most overrated running backs of all time most overrated running backs of all time

Henderson was arguably the best blocking fullback during the late 90s, paving the way for nine 1,000 yard rushers in his 12 years in Green Bay. Gibson has also been struggling with fumbles in training camp, which have drawn the ire of the Commanders coaching staff. Pat Fitzmaurice: This is the type of player I won't draft at any cost. Miles Sanders, Philadelphia | Consensus Rankings RB20 | Consensus Projections RB20. A veteran, a trade, or another team's roster cut is more likely to be the bigger threat. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh | Consensus Rankings RB17 | Consensus Projections RB15. He and Ameer Abdullah -- who played over Kenyan Drake in the first preseason game -- could take away tons of receiving work, while White is capable of obtaining shots around the goal line. The current regime did not select Robinson. David Montgomery, Chicago | Consensus Rankings RB18 | Consensus Projections RB18. Most Overrated NFL Players of All Time by Team By Paul Ladewski, updated on September 10, 2021 Matt York / AP Photo Don't you just love it that sports media are so quick to hype athletes as the biggest and the best. Tevin Coleman is one of those veteran thorns in the sides of young backs to garner touches. Clyde Edwards-Helaire was used as a space player last year, and his lack of a red-zone presence placed a ceiling on his fantasy value. With the second-year back getting selected in the early second round of most drafts, fantasy managers must be expecting that trend to continue in 2021. I would probably rank him around 43. Combine a true committee situation with a quarterback who racks up 1,000 yards and a handful of scores, and you have a ceiling on Dobbins that won't be unlocked without a rash of injuries. Gaskin may be the best receiver of the trio, but Ahmed isn't far behind. No one can take away his heroics stepping in for Christian McCaffrey, and he was rewarded in the offseason when Atlanta presumably signed him to be new coach Arthur Smith's feature back. Deion Sanders tops the list of overrated cornerbacks. Gibson plays on a bad offense, has rushing competition from Robinson, and receiving competition from McKissic. Barry Sanders 3. The Commanders made it a priority of theirs to bring back J.D. In an attempt to point out these players, we asked our staff to look through the Top 150 and identify players that should underperform their draft position. Dillon is maturing as a receiver and might be used in that facet of the game despite his size profile suggesting hes a bruiser. Ryan Hester: If Aaron Rodgers leaves Green Bay, no Green Bay players will see their output exceed their price tag. Phil Alexander: Michael Thomas' ankle injury opens up additional targets for Kamara, who will operate as New Orleans' de facto No. Daniel Jones was one of the most uninspiring quarterbacks in the league last year. They traded up in the draft to select Javonte Williams and, without the large contract, may have already released the former Charger. For both Cleveland backs to be values, the team would have to produce vintage New Orleans-level production for its backs. Think about that for a moment. Jamal Lewis rushed for nearly 3,400 yards in the first two seasons back from his ACL tear. Andrew Davenport: Fournette's production in the playoffs was artificially inflated by the injury to Ronald Jones II, and part of Fournette's regular-season fantasy production last year was due to his pass-catching role. Durability is atop the list after missing six games last year. John Riggins 19. Drafters are still grabbing David Johnson due to projected volume, yet in their first preseason game, Houston utilized Phillip Lindsay on first and second downs with the starters while David Johnson was restricted to a third-down role. Kudos to James Robinson. Top 10 Most Overrated Athletes of All Time It's not that they aren't great players, they just aren't everything we've been led to believe. For example, take Imagine Dragons and Maroon 5, both very accomplished. Leave him there for the next guy to take him. He has had 9,088 receiving+rushing yards over his career. This was largely in line with his previous year's 10.7 per game which allowed him to plod his way to an uninspiring RB24 finish. Avoid. Instead, McKissic is a receiving-centric option where targets will be at a premium considering the competition in Washington, which was not present in the 2020 version with notable wide receiver additions Curtis Samuel, Adam Humphries, and Dyami Brown. They traded up in the draft to select Javonte Williams and, without the large contract, may have already released the former Charger. He's more powerful and understands how to work between the tackles. Melvin Gordon III, Denver | Consensus Rankings RB29 | Consensus Projections RB28. Draft capital is not a predictor of talent as much as a predictor of opportunity. Footballguys staff members discuss running backs who are overvalued. Victoria Geary: The Ravens have "made it a point of emphasis" to get Dobbins more looks in the passing game for 2021, but we know coach speak isn't very trustworthy during the offseason. When you select Dobbins in your drafts, you are banking on the hyper-efficiency of his limited touches to continue. Perhaps the political and social issues depicted in 'The Grapes of Wrath" were too controversial. Jacobs could easily wind up as a player who does a lot of work between the 20s with no meaningful fantasy production. After the Robinson selection, head coach Ron Rivera likened the potential Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson Jr combination to the Jonathan Stewart and D'Angelo Williams pairing he used during his Carolina days. Ryan Hester: Gibson is a unique case in fantasy football. most overrated running backs of all time. The 39 Most Overrated Bands Of All-Time While they might have some catchy tunes, some bands are really overrated. Only he and Jim brown had a full career average of 5.0 ypc lifetime. Phil Alexander: What makes people so confident the Dolphins backfield is not a committee? The notorious "Frankenstein" graphic did him no favors. There's just not enough upside here to justify taking Johnson anywhere near his ADP and no expectation of consistency in Johnson's usage or the Texans' ability to move the ball week to week. Andy Hicks: It is hard for an undrafted rookie running back to succeed in the NFL. Even the best backs need help, and Harris is less likely to have consistent holes to run through than any of the backs going around him. Lynn will also rely on the hot hand approach - and Swift is more likely to run hot than Williams - but how often will this offense and team play well enough to give Swift a favorable game script. Andy Hicks: The Broncos dont seem overly excited to use Melvin Gordon III this year. Christian McCaffery and Nick Chubb, running backs. Jonathan Morris: As soon as Josh McDaniels came into the picture as the new head coach of the Raiders, my valuation of Jacobs immediately went down. Matt Waldman: Many of my peers at Footballguys are worshippers of draft capital as a predictor of talent. The new coaching staff is inexperienced (second-youngest in the NFL), the system is unproven, the quarterback is going to gobble up a ton of rushing yards and touchdowns, and the front office has added running back depth aggressively in the offseason. Awesemo fantasy expert Nick Lepri gives you the three MOST OVERRATED RBs, breaks down his running .. And was brought back by a new staff that keeps saying he will be a significant part of the offense. Again, these are not the stats of an elite RB. McKissic. He has the ability to handle that role and thrive in the process. He has good hands, but his route running hurt his opportunities to make clean catches against man-to-man coverage. Flick's Package Liquor Inc. PO Box 221 3320 Sterns Rd. During the next few weeks, we here at NFL.com will unveil our Most Underrated and Overrated Players of All Time for all 32 teams and allow users to determine their choices as well.. That is not the stat line of an elite RB at all. Jason Wood: Sanders is talented, and when healthy, was productive under former head coach Doug Pederson. What follows are some of the most notable BackCAST projections for the running back prospects available in the 2022 NFL draft, along with two overrated back based on this model: ESPN + Gibson was even in the game after Robinson was out. Got the exact same number of carries as Williams. Subscription, Early-March Top 10 Defensive Back IDP Rankings, 5 RBs to Buy In Dynasty Before NFL Free Agency. He's not a player to build your team around if you pick in the top half of the first round. Gordon has always been a runner that needs a large workload to produce fantasy stats. Bettis was nothing more than an average RB for a long period of time (13 years). Lineup Builder Quick Start, Multi-Lineup Barring an injury to Chubb, Hunt will drive you crazy trying to figure out when to start him as anything other than a flex option. Nick Chubb, Cleveland | Consensus Rankings RB10 | Consensus Projections RB12. This NFL season, which isn't even over yet, 5 running backs have already rushed for more yards and 16 have more touchdowns. Myles Gaskin, Miami | Consensus Rankings RB24 | Consensus Projections RB22. Swift has already broken the injury seal with a groin issue in camp, and Jamaal Williams has already been spoken of highly as a potential 1A to Swift's No. Here are the players who received the most votes: And here are all of the players mentioned and the reasons why. I feel like most drafting Gordon right now are doing it on name value, but he now has plenty of competition with Javonte Williams and Mike Boone as priority adds this offseason. Thurman Thomas 14. His fantasy value came in catching 59 receptions, which won't happen in Arthur Smith's offense that doesn't throw to the tailbacks much. I think this is pretty unfair to call him the most overrated. This year, his new head coach -- Josh McDaniels -- is an offensive mind who made his career in schemes that utilized multiple backs as specialists for each situation. Malcolm Brown has also been an underrated commodity for some time now and gets a shot to compete with Gaskin for significant playing time. Lineup Builder Quick Start, Multi-Lineup It probably comes off as harsh to call Montgomery one of the most overrated running backs of the past decade, but he is. Then, two players were listed as being the most overrated compared to their draft projection. D'Andre Swift, Detroit | Consensus Rankings RB14 | Consensus Projections RB10. Andy Hicks: D'Andre Swift had a patchy rookie season. I believe he should be elected because he was able to maintain a good level of consistency throughout his 13 years. Harris has the potential to be this year's Clyde Edwards-Helaire, as he may end up burning us relative to his current ADP of RB13 and 20th overall. You are better off investing in a more consistent player for your RB2 when you get to the late second or early third round of drafts. Gordon caught only 32 passes last year, and outside of three games where he scored two touchdowns, he was a mediocre fantasy back. But so far, there is nothing to suggest that it is, and all three running backs are likely to play plenty. Matt Waldman: After studying Swift's best weeks in 2020, the Lions' offseason acquisitions, and Coach Lynn's analysis of his backs, I'm less enthusiastic about Swift. Compared to Jim Brown (5.2 YPC), Larry Csonka (4.3 YPC), and Earl Campbell (4.3 YPC). The only reason Johnson had fantasy value last year was a superhuman effort from Deshaun Watson to move the offense and produce points. There have been personnel changes and a change in offensive coordinator to Matt Canada. Green Bay seems to like A.J. Expect some early-season force-feeding of Etienne until there's a realization that the usage is predictable and inefficient. Ty Johnson has strong athleticism and played over Carter in the first week of the preseason, and La'Mical Perine has a similar profile to Carter. This is a major factor in any expectation that Robinson would be fantasy lineup-relevant without an injury to one of the other options, especially beyond the early weeks of the season. Myles Gaskin, Miami | Consensus Rankings RB25 | Consensus Projections RB26. Henry has never caught more than 19 passes in a season, and that limited production as a receiver is an issue. Then as soon as they go south, we pile on like kids in a mosh pit? Add in the fact that offense is unlikely to provide as many goal-line chances as the other high-end RB1s, and Kamara has plenty of factors going against him. That role may not disappear completely, but the addition of Gio Bernard is a bad sign for Tampa Bay's intentions with Fournette. Dillon a lot, and reports from OTAs have been promising. Jason Wood: Jacobs was the only projected Raiders offensive starter to play in the Hall of Fame game, which should be a blaring red flag for how much new head coach Josh McDaniels values Jacobs as a centerpiece. With an almost entirely new coaching staff, quarterback and receivers, it is difficult to trust that Swift will be worth his asking price. The Raiders have a lot of diverse depth with several different pass catchers, speed backs, and bruisers at the running back position for Jacobs to be drafted at his current ADP. Gaskin's current draft position is indicative of him being the top back in Miami, and it's not a foregone conclusion that he is. I was reading an article the other day about the greatest power backs of all time and Jerome Bettis was third on the list (right behind Jim Brown and Larry Csonka and right ahead of Earl Campbell). 1. Back up Share project Close 2022 hyundai sonata limited interior; what is birkenstock oiled leather; bates high gloss duty oxford; most overrated running backs of all time. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City | Consensus Rankings RB15 | Consensus Projections RB17. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans | Consensus Rankings RB3 | Consensus Projections RB2. Jason Wood: Preseason depth charts aren't perfectly predictive, but the new Texans coaching staff clearly sent a message listing Johnson as the No. Brown has more power and better acceleration and change-of-direction quickness than Gaskin, who is the better receiver. 21 RB Sleepers. Sigmund Bloom: One year after the signing of Gordon indicated a lack of faith in Phillip Lindsay -- that bore out with Lindsay being allowed to leave in free agency this offseason -- the Broncos moved up in the second round to take Javonte Williams, indicating a lack of faith in Gordon. "The Philadelphia Story," on the other hand, was a comedy, a genre not often seen as Best Picture worthy. Sigmund Bloom: The Raiders are going to adopt a frustrating Patriots-style committee at running back under Josh McDaniels, which means that Jacobs will be at best Damien Harris in this offense. Not to mention I expect this offense to throw the ball a lot more than last year due to the addition of Russell Wilson and new Head Coach Nathaniel Hackett. Barring an injury to Chubb, Hunt will drive you crazy trying to figure out when to start him as anything other than a flex option. I'll pass on Barkley at cost. Chad Parsons: Cohen is coming off an injury, and Damien Williams is a notable veteran addition to the depth chart. Phil Alexander: Hunt finished last season as the RB10 in PPR scoring, but his cumulative stats were buoyed by a four-game stint as Cleveland's starter when Nick Chubb was out with an MCL sprain. Jeff Bell: Gibson finished fourth in rushing attempts. He yields passing work to J.D. Jeff Haseley: It's easy to succumb to the notion that Saquon Barkley is one of the best running backs in the league. This is more important for Barkley than most backs because he relies on his immense gifts more than most backs. Taysom Hill had nine carries from inside the opponent's five-yard line to Kamara's 15 in 2021 and won't be removed from the Saints' red-zone plans any time soon. That is still great, but not quite as good as many people have him ranked. Dave Kluge: Sure, youre not giving up any crazy draft capital to get J.D. But regardless of quarterback, Kamara is unlikely to return to his 80 reception ways. Here's our list of the greatest 30 running backs in NFL history. Take a chance on a committee back in the same range who might emerge into a starter or become one due to injury. The Giants offensive line, playcalling, and quarterback play give us no faith that they can help create fantasy overachievers. Anthony Amico: The story with Gibson is somewhat similar to that of Jacobs but with a proof of concept already complete. There isnt much to like here. He's a strong talent with some flaws with a better all-around back ahead of him. The fact is, he never . NFL's 5 Most Overrated Running Backs No Name August 6, 2011 Over the past decade, the NFL has really evolved into a passing league. And in fact, some managers are drafting him to be in their fantasy starting lineups in Week 1. Dave Kluge: The 49ers drafted Trey Sermon and Elijah Mitchell and signed free agent Wayne Gallman. Austin Ekeler, LA Chargers | Consensus Rankings RB7 | Consensus Projections RB7. J.D. Lets take a look at the average Jerome Bettis season: 277 carries, 1051 yards, 3.9 YPC, 7 TDs. There's zero appeal here. I believe it is more accurate to measure a RB by per season averages, because running backs such as Jim Brown did not play long. Gary Davenport: Drafting an RB1 based on wishful thinking isn't an ideal strategy, yet Williams keeps getting picked inside the top-12 at his position. His week one status is in doubt, and there are reports he may not be ready for 12-15 touch workloads until October. Adding another trip around the sun and competition from two young, capable running backs is the recipe for the bottom to fall out for Gordon. Gordon is a massive red flag at his ADP. Jason Wood: We all want Dobbins to be an every-down workhorse. It looked like Williams would consolidate the lead role in the offseason. That number of targets limited his ceiling, and he was barely a low-end RB2. There are plenty of clarified RB1 types later in the draft to avoid taking the variable shot on Williams. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh | Consensus Rankings RB15 | Consensus Projections RB13. Unlike Lindsay, Williams can supplant Gordon at the goal line, and there's some possibility that Williams takes over the backfield right away. His average DVOA of 0.085% would rank him 31st in the NFL in 2009, right behind Rashard Mendenhall. J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore | Consensus Rankings RB18 | Consensus Projections RB19. James Brimacombe: I view Melvin Gordon III this season a lot like I viewed Leonard Fournette in Jacksonville last offseason. Adrian . Davis was great in relief of Christian McCaffrey in Carolina last year, but he got tired quickly. Johnson was once a big name at the running back position and is still getting drafted based on that name and past production. Photo: Isaiah J. Its easy and lazy to make comparisons to "Todd Gurley under Sean McVay," but that hope is pushing him into a tier of running backs that he does not belong. Daniel Jones was one of the most uninspiring quarterbacks in the league last year. 1 Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady, Jr., is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. So should drafters trust the first 25 games of his career where he was a compiler with minimal ceiling or the final six games against bad defenses in 2020? It also must be remembered his journey through the NFL before that. most overrated running backs of all time. Edgerrin James 17. Bursting onto the scene in our list is Micah Richards. James is the more physically gifted player. Optimizer Quick Start, Percent Rostered Ben Cummins: Henrys past two monster years were with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, the head coach in Atlanta. The addition of James Conner, plus the knowledge that Kyler Murray could steal goal-line carries, also adds a bit of skepticism. Had more rushing touchdowns last year than Williams. Hes the favorite for running back targets, but the offense doesnt really throw to the running backs. Never a good idea. If he is still on the opening day roster, his workload will be usurped by the rookie when the coaching staff trusts him. Victoria Geary: Sanders had the second-worst catch rate in the league last year among running backs, catching only 56% of his targets and dropping eight passes along the way (tied for most with Ezekiel Elliot). 1 status. Give me Chris Carson or Josh Jacobs in a similar draft range with stronger probabilities to hit as a top-10 option. This likely puts Gibson two injuries away from a full workload, and Robinson is capable of taking away money touches in the redzone as well. The Eagles also resigned Jordan Howard and added Kerryon Johnson to the backfield, exhibiting their lack of trust in Sanders to be an every-down back. Projections, Get The Most Out Of Your In Week 16 of the 2011 season, Adrian Peterson tore his ACL and returned as the #1 overall running back in 2012. Eric Dickerson 8. That enthusiasm should be tempered because Canada was the offensive coordinator fired by LSU before LSU hired Joe Brady, who oversaw Joe Burrow's historic season. Gaskin was a revelation versus his cost a year ago but is a buyer beware in 2021. Color me skeptical Sanders has a new ceiling for receiving production with Scott and Gainwell passing game-centric options, and Howard could be a goal-line option. Gibson is more likely to lose his job than return a significant profit on his draft price. Most Overrated QB: Tom Brady 1 of 6 Take Carter later as a committee back with some possible upside, but he's being overvalued by drafters right now. We use cookies to personalize content, ads and analyze site traffic. Chad Parsons: The price has vaulted up on Javonte Williams after a quality rookie season. 1 Barry Sanders Barry Sanders is a former American football running back who spent his entire professional career with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. Ben Cummins: The Raiders offense should be fun this season with the additions of Davante Adams and new head coach, Josh McDaniels. Sigmund Bloom: Anthony Lynn basically told us that he will run a committee of Swift and free agent pick Jamaal Williams when he called Williams his "A" back. His primary use has been as an excellent pass-catching back. Jamaal Williams is a fine receiver, route runner, and red-zone back who will limit Swift's upside to a low-end fantasy RB2, at best. On top of these issues, the Texans added Rex Burkhead, Mark Ingram II, and Philip Lindsay to compete for touches. He rewarded those believers with an RB18 PPG season. Robinson can be successful this year, but he will need luck and to earn the trust of the new coaching staff. We've seen running backs repeatedly return from severe knee injuries; very seldom do they return the following year and have a memorable fantasy season. Backs who will receive bigger shares of their teams usage are going after Chubb. Jeff Haseley: Chase Edmonds scored in five different games in 2020, exceeding eight carries in a game only twice in 15 qualifying games. 31 Unsung Running Backs in NFL History By Paul Ladewski on August 3, 2021 Chris O'Meara / AP Photo Before franchise quarterbacks took pro football hostage, there was something known as franchise running backs. The coaching staff did not ignore this, as they selected the best pass-catching running back in the fifth round of the NFL Draft in Kenneth Gainwell. Jim Brown 2. And Hill is only touchable due to the cheat code rushing factor for quarterbacks. . I definitely do not want the most expensive option here (Carter), but Coleman and Johnson are arbitrage plays. There are backs going after Chubb who will receive bigger shares of their teams usage. 15 receptions, 111 yards, less than a TD per year. He was a liability during pass plays because of his inability to catch passes. Andy Hicks: Austin Ekeler isnt going to rush anyone to a fantasy title. Andrew Davenport: Fantasy managers are drafting Carter as though he is the unquestioned starter. "Footballguys is the best premiumfantasy football Gaskin has missed long periods through injury in his first two seasons in the league. These players will not put up stats commensurate to their draft spot, and avoiding them is another of the important keys to a successful fantasy team. Pat Fitzmaurice: The appeal is that he's an inexpensive lead back. Harris has the potential to be this year's Clyde Edwards-Helaire, as he may end up burning us relative to his climbing ADP. USA Today named the most overrated player on every NFL team in 2022 and for the Cleveland Browns, Jadeveon Clowney was given this unwanted distinction. J.K. McKissic, Washington | Consensus Rankings RB47 | Consensus Projections RB45. So as we can see, Bettis had about the 9th best run blocking offensive line in the NFL during his career. However, James Robinson is a better runner than Etienne at this point. But you do have to attribute some of his success to his top 10 run blocking. Victoria Geary: We should not steer clear of Harris completely for the 2021 season, but we should lower our expectations for a locked-and-loaded RB1 finish. Andy Hicks: When looking at the Falcons backfield, it is clear there is no one currently there to challenge Mike Davis to start the season. But he's 29, he's undersized, he had a hard time staying healthy last year, he adds little as a pass catcher, and the San Francisco backfield is awfully crowded now. The Ravens have had the #1 rushing offense in the league for the last two years straight but have finished 31st overall in total running back targets in that same time span. Although the rookie saw an uptick in usage throughout his first season, he managed to eclipse 66% of his teams snaps just once. The Steelers were 23rd in red zone attempts per game in 2020 and were recently ranked as having the fourth-worst offensive line ahead of the 2021 season by Pro Football Focus. Heading into this season, their offensive line is mediocre, their quarterback situation is a mess, they have a new coach, and the rest of the skill position players are uninspiring. It all depends on who works best in the new scheme and if the scheme works. As well as he played in the postseason, Fournette is still an inefficient committee back ticketed to share work with Ronald Jones II and Giovani Bernard. If you're optimistic about the Lions running game, take Williams at a deep discount from Swift's highly aspirational price tag. Ryan Hester: Even before he played double-digit snaps in the most meaningless of all meaningless preseason games, Jacobs was a solid fade. The first thing that pops out at us is that Jerome Bettis 3.9 YPC is a good deal lower than the offensive lines mark of 4.29 (ADY). The investment in veteran wideout Sammy Watkins and rookies Rashod Bateman and Tylan Wallace almost cements Dobbinss capped upside in the passing game. Andy Hicks: The Broncos dont seem overly excited to use Melvin Gordon III this year. Therefore, we asked our staff to look through the Top 150 and identify players that should underperform their draft position. James Brimacombe: Once Kenyan Drake was out of the picture, we shot Edmonds up the draft board naturally. Bettis was also a nonfactor in the passing game. Cohen is strictly limited to passing-down work, and the numbers suggest that he isn't outstanding in that role either. Chase Edmonds, Arizona | Consensus Rankings RB25 | Consensus Projections RB23. Jonathan Morris: Gibson was already someone I was worried about getting enough volume to be drafted at his current ADP. At present, I'm avoiding Gaskin because I do not trust the role, especially ahead of projected starters like Mike Davis and other players with higher upside like Travis Etienne.