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None has enough career production for inclusion below, where we unveil the top 100 running backs for six-year elite scrimmage production. Henry would need to bounce back from his injury-shortened 2021 and sustain excellence past age 30. Jonathan Taylor and Cleveland’s Nick Chubb are two current players young enough to still have hope for producing at least six elite seasons. Barry Sanders, Walter Payton and Eric Dickerson were next, followed by Thurman Thomas and Faulk.Īs the league trends away from singular workhorse running backs, it’s getting tougher for running backs to put up Hall of Fame numbers. Others, like Joe Perry and Jim Taylor, would have ranked higher if only rushing yards were considered.īrown came out on top with a 1.000 average percentile, a reflection of the fact he led the league in scrimmage yards six times. Versatile backs such as Marshall Faulk, Tiki Barber, Ricky Watters, Matt Forte and Roger Craig climbed as a result. To account for receiving production among these top rushers, I averaged percentiles for where each ranked in scrimmage yardage, not just rushing yardage, during their six best seasons from scrimmage. To qualify, players had to rank among the top 100 running backs in all-time rushing yardage. Quite a few top backs did not even have a seventh season to evaluate, but all of them had at least six, affirming that the six-year cutoff was optimum. #LAMAR MILLER OR ALFRED MORRIS WINDOWS#With running backs, who generally have shorter windows of elite production, I settled on six seasons instead of eight. By comparing players against their peers in each season, we adjust for eras. Jerry Rice and Don Hutson came out on top, with Randy Moss next and a few surprises mixed in. ![]() In evaluating wide receivers, I averaged percentiles for where each player ranked in receiving yardage during his eight best seasons, after requiring at least 7,000 career yards for inclusion. It’s this elite production we are seeking to measure more than yardage compiled well past players’ primes. Jonathan Taylor, in his third season and still only 23, rushed for more yards in his first two seasons (2,980) than all but six others in NFL history. Tennessee’s Derrick Henry led the league in rushing in 20. There might never be another Jim Brown, but the Week 4 game Sunday between the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts delivers two of the best backs today. #LAMAR MILLER OR ALFRED MORRIS PRO#The Bears ran the ball 468 times last season, and averaged more rushing attempts (29.2) than all but five teams last season.Ĭhicago’s tailbacks also caught 70 passes in Gase’s offense, and that position will likely be an integral part of the Dolphins’ passing game moving forward.What should Hall of Fame statistical production look like for a running back? I solved for that question regarding wide receivers recently and will do the same for running backs here, using data from Pro Football Reference. The Dolphins must find a multi-purpose tailback because Gase plans to lean heavily on that position in Miami’s new offense. The upcoming NFL draft also features a dozen or more backs who are projected to be selected in the first four rounds, but only Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott was given a first-round draft grade. #LAMAR MILLER OR ALFRED MORRIS FREE#Jets tailbacks Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell are unrestricted free agents, as is Arian Foster, who was released by the Texans this week, and Reggie Bush, who also works as a return specialist. That means signing Anderson, who has rushed for 1,607 yards and scored 15 touchdowns in his three seasons, would likely involve Miami sending a draft pick to Denver. Anderson, who played for Gase when Miami’s head coach was the offensive coordinator for the Broncos, is a restricted free agent. ![]()
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