TOP 10 RBs IN 2017 NFL DRAFT
1. Leonard Fournette – LSU – Junior – 6-0, 240 – 4.51
Fournette’s path and perception to draft night has been far more polarizing than any of us thought it would be going into his final year. After rushing for 1,953 yards and 22 touchdowns as a sophomore, Fournette’s numbers fell during an injury-riddled junior season in which he rushed for 1,o34 yards and 10 TDs. Though draft media is lower on this north-south runner than before, due to his lack of production in shotgun formations and how dependent his running style is scheme wise, expect him to be the first running back off the board in the Top 10 – perhaps to San Francisco at No. 2.

2. Christian McCaffrey – Stanford – Junior – 5-11, 202 – 4.48
McCaffrey is making a late push to be the first running back taken this year, but chances are he’ll come up just short – though still a Top 15 pick. After running for over 3,600 yards in his final two seasons, this scheme-versatile running back is coveted for his diverse skill set as a runner and a pass catcher as he caught 99 passes for 1,206 yards and 10 TDs in his Stanford career. The NFL views him as one of, if not the, best offense weapon to be had in this class due to his versatility on offense and as a return specialist.

3. Dalvin Cook – FSU – Junior – 5-10, 210 – 4.49
Cook’s draft stock over the last few months has been an absolute roller coaster. At first, it was projected that Cook would be a mid-to-late first round pick. Then, as writers began to dive more into his tape, there was talk that he could be a Top 10 selection. However, after testing in the ninth percentile at the NFL Scouting Combine, the narrative on Cook began to fall. Now he might not even be a lock for the first round anymore. Wherever he ends up going (which seems more on the later side now), Cook should still be the third running back taken due to the fact that he rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his three seasons at FSU, including 1,765 yards and 19 TDs as a junior. Cook also caught 79 passes for 935 yards and scored two TDs as a receiver out of the backfield.

4. Joe Mixon – Oklahoma – (RS) Sophmore – 6-1, 228 – 4.43
On the field, Mixon is probably the best running back in this class, and that’s according to both the NFL and the media. However, with his off-field assault charge (among other incidents), Mixon’s draft stock has been in limbo for some time. At first, it was thought that Mixon was possibly going to go undrafted. But after hearing form some NFL general managers at the Combine who wished Mixon was there, it became clear he wasn’t going to make it out of draft weekend without a team. Now the projection is that Mixon won’t get out of Round 2, and could possibly make it into the bottom part of the first round. Mixon split carries with Samaje Perine over the last two years, but still rushed for over 2,000 yards and 17 touchdowns. He’s considered to be the best receiving running back in the draft and caught 65 passes for 894 yards and nine touchdowns.

5. Alvin Kamara – Tennessee – Junior – 5-10, 214 – 4.56
Kamara was originally thought of as a good sleeper and compliment back to be had in the middle round of the draft. However, after diving into his tape deeper, the perception around Kamara is that he’s now a fringe first-round player. Kamara brings great short area explosiveness and pass catching abilities to a team that wants to get more dynamic. Though he doesn’t have home run speed, teams seem to really like his versatility. He’ll be one of the Top 5 running backs selected. Kamara split time with Jalen Hurd at Tennessee and didn’t rush for more than 700 yards in either season. But he did excel as a pass-catcher out of the backfield with 74 receptions for 683 yards and seven scores.

USF RB Marlon Mack – Photo by: Getty Images

6. Marlon Mack – USF – Junior – 5-11, 213 – 4.50
After Kamara the draft gets into more of a preference pool, but not in a bad way. The player who seems to be gaining the most interest and separation among the clutter is USF’s Mack. Mack possesses the big-play, long-distance speed where a lot of his other running backs fall short. He needs to be more decisive with his runs, not dancing at the line of scrimmage as much and making sure he isn’t taking negative plays. But in terms of what he can do, he can fly down the field faster than most offensive playmakers in this class. Mack became USF’s all-time leading rusher with 3,609 yards and 32 touchdowns in his Bulls career.

7. Samaje Perine – Oklahoma – Junior – 5-11, 233 – 4.65
Perine is on the opposite end of the spectrum from Mack, but he is still able to separate himself form the pack because of his power game. At 5-foot-11 and over 230 pounds, Perine is a true bruiser, but has some burst to him as well. He puts that all together with great balance and is always muscling his way for extra yards because of it. Though a powerful ball carrier, he’s more of a complete back than given credit for. Perine became Oklahoma’s all-time leading rusher with 4,122 yards and 49 touchdowns. As a junior, the powerful Perine set an NCAA record with 427 yards rushing against Kansas.

8. Kareem Hunt – Toledo – Senior – 5-11, 216 – 4.62
When we talk about complete back in this draft class, we can’t get too far into the conversation without mentioning Toledo’s Kareem Hunt. Hunt has been terrorizing MAC defense for the last four years. He left Toledo with over 5,000 yards form scrimmage and 45 total touchdowns. He’s shown he can be effective in all three blocking schemes, and is a shift runner as well as a powerful runner. He doesn’t have blazing straight-line speed, but he doesn’t have to to be a solid NFL asset. Hunt also never lost a fumble in four years with the Rockets.

9. Wayne Gallman – Clemson – Junior – 6-0, 215 – 4.60
Gallman seems to be the forgotten prospect among the running back group. For the past two years, Gallman has quietly been a great form of consistency for the Tigers, and that can be shown by both of their runs to the national championship games the past two seasons. He’s a bit of an upright runner, but he negates that concern of that with good balance. For his size, he’s a tough player who fights for extra yards. Gallman’s not elite at anything athletically, and that’s probably why he’s lower on the projected list, but he’s a solid all-around player that rushed for 3,416 yards and 34 touchdowns at Clemson, while catching 66 passes for 486 yards and two touchdowns.

10. D’Onta Foreman – Texas – Junior – 6-0, 233 – 4.45
Foreman was a very interesting prospect during the season, because at one point he was listed as playing at 250 pounds. For those who watched him play, a player making those moves and running that fast at that weight make him quite alluring. However, after showing up at the Combine at 233 pounds and debunking that inflated weight size, things have cooled down on him. Still, he is a power player who is comfortable form the shotgun. But, he is still an exclusive between-the-tackles runner, even with good speed. Some team will like him at that niche, especially after he rushed for 2,000 yards and 15 touchdowns last year.

BEST OF THE REST
11. Jamaal Williams – BYU – Senior – 6-0, 212 – 4.59
Williams is an under-the-radar complete back who seems to be on the outside looking in. He was the most impressive back during Senior Bowl week, but that hype cooled down pretty fast. He’s an all-around back with decent size and speed who rushed for almost 4,000 yards and 35 touchdowns during his BYU career.

12. James Conner – Pittsburgh – Junior – 6-1, 233 – 4.65
Conner is the big time bruising running back some team will get in the middle rounds of this draft. Conner was one of the best running backs in the ACC before being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2015. He returned in 2016 after being announced cancer free and rushed for over 1,000 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Wyoming RB Brian Hill – Photo by: Getty Images

13. Brian Hill – Wyoming – Junior – 6-1, 219 – 4.54
As Hunt has risen up draft board and can no longer be called the small-school sleeper back of the class, Wyoming’s Hill has taken his place. Hill rushed for 1,600 and 1,800 yards over the past two years respectively to become the Cowboys’ all-time leading rusher. He’s a workhorse back who can do it all, but not at an elite athletic level.

14. Jeremy McNichols – Boise State – Junior – 5-9, 214 – 4.49
McNichols is hoping to be the next successful Boise State back in the NFL joining last season’s rookie standout Jay Ajayi and Buccaneers running back Doug Martin. He’s a solid runner, receiver and returner, but won’t blow NFL teams away to warrant a higher pick despite gaudy production. McNichols rushed for 1,709 yards and 23 TDs last year, and has 103 catches for 1,089 yards and 11 receiving scores in his Broncos career.

15. Joe Williams – Utah – Senior – 5-11, 210 – 4.41
After quitting football for a portion of his final season at Utah, Williams bounced back in a big way. After missing four games during that retirement, no running back in college football rushed for more yards than Williams did. His broad jump and 40-yard dash are in the 89th and 88th percentile for his position, but his size makes him a niche player. He’s a home-run hitting running back to be had late after rushing for 1,407 yards and 10 touchdowns in just over half a season’s worth of production.

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