1

1

1

17

1

18

1

19

1

21

3

74

6

196

Feeling a little dyslexic? No, the order of Running Backs drafted above is not listed backwards. Clearly the draftniks responsible for the 1995 Running Back results owned poor assessment skills. Terrell Davis wasn't much of a prospect coming out of Georgia. Drafted in round six, all he did was rush for over 1,000 yards in his first three seasons in Denver, then over 2,000 yards during his fourth season. In addition, he served as the missing link to brining Denver (and John Elway) the Super Bowl title in consecutive seasons (1997 and 1998). Davis was also the Super Bowl XXXII MVP, but noooooooo, he wasn't worth drafting in round one, two three, four or five. Na'h. And Curtis Martin could go down in history as the best Running Back ever drafted in round three. With the Patriots and Jets over a 10-year span from 1995 through 2004, Martin never rushed for less than 1,000. Unlike most Running Backs, Martin stood the test of time, producing more and playing longer than any other RB in this class. In fact, he rushed for more yards in his 10th season (almost 1,700 yards in 2004) than any season prior. Martin and Davis were the gems of this class. So what's up with those first rounders? Well, certainly not their career numbers. Ki-Jana Carter was one of many in a long line of Cincinnati first round draft busts. Tyrone Wheatley and James Stewart never established themselves as legitimate NFL starters. Napoleon Kaufman was a decent rusher for the Raiders, but his NFL tenure was short lived. Kaufman lasted six years in the NFL and produced only one season with 1,000 yards or more. Rashaan Salaam was an even greater disappointment. After rushing for over 1,000 yards as a rookie in Chicago, his chronic fumbling problems led to his dismal from the NFL a mere two seasons later.

1

6

1

8

1

14

2

35

4

102

Ugh. Still hungover from the RB draft of '95, the class of '96 was equally disappointing, starting with troubled RB Lawrence Philips, who spent more time in courtrooms than he did with any NFL team. Rumor has it Phillips is currently third on the depth chart for the Attica Elephants of the NPL (National Penal League). Two picks later in '96, Carolina acquired Tim Biakabutuka, who impressed us with his killer football name but definitely not for his play on the field. Eddie George won a Heisman Trophy at Ohio State. You'd think that would've been enough for the NFL Scouting gurus to acknowledge George as the prize of this draft class. Nope. George was a star for the Oilers/Titans, rushing for over 1,000 yards in seven of his nine NFL seasons. Mike Alstott, a true Fullback, was a nice second round pick and a fan favorite for more than 10 years in Tampa. Power rusher Stephen Davis turned out to be a pleasant surprise after being drafted in round four. Injuries and age caught up with Davis, but at the pinnacle of his career between 1999 and 2003, Davis was a productive bruiser averaging close to 1,200 yards and 11 TDs a season during that span.

1

12

1

23

2

36

2

43

After back-to-back disappointments for drafting Running Backs, not much was expected of the class of '97. The little engine that could (aka Warrick Dunn) had heard "you're too small to play football" since entering the pee-wee league at a not-so stout 2 feet, 35 lbs. Good things do come in small packages. Li'l Warrick became one of the NFL's good guys, contributing time and money to worthy causes while also leaving his mark on the gridiron. Dunn’s speed helped him rush for over 1,000 yards in two of his first four seasons. In his ninth season (2005), Dunn rushed for a career-high 1,400 yards. Antowain Smith, the second first round RB of '97 wasn’t a bad player. His career didn’t last as long as the others of this class, but he was an integral part of the New England dynasty. Tiki Barber and Corey Dillon turned out to be second round steals.

1

5

1

9

1

18

3

76

Ouch. Curtis Enis and Robert Edwards, we hardly knew ye'. Neither Enis nor Edwards came remotely close to living up to first round billing. Enis had injury problems and managed only three seasons in the NFL (never eclipsing the 1,000 yard barrier in a season). Edwards was even less impressive (if that’s even possible). He rushed for 1,000 yards as a rookie then mastered the impossible – blew out his knee in a recreational flag football game in Hawaii the very next year. But honestly, who amongst us hasn’t had a brilliant career cut short by a tragic flag football accident on the Hawaiian Islands? This stuff simply can’t be made up. Edwards played one more meaningless season in the NFL. Speaking of injuries – Fred Taylor was also drafted in round one of the '98 Draft. When healthy, Taylor has been a solid NFL rusher. Two of his first four NFL seasons were cut short by injuries, but from 2002 to 2004, Taylor got the job done averaging more than 1,300 yards during that span. Ahman Green was a nice steal in round three. The Seahawks gave up on him but the Packers saw potential and brought him in to be Brett Favre's running mate in Cheese City.

1

4

1

5

Clearly the class of '99 did not boast its tremendous depth of skilled rushers. Only two note-worthy names emerged from this class, but oh the joy they brought us. Fans may remember this draft as the year Saints Head Coach Mike Ditka married Ricky Williams. Ditka won a Super Bowl thanks to Walter Payton, so he knew the importance of a no-nonsense, power rusher, which is why he traded every single pick the Saints had in order to move up to #5. Ricky had the power part down, but it's the nonsense he struggled with. He lasted longer than Ditka in New Orleans, and even became the NFL's leading rusher (and fantasy football owners' most prized possession) before the nonsense kicked in. Drug problems and aloofness set in once Ricky relocated to South Beach. He walked away from the game but returned when his curiosity for life’s meaning outweighed his checkboock. Another drug problem and whammo! Ricky ended up with Toronto of the Canadian Football League, eh? The better half of his prime was lost during all of this, so we're still wondering what could've been. The Colts opted for the somewhat safer risk in Edgerrin James that same year. James was a very good rusher on very good Colts teams. After leading the league in rushing his first two seasons, Edge became a staple on Indy's playoff teams before seeking more money elsewhere, giving up winning in Indy for the cash in Sand City, Arizona.

An intriguing class, led by first RB taken overall, Jamal Lewis. Though his career has been rocky, Lewis has been a productive NFL rusher. He rushed for over 1,000 yards in four of his first five NFL seasons. As a rookie, he helped lead Baltimore to a Super Bowl title. In 2003, he rushed for over 2,000 yards. Lewis seemed like the gem of this class, but minor injuries, a poor offense and of course that federal bust on drug trafficking sent his career spiraling downward after 2004. He was overtaken as the "Prize of the 2000 Class" by Shaun Alexander, who hit his stride at the same time. Alexander was named the NFL MVP in 2005 after setting a club record with 1,880 yards and 27 TDs that season, en route to leading the Seahawks to the Super Bowl. Sandwiched in between the first round selections of Lewis and Alexander were Thomas Jones and Ron Dayne. Jones fizzled first in Arizona, then in Tampa Bay before landing with the Bears and earning himself a starting job. Dayne appeared in a Super Bowl against Jamal Lewis as the thunder to Tiki Barber's lightning for the Giants. After a decent rookie season, Dayne did nothing more than add weight, lose speed and fall far behind Barber's on New York's depth chart. After his release, Dayne landed in Denver then found his way to the Houston Texans, the equivalent of NFL purgatory. Reuben Droughns was a pleasant surprise in round three. He lasted only one uneventful season in Detroit before moving on to Denver, proving himself as backup, then signing with Cleveland in 2005 to take on the team's full-time job.

An amazing year for Running Backs when you really think about it. Tomlinson has been a world-beater in the NFL. In his first five seasons, he was everything for the Chargers offense, averaging over 1,400 yards and 14 TDs during that span. The drafting of Deuce McAllister later in the first round was equally as amazing – not because McAllister lacked talent (far from it) – but because it came only two years after the Saints and Mike Ditka traded every draft pick they had in order to land Ricky Williams. Ricky was eventually dealt to Miami (where he really became a headcase) and the offense belonged to McAllister (at least until Mr. Reggie Bush came to town in 2006). Michael Bennett was another interesting pick, following in the footsteps of Ron Dayne as a brilliant rusher at Wisconsin who never amounted to much more than a hill of beans in the NFL. Lamont Jordan was a great value pick in round two. He spent the early part of his career backing up superstar Mr. Durable, Curtis Martin before he was dealt to Oakland, where he became the feature back. And speaking of great value picks, there’s Rudi Johnson falling into the arms of Cincinnati in round four.

 

Who could forget slick Willie Green? Cleveland fans were still trying to recover from the drafting of Tim Couch back in 1999 when the Brownie braintrust dropped the Willie Green bombshell on them. If not the greatest RB draft bust in history, Green surely takes the title for the 21st century. Green’s career went down the toilet after an 800-yard rookie season. In 2003, he violated the league’s substance abuse policy and was slapped with a four-game suspension. Then his fiancée slapped him with a knife to the shoulder. If he couldn’t dodge defenders, how the hec could he dodge a deranged woman with a steak knife?! A few more drug and alcohol related issues later and Slick Willie became the fastest man ever to go from first round draft pick to the "where are they now" file. T.J. Duckett was the next RB off the board. He’s been a solid goal line carrier in the NFL, but he never became what a first round RB should be. DeShaun Foster was a super stud coming out of UCLA but an injury his Senior season hurt his draft status – and should've been a red flag for what was to come in the NFL. Foster’s been a decent back, but count him among the many who consistently appear on the walking wounded list. Clinton Portis was an absolute steal in round two and Westbrook a steal of the third stanza. Both are talented starters. Finally, Chester Taylor spent the early part of his career as the backup behind Jamal Lewis in Baltimore before Minnesota signed him to be their feature back in 2006.

Neither run, nor sleet, nor snow, nor a painfully blown out knee could stop Willis McGahee from rushing into the NFL. He declared a year early despite tearing up his knee in the National Championship game. McGahee was the first RB drafted in 2003 despite the fact that he was still on crutches and recovering from the absolute worst injury a RB could possibly endure. So does that speak volumes about his talent or the lack of talent among the rest of this class? Larry Johnson took baby steps to becoming a star rusher, but as soon as Priest Holmes was down in K.C., L.J. took over and the offense didn’t skip a beat. Chris Brown and Domanick Davis were both drafted later that year, but their careers have been spent on such ridiculously bad teams that it’s unfair to assess their NFL achievements. Both were later draft picks that became starters though. And we’ll leave it at that.

 

NFL teams clearly drafted Running Backs with extreme caution in 2004. Though each of the five listed above has a great deal of talent, none were drafted in the top 20. Since 1995, Scouts must've had too many nightmares of people like Ki-Jana Carter, Lawrence Phillips, Curtis Enis, Ron Dayne and slick Willie Green (all top 20 picks in the 10 years prior). No way did anyone want to make that same mistake twice and commit to a bust of that caliber, and they must’ve smelled bust potential in this class. They were wrong. Still very young, this class has faired well. Steven Jackson took over the ground game for Marshall Faulk in St. Louis. He’s played at an all-pro level and served as a first round fantasy draft pick ever since. Just when Rudi Johnson emerged as Cincy’s new stud in the post-Corey Dillon era, the Bengals opted to spend a first round pick on Chris Perry. While Perry has good talent to platoon with Rudi, he’s battled through injuries for much of his young career. Kevin Jones became the first decent RB for the Lions since Barry Sanders abruptly retired after the '98 season. Six losing seasons later and Detroit finally came to their senses, drafting a RB to finally replace Barry the Great. Jones hasn’t played anywhere near a Sanders-level, and he’s still fumbling the ball too much, but he’s still a solid feature back in the NFL.

 

For every LaDanian Tomlinson drafted in the past ten years, we've had at least one Tim Biakabutuka. For every Curtis Martin, we've had at least one William Green. Every position has their busts (see the Wide Receiver section) but none can compare to the Running Backs when it comes to busting in a blaze of glory. While Wide Receivers and Quarterbacks have a tendency to just fade into bust oblivion, Running Backs tend to go out with much pomp and circumstance. Lawrence Phillips left the game with more felony convictions than TDs. Ricky Williams walked away at the pinnacle of his career to explore the hemp fields of Indonesia. Willie Green left the game quicker than either Williams or Phillips, walking into the sunset with his fiancée's steak knife still protruding from his shoulder. And Curtis Enis...well we’re convinced that after his four atrocious NFL seasons he became the first man ever to literally fall off the face of the earth.