This might be one of the best years ever for Running Backs depending on who comes out early or one of the worst if no one comes out. Although Running Back wouldn't seem like a tremendous need for the Jets, similar to how the Wide Receiver position isn't either, the potential depth at the position and historical lack of production from Thomas Jones makes it a position we should definitely look at. Maybe not in the first, but if someone is there in the second it could be worth it. I'm personally not 100% sold on Thomas Jones being the answer because he has effectively sucked at his previous stops before running behind a strong Chicago Offensive Line. Leon seems like a game breaker, but may not be able to carry the full load. Everyone feel free to contribute with thoughts and comments but an initial look at who might be available in next years draft yields the following Running Backs: Mike Hart Allen Patrick Justin Forsett Tashard Choice Not the most astonishing list ever, but if you factor in the Juniors you get: Ray Rice Jonathon Stewart Darren McFadden Steve Slaton Ian Johnson James Davis Jamaal Charles Let's say half of those runner come out, Ray Rice, Darren McFadden, Steve Slaton and Ian Johnson, that is 8 good runners available. How many teams are in need of a starting running back? Maybe the Dolphins, Jets, Browns, Texans, Raiders, Giants, Packers, Falcons, Buccaneers. It is doubtful that the Dolphins or Buccaneers draft a runner in the first for obvious reasons. The Raiders and Giants have vets that may still pan out but are question marks right now. The Packers and Falcons have young guys that may take the reins or may be backups. That leaves the Browns and Texans with aging vets and a good bet to draft a runner early. That means some of those guys are going to fall to the late first, or second round yielding tremendous value. Right now I would order the 8 players above in this way (based on their fit for our team): Darren McFadden Ray Rice Mike Hart Steve Slaton Ian Johnson Allen Patrick Justin Forsett Tashard Choice Now if you go by the team needs listed above, their might be 1-2 backs taken in the first half of the round, 1-2 backs taken in the second half of the first round and the rest taken thereafter. If you are telling me we could potentially draft Mike Hart/Steve Slaton/Ian Johnson/Allen Patrick in the second round, I'm buying. Who's with me?
Don't sleep on Choice, he's one hell of a back. I didn't really get on the bandwagon until this year, but he's earned it. And James Davis has to be a lock to come out, they would have never been able to convince Spiller to stay if he was a 4 year guy. He also might be the 2nd best RB prospect in the nation, so it works out pretty well. All in all, a phenomenal year for RBs, I can't wait for next year's class to shake out, there are so many loaded positions.
I hope James Davis comes out out cause if he does he could possibly slip into the 3rd.Its not a deep rb class espoecially without the juniors but not alot of team need rbs. Mcfadden and Slaton are 1st rounders for sure with but hart, choice and patrick might all be rated higher then Davis.Hopefully the Jets could posiibly pick him up there Washington and davis could be sick.
There's no way James Davis falls into Round 3...maybe if he has an awful combine, but he's just too fast/powerful to slip past mid-2nd. He is a complete back.
Are the other backs not complete? I think Davis will be a 2nd or 3rd round back, but if the other backs make themselves available then there are a lot of fast, powerful complete backs.
If we can somehow nab another 1st or 2nd rounder than I would be very happy if we drafted someone like Tashard Choice with our first 2nd rounder. But if we only have 2 picks in the first 2 rounds, then I dont think I would waste it on a running back (maybe wait till the 3rd or 4th) when we just spent a 2nd rounder last year on a running back.
SENIORS Forsett isn't a complete back. He's tiny. Hart will probably end up dropping, he shouldn't but he will due to all the carries he'll end up having at the end of the year. Patrick has had injury problems. Choice is probably the best bet. He runs hard, can catch, and he can carry a team on his back. JUNIORS Ray Rice is a complete back. Jonathan Stewart is a complete back. Darren McFadden is a complete back. James Davis is a complete back. They all put up big numbers against top competition...McFadden and Davis put up huge numbers and they split carries. I think at least two of the top 4 will stay in school. Steve Slaton is awesome at WVU, I just have a feeling the NFL scouts are going to label him as a system runner and he doesn't have good size either. Ian Johnson plays against awful teams (WAC...I'm a Fresno State fan, I've seen a lot of Ian Johnson) and he is small. I'm happy he was on then receiving end of the Statue of Liberty play, but I don't see him being high pick in the draft. Good college back. A lot of guys that run well in college done look like top PRO talent in the eyes of many scouts. You have to have certain attributes - Size, Speed, and Durability. These are the top 3 they look for.
What is a system runner? A guy is either a good runner or not. The only time "system" truly comes into play is with quarterbacks. Actually, he has good size. He's likely to be a 1st round pick. The comparisons to Tony Dorsett and Emmitt Smith are not crazy ones. I like Jonathan Stewart the most of players listed in this thread.
A system back I guess is the better way to say it -- Slaton's in that WVU triple option attack offense. It's a lot of reverses, shotgun handoffs, QB read handoffs. It's a trick play option system. Slaton has all of the ability to be an awesome back, I just think being in this option system is going to effect the way he is viewed by some scouts. If Slaton comes into the league at barely 200 pounds, he's going to get banged up real quick. I don't know if guys like Dorsett and Smith would be any good in today's NFL. A lot has changed since then. The speed of the players, and their size. It's a lot different. Especially since Dorsett's days. Jonathan Stewart is a beast.
There are a lot of skilled backs, but I think James Davis is just flat out better in my mind than most of them. He's no doubt got a speed advantage over most of them, but it's not at the expense of size like Forsett (who again, I love), or even Slaton. Davis just has a next level game, I think he's at worst an early Rd 2 guy, no matter who comes out.
I was gonna come in here and talk up James Davis but that seemed to already have happened. I cant wait to see who we pick up, I hope alot of the juniors declare. and theres a good chance that happens. Jonathen Stewart and Davis are my favorite rbs.
How so? I should've said "not AS good" - I just think the talent level when they played wasn't as high as it is today. Now, the players are bigger and faster. Some of today's safeties are bigger than most linebackers when those guys played. The game has evolved.
Smith didn't exactly play that long ago. If need be, Dorsett would have hit the weight room more. Plus, he would have had year-round training. When he played teams didn't have the number of mini-camps that they have now. It's a ton of conjecture to say Dorsett and Smith would not be good in today's NFL.
I think we need to pick another pick in the second to get a rb like Stewart or Davis it might be a bit of a reach to think that Davis could fall into the third, but anything can happen.
Why discuss spending a first or second rounder next year on a RB after today? We have so many holes on defense and the O-line, that's where our first 2 rounds need to be spent.
A) this discussion was started before today B) the purpose of these threads are to eventually have a discussion on every position so we have a good idea of who's available and who fits.
I don't think you can call Forsett tiny and then not do the same for Hart. Hart's going to slip b/c of his size, not because of how many carries he gets. Is Ian Johnson small? He never looked that small to me, but you would know better than me. I've never really paid close attention to him.
The system plays a huge role with not only quarterbacks, but every position. That's why every year the Broncos manage to find some no name running back that can read a zone blocking scheme well and turn him into a 1,200 yard rusher. Steve Slaton runs in a triple option offense. How many teams in the NFL do you know of that run the triple option? A few teams have some speed option plays that they can run, but even then it is not the focal point of the offense. Steve Slaton very well could end up to be a great RB in the NFL, but if you think that the system only affects QB's then you are crazy. Ask Jason David if there is a difference between playing in a Zone coverage scheme versus a Man to Man one.
