5. Carlos Hyde, San Francisco 49ers
Hyde is in an intriguing situation that could have him landing on either end of the spectrum by the middle of the season. With a plethora of talent Hyde has the ability to be the starter on a run-first offense featuring a punishing offensive line. However, the indestructible Frank Gore is still the main man in the backfield, and will be unless he goes down with an injury.
Of course Gore’s contract is set to expire next year, so working Hyde into the rotation should be in the teams long term plans for the Forty-Niners. Combine that logic with the fact this team has been one of the more efficient teams on the ground the past three years, and Hyde should be eating a big piece of that pie when you consider the team used a second-round pick on him.
4. Tre Mason, St. Louis Rams
Mason’s biggest competition will be last years fifth-round pick Zac Stacy. Stacy was a pleasant addition to the team and helped add a consistent threat in the running game while wearing down defenses with a bulk of carries. Still, what Mason brings to the table as a player is much more valuable and intriguing, as he is clearly the more explosive athlete of the two. Sharing carries is never fun for anyone, but clearly being the better athlete and offering more versatility, Mason should eventually earn a prominent role in the offense, the question is how long will it take to adjust to the NFL?
3. Andre Williams, New York Giants
It seems I’m in the minority in thinking the Giants offensive-line will be dramatically improved this year, and that assumption leads to more assumptions about an improved running game to go with it. Although the Giants backfield is a mess with names like Rashad Jennings and Peyton Hillis, Williams could come out of training camp atop the depth chart. What Williams lacks as a shifty “make you miss” tailback, he gains as a pure north-and-south runner and should turn into a ground-and-pound back for Tom Coughlin’s offense by the time the dust settles.
2. Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons
As you finish reading this sentence Stephen Jackson just tweaked a hamstring. Jackson is on the wrong side of 30 and has shown signs of his body wearing down from the years of carries and punishing hits, and while he will enter the season as the starter its a foregone conclusion he will be on the medical chart sooner than later. After beating out Jacquizz Rodgers, Freeman just has to play the waiting game until Jackson goes down.
Until then, Freeman has shown the promise to excel in the passing game both as a catcher and blocker, which should guarantee him playing time right away on third-downs. Playing on an offense that plays in a dome, and can stretch the field vertically with arguably the best 1-2 receiving combination in the league (Julio Jones and Roddy White) favors a running game that won’t see safeties stacked in the box.
From his talent to the current situation in Atlanta, Freeman is in a tremendous position to be very successful in year one, and depending on Jackson’s health, should be one of the most productive running backs of this class.
1. Bishop Sankey, Tennessee Titans
Plain and simple, this years best running back just happened to land in the best situation, which will equate to immediate production and value. Sankey only has to beat out Shone Greene who has averaged less than four-yards per carry during his NFL carrier thus far.
The 54th selection overall, Sankey will surely be the focal point of the Titans offensive game plan after using such a high pick on the talented running back. After solidifying their trenches by drafting Taylor Lewan with the 11th pick in the draft, Sankey has one of the more underrated offensive lines to run behind in what should be a run-first team.
Projecting him 17-22 touches per game is very realistic, and plugging him as the goal line back seems like a no brainer as well. Taking all that into account, Sankey clearly has landed in the best situation of any rookie running back, which is why here at eDraft he is out top rookie heading into training camp.
Just Missed
Charles Sims, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sims is a do-it-all tailback that can run, catch, and block, but its that last part that sets him apart from his peers. His ability to stay on the field during passing downs and contribute in the pass game should help him produce solid numbers right away. However, the return of Doug Martin from injury hinders Sims from being a big player in this backfield on what should be a pass-first team to begin with, limiting the amount of snaps and touches Sims will receive.
Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals
Move over law firm, with Hill in the mix there is clearly heavy competition for the Bengals work horse running back. With Giovani Bernard locking up the third-down role, the Bengals hope they have found their first and second down running back of the future, one they can lean on to ground-and-pound the rock with. After using a second-round pick on Hill one would assume the team has big plans for him in that role, but with two capable tailbacks in front of him its hard to say how long those plans will take to come to fruition.