.68 | 51 | 1 |
| 2013 | -- | • C.J. Anderson, Den. | 5.08 | 224 | 4.60 | 38 | 0 |
| 2013 | 6 | Rex Burkhead, Cin. | 5.10 | 218 | 4.73 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | 6 | Alfred Blue, Hou. | 6.02 | 223 | 4.63 | 641 | 3 |
| 2015 | -- | Thomas Rawls, Sea. | 5.09 | 215 | 4.65 | 906 | 5 |
—Ian Allan