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So You Want a Running Back

Jan 20, 2009 Eagles Rumors

So the immediate off-season talking point is that the Eagles need to draft a power back to compliment Westbrook.  It happens to make a lot of sense, of course.  There is perhaps no elite back in the NFL whom splitting carries makes more sense for than BWest.  And yeah, the Eagles have had a rather annoying problem imposing their will with the running game, and a powerful running back seems like a good place to start looking for the answer.

There may be some good news.  Take a look at the draft results from last year.  The results are so startling they may be impossible for GM Reid to ignore.  Here’s the running backs drafted in the first three rounds, in order:

Darren McFadden
Jonathan Stewart
Felix Jones
Rashard Mendenhall
Chris Johnson
Matt Forte
Ray Rice
Kevin Smith
Jamaal Charles
Steve Slaton

Every single one of those guys can be considered a successful pick with the exception of Mendenhall who was injured.  That’s a pretty compelling argument to take a back early.

And in case you needed another reason to start screaming for top-end college talent, I give you every back taken in rounds four through seven.  It’s a wasteland.  Only one or two guys with anything resembling a meaningful contribution, out of fourteen total backs taken.