...because he got hurt? I know he hasn't been a dominant force in the running game, but he made some excellent, exciting plays last year as a rookie. He won a couple of games for the Saints, and those wins helped them make the playoffs after a huge tragedy. Sure, he isn't big enough to carry the load...but he's still young. If he bulks up, and learns to stop doing all of his dancing in the backfield, he'll be a good player. Don't call him a bust -- he's been playing with this torn knee ligament for over a month now, and he played through it hoping to help his team make the playoffs again. ...and whoever said that drafting a running back with a high draft pick is a waste, is an idiot. Sure, you're going to get an occassional bust, but most are effective backs in the NFL for the majority of their career.
How many first round picks do you have to go through to get those guys? How about guys like Willie Parker, Brian Westbrook, Clinton Portis, Curtis Martin? We have a great back right now in TJ. We just have a crap OL. Build the OL and RB is an easy position to fill.
Idiot, huh? http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/2007-12-06-1204128452_x.htm Granted, Adrian Peterson was taken seventh overall in last April's draft and is special; until he injured a knee and missed two games, he was on course to break Eric Dickerson's rookie rushing record of 1,808 yards. But for every Peterson, there is a Grant, a Selvin Young, an Andre Hall, a Justin Fargas, plus the four guys who were ahead of Grant in New York: Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, Reuben Droughns and Ahmad Bradshaw. Not to mention Chester Taylor, a one-time sixth-rounder in Baltimore who alternates with Peterson in Minnesota and who rushed for 241 yards in the two games the rookie missed, both wins for the Vikings.
A little more history on first round draft picks from a variety of teams: The Bears have drafted 4 RBs in the first round over the last 20 years: '88 Brad Muster, '95 Rashan Salaam, '98 Curtis Enis, '05 Cedric Benson. Although the jury is still out on Cedric Benson, the overall production has not been great. They have rushed for a combined 6331 yards on 1671 carries over 16 seasons (395 yards/year, 3.78 yards/carry). If you go back in Bears history a little farther you find Neal Anderson and, of course, the great Walter Payton. There are no such saviors in the Bengals past. In their history the Bengals have drafted 4 RBs in the first round: '76 Archie Griffin, '79 Charles Alexander, '95 Ki-Jana Carter and '04 Chris Perry. They have combined for 0 1000-yard seasons, 6934 rushing yards (3.8/carry, 289/year) and 40 rushing TDs (1.6/year) The Chiefs' Bengal-like streak of disappointing RBs was snapped by Larry Johnson. Before Johnson the Chiefs had never had a 1000-yard season from their group of disappointing 1st round RBs: '72 Jeff Kinney, '74 Woody Green, '85 Ethan Horton, '87 Paul Palmer, '91 Harvey Williams, '94 Greg Hill. The other team that sticks out as far as 1st round RBs is the Cardinals, but for another reason. The Cardinals have only taken 2 1st round RBs over the last 20 years: '93 Garrison Hearst and '00 Thomas Jones. In 6 combined seasons with the Cardinals they rushed for 2767 yards (3.6/carry, 461/year) and 12 TDs (2/year). In 11 combined years after leaving the Cards they have rushed for 10,583 yards (4.4/carry, 962/year) and 52 TDs (4.7/year). The Redskins haven't taken a RB in the 1st round since Ray McDonald (233 career rushing yards) in 1967. The Redskins have another interesting 1st round RB anomaly in their history. In 1946 they took UCLA RB Cal Rossi with the 9th pick overall, not realizing that he was a junior and not eligible for the draft. In 1947 they took him in the 1st round again, only to find out that he wasn't interested in playing pro football.
"TJ" was the 7th overall selection in the 2000 draft. I know that wasn't your point, though. Of course there have been bust RBs in the 1st round. Likewise, there have been many, many linemen busts in the first round.
