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Factoid

Diminishing value

Whatever happened to the running back position?

Teams don’t value running backs like they used to, and this year perhaps more than any other. No running back will be selected in the first round, and I’m not sure that one will even be selected in the second.

Looking back at the ‘90s and earlier, a running back would be selected in the top 10 of almost every draft. Teams would draft them and plug them in for instant offense.

It’s different now, with the game evolving and a different labor agreement. It’s turned into a fungible position, with most teams preferring to rely on a combination of less expensive options.

There have been only four drafts that didn’t include a running back going with a top-30 pick, but they’ve all come in the last 11 years. The 2014 draft featured Bishop Sankey lasting until 54th overall; that’s the latest ever for the first pick of the draft. I think that mark is in jeopardy this year.

Only six other drafts haven’t included a running back in the top 20, and they’ve also trended recent.

In the chart below, you’re looking at the first running back selected in each draft. Players picked outside the top 30 are in bold. The others selected outside the top 20 are tagged with dots.

I don’t see a running back this year that I’m confident will go in the second round. Jonathon Brooks might have been one of those guys, but he’s coming off a knee injury. Blake Corum (pictured) and Bucky Irving were productive at the college level, but they’re small. Maybe a team is high on Trey Benson or Jaylen Wright, but they seem more likely to go in the third (or even fourth). That’s how teams seem to value the position nowadays.

FIRST RUNNING BACK CHOSEN
YearPkPlayerSchool
19672Clint Jones, Min.Michigan State
19688Larry Csonka, Mia.Syracuse
19691O.J. Simpson, Buff.Southern California
19708Larry Stegent, St.L.Texas A&M
19716John Riggins, NYJKansas
197213Franco Harris, Pitt.Penn State
19739Otis Armstrong, Den.Purdue
19742Bo Matthews, S.D.Colorado
19754Walter Payton, Chi.Jackson State
19763Chuck Muncie, N.O.California
19771Ricky Bell, T.B.Southern California
19781Earl Campbell, Hou.Texas
19798Ottis Anderson, St.L.Miami
19801Billy Sims, Det.Oklahoma
19811George Rogers, N.O.South Carolina
19827Darrin Nelson, Min.Stanford
19832Eric Dickerson, LARSouthern Methodist
198426• Greg Bell, Buff.Notre Dame
198515Ethan Horton, K.C.North Carolina
19861Bo Jackson, T.B.Auburn
19873Alonzo Highsmith, Hou.Miami
198814Gaston Green, LARUCLA
19893Barry Sanders, Det.Oklahoma State
19902Blair Thomas, NYJPenn State
199114Leonard Russell, N.E.Arizona State
19929Tommy Vardell, Clev.Stanford
19933Garrison Hearst, Ariz.Georgia
19942Marshall Faulk, Ind.San Diego State
19951Ki-Jana Carter, Cin.Penn State
19966Lawrence Phillips, St.L.Nebraska
199712Warrick Dunn, T.B.Florida State
19985Curtis Enis, Chi.Penn State
19994Edgerrin James, Ind.Miami
20005Jamal Lewis, Balt.Tennessee
20015LaDainian Tomlinson, S.D.Texas Christian
200216William Green, Clev.Boston College
200323• Willis McGahee, Buff.Miami
200424• Steven Jackson, St.L.Oregon State
20052Ronnie Brown, Mia.Auburn
20062Reggie Bush, N.O.Southern California
20077Adrian Peterson, Min.Oklahoma
20084Darren McFadden, Oak.Arkansas
200912Knowshon Moreno, Den.Georgia
20109C.J. Spiller, Buff.Clemson
201128• Mark Ingram, N.O.Alabama
20123Trent Richardson, Clev.Alabama
201337Giovani Bernard, Cin.North Carolina
201454Bishop Sankey, Ten.Washington
201510Todd Gurley, St.L.Georgia
20164Ezekiel Elliott, Dall.Ohio State
20174Leonard Fournette, Jac.Louisiana State
20182Saquon Barkley, NYGPenn State
201924• Josh Jacobs, Oak.Alabama
202032Clyde Edwards-Helaire, K.C.Louisiana State
202124• Najee Harris, Pitt.Alabama
202236Breece Hall, NYJIowa State
20238Bijan Robinson, Atl.Texas

—Ian Allan

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