I've been grading over the past few weeks....and I think the one position that really stands out in terms of quality depth is RB. In 2014, the WR class had more guys at 80+ (my personal barometer for Pro Bowl caliber prospects) that I have ever had. This year, I will have more RBs in the 80+ range than I have ever had and a handful of guys right under that tier.
The NYG duo of Jennings and Williams isn't bad at all. They both run hard between the tackles and can pick up the tough yards. They both break tackles. Jennings is a good pass catcher, although Williams leave a lot to be desired.
Now it won't matter who is in the backfield if the OL doesn't improve, but I can say with confidence that NYG will put their resources in to the OL via FA and the draft. With that in mind, I think NYG has an opportunity to bring in a playmaker to the backfield.
Whether you think the RB position is a dying breed or not....it is and always will be an incredibly important piece to the offense. Yes, you can find quality backs late in the draft. Same can be said for any position, therefore I dismiss that reply in a heartbeat.
I think as soon as round 2, NYG can be on the look out for RB value. I think you are gonna have several options in rounds 2-3-4 for guys that have higher grades than those respective draft slots.
The question becomes, do you go after a specific kind of back? A guy that can really catch the ball and be effective in space? Or do you get another between the tackles type runner? They need ball security and they need to show they can block, that is a fact as long as Coughlin is here.
A few names to consider by round:
Round 2
Todd Gurley - Georgia
Duke Johnson - Miami
Tevin Coleman - Indiana
Round 3
Ameer Abdullah - Nebraska
Jay Ajayi - Boise State
TJ Yeldon - Alabama
David Cobb - Minnesota
Mike Davis - South Carolina
Round 4
David Johnson - RB/Northern Iowa
Cameron Artis-Payne - RB/Auburn
Fiddy this is a myth. Look at the best Rbs going and most of them were drafted in rounds 1--3. Like any other position there are a few exceptions but long story short the better players are more likely to be drafted early. This goes for every position. For every Arian Foster type I can rattle off a dozen backs that were drafted early.
Id say some positions are tougher to land studs later on in the draft, take left tackle and probably DE and QB but for the most part, if you want quality, you're gonna have to draft the guy early more often than not.
McCoy - 2nd rounder (or was he 3rd too?)
Morris - 6th rounder and as good as he is he's not in the above class
Jennings - 7th rounder -- see above
Williams - 4th rounder -- jury is out
NFC central
Peterson - first rounder true stud
Forte - first rounder true stud
Lacy -2nd or 3rd rounder? Damn good player and getting better
Bush - first rounder and when healthy very good
Bell - no clue but solid player -- undrafted?
NFC west
Gore - first rounder - damn good player for ten years
Lynch - first rounder - borderline hof player
Tre mason -3rd rounder - has hr hitting potential
Ellington - 6th rounder - sky is limit but needs good health (exception)
NFC south
Steven Jackson - 1st rounder - good career but nearing the end
Mark Ingram - 1st rounder - took a while but showing good potential
Panthers Rbs - Both high draft picks -- both are just ok in my view
Doug Martin - 1st rounder -- who the hell knows
Without covering every AFC team some early draft picks that come to mind -- ray rice, Bernard, hill, Charles and on the flip side Pittsburgh's bell and foster and the kid on Denver are playing well and were drafted late.
There are a few successful Rbs that were taking after round 3-4 but the majority were taken early on..
More often than not you're gonna get what you paid for...
Williams might end up an Alford Morris type. He's got that nasty tough running style.
Gore was a 3rd rounder
Demarco Murray 3rd round
Le'Veon Bell 2nd round
LeSean McCoy 2nd round
Marshawn Lynch 1st round
Justin Forsett 7th round
Arian Foster Undrafted
Eddie Lacy 2nd round
Jeremy Hill 2nd round
Frank Gore 3rd round
Lamar Miller 3rd round
Alfred Morris 7th round
Matt Forte 2nd round
Jamaal Charles 3rd round
Pass on Cobb for sure.
''Signed off the street last January, Jonas Gray made history versus the Colts, rushing for 201 yards and four touchdowns. A week later, undrafted Blount led the Patriots with 78 yards and a pair of touchdowns just days after signing off the street himself.
Meanwhile, undrafted C.J. Anderson and Juwan Thompson combined for 228 yards from scrimmage in the Broncos' 39-36 win over the Miami Dolphins. Former sixth-round pick Latavius Murray became the only back in NFL history with at least 100 rushing yards and a pair of scores on fewer than six carries in the Oakland Raiders' upset victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
The trend isn't limited to the last two weeks, with the Pats and Broncos employing specific game plans to establish the run.
Undrafted Cleveland Browns rookie Isaiah Crowell leads all first-year players with seven rushing touchdowns. Arian Foster, originally undrafted out of Tennessee, is fifth in rushing yards despite missing three games. Former seventh-round pick Justin Forsett, an after-thought free-agent signing in April, leads the NFL in yards per carry (5.8).
Against that backdrop, the unmitigated failure of the Colts' Trent Richardson trade seems particularly egregious. Indianapolis surrendered a first-round pick only to watch Richardson be outplayed by Donald Brown, Ahmad Bradshaw and now former sixth-round pick Boom Herron.
Even with a trio of running backs on the fringe of the MVP discussion, the NFL's devaluation of the position isn't going away.''
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I think you could add Langford to your 4th rd. list. I'm assuming you have Gordon going in the 1st.
BTW- Speaking of dying positions, have you taken a look at Michael Burton, the Rutgers FB? Kid blocks like a Mack truck and is a good receiver out of the backfield. I think some team is going to be pleasantly surprised, particularly if they get him as an UDFA.
I haven't looked at him yet, only in passing as I've been scouting G Kaleb Johnson. He'll be on the list of guys I take a deeper look at in April after all the more important prospects are done if I have time.
Burton got an invitation to the combine, so you may get a chance to evaluate him then.
Apparently 1 of only 3 FBs invited.
My sleeper is Trey Williams of Texas A&M. Small, but speedy. He breaks tackles and makes people miss. I think if he gains some weight and keeps his speed, he can be a nice third down complement. For now, he's probably just a return man.