The Doug Pederson-Press Taylor offense also caters well to Etienne's versatility. (National Football League), Craig was a huge part of the San Francisco 49ers' success during the 1980s. Injuries and off-field issues led to a significant drop in production after the 2006 season. A member of the NFL's All-2000s Team, Lewis is 25th all time on the NFL's career rushing list. 5: Ricky Watters -- In his first five years in the NFL, he garnered Pro Bowl nods every season. The 2023 NFL Draft has arrived! The league's top prospects stepped into the NFL Photo studio for Draft portraits. Fournette has reinvented himself in the transition from Jacksonville to Tampa Bay. All of these men are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but there are many talented running backs that are not enshrined in Canton for some reason. Another torn ACL injury in 2014 -- his only season in Miami -- prematurely ended his career. With respect to Tom Jackson and Rod Smith, Gradishar remains the greatest Bronco who is still waiting for his place in Canton. Nevertheless, what follows is a list of the 10 greatest franchise running backs of all time. Injuries are the reason why Mathews was out of football at age 29. His absence from the Pro Football Hall of Fame might be most egregious when you look at the length of his career and the impact he had on one of the greatest teams of all time. First, he's missed 10 games in his first two seasons. Ranking teams likely to land Williams in 2024 NFL Draft, Prisco's 2023 NFL Draft grades for all 32 teams, Exploring Titans' options at wide receiver, Cowboys' 'ship has not sailed' on bringing back Zeke, Best post-draft fits for top-remaining NFL free agents, Ranking each RB taken in Round 1 since 2000, Prisco's draft grades for all 32 teams: Eagles ace it, Best, worst, most interesting pick for all, Winners, losers from the draft: Crafty Colts, Undrafted free agent tracker: Team-by-team list of signings, 10 veteran moves that should happen post-2023 draft, Report: Bucs star Barrett's daughter, 2, drowns in pool, NFL schedule release target date, plus 5 things we know, Steelers' draft haul one the team hadn't seen in 38 years. He rushed for more than 1,200 yards in each of his first five seasons -- joining Hall of Famers Eric Dickerson and LaDainian Tomlinson as the only other two players to do so in NFL history. Not one. A six-time Pro Bowler from 2006-10 and in 2012, Wayne led the NFL in receiving yards in 2007. Despite his team's lack of success, Nobis earned the recognition of his peers, earning five Pro Bowl selections and one All-Pro nod during his first seven seasons. When healthy, the former Fresno State star was a Pro Bowl-caliber player. Carthon is a total mystery to me, so this gives me some hope that a deal like this could potentially happen. He was instrumental in helping the Pats win their third Super Bowl in four seasons. Jacobs seems to always need to deal with competition in both his steady rushing and receiving roles. I only remember him from NFL Films footage because he's another great running back whose career was cut short by injuries. A key member of theBroncos' 2013 AFC championship team, Moreno rushed for over 1,000 yards that season after missing half of the 2012 campaign with a torn ACL. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke), I don't get this one. Expect Penny to be threatened, however, for key touches by rookie Ken Walker. Douglas and Co. used a second-round pick to acquire Hall in 2022 and even traded up two spots to get the draft class's top-ranked running back prospect at No. Player Identification: Sweetness. 1 now, but there's a reason why Denver decided late to bring back Gordon as a savvy No. Oh wait, you don't have to wonder at all. While he failed to live up to pre-draft expectations, the 1999 Heisman Trophy winner did have several productive seasons that included helping the Giants reach the Super Bowl during his rookie season. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. However, he only spent three of those years with the . A second-round pick by Cincinnati in 1997, Dillon was one of the few bright spots for a Bengals team that managed just 34 wins during his seven seasons with the franchise. Did rushing champion Josh Jacobs finish on top? Taylor is hurt by his lack of Pro Bowl nods, as he only notched one over the course of his career. He has a good shot to break the trend and make it two team titles in a row with 1,000-plus yards to boot. Barkley is looking to reclaim his spot as arguably the NFL's top running back after an injury wiped out most of his 2020 season. He hit the 1,000-yard mark again for theLionsin 2013. Between 2001-03, Holmes was iconic, a Pro Bowler and All-Pro for three straight seasons. Beyond being dynamos in the rushing attack, the most talented players at the position are also key contributors as receivers and pass blockers. 2021 stats:292 carries, 1,205 rushing yards, 4.1 yards per carry, 42 receptions on 48 targets, 314 receiving yards, 16 total TDs. 2021 stats:202 carries, 929 rushing yards, 4.6 yards per carry, 18 receptions on 21 targets, 132 receiving yards, 15 total TDs. Swift has some good Kamara-like assets and is now helped by strong blocking and a better complementary passing game. 6. An extremely productive player at Alabama, Richardson's lack of big-play ability hindered his NFL production. Did the player and his team have postseason success. When you look at the 30 running backs with 10,000 or more rushing yards, Gore doesn't even stand out among the nonmembers of the Hall of Fame. Although this rumor sounds too strange to be made up, lets discuss if there is any validity to this. A key member of Pittsburgh's "Steel Curtain" defense, Greenwood earned six Pro Bowl nods (and two first-team All-Pro honors) from 1973-79. In 2003, Lewis became the fifth member of the 2,000-yard rushing club while coming within 40 yards of breaking Eric Dickerson's single-season record. Jackson is 18th on the NFL's career rushing list, just ahead of Hall of Fame running backs John Riggins and O.J. (AP Photo/Paul Spinelli), Andrews went to four consecutive Pro Bowls for the Atlanta Falcons from 1980-83. The Dolphins have a slew of Canton-worthy players who still haven't gotten the call. While Brown only played nine NFL seasons, he led the league in rushing eight times and retired as the NFL's all-time rushing leader. MORE Top 50 Players in BYU Football History Nos. 1 receiver when Pittsburgh defeated theCardinalsthree years later in Super Bowl XLIII. In 2009, Johnson became the sixth member of the NFL's 2,000-yard club after rushing for a league-high 2,006 yards. 5-ranked rushing attack? Can the Eagles improve their No. 6:28 pm ET, Matthews was inducted into the Browns' Ring of Honor, Ranking teams likely to land Williams in 2024 NFL Draft, Prisco's 2023 NFL Draft grades for all 32 teams, Exploring Titans' options at wide receiver, Cowboys' 'ship has not sailed' on bringing back Zeke, Best post-draft fits for top-remaining NFL free agents, The 20 greatest NFL players not in the Hall of Fame, Prisco's draft grades for all 32 teams: Eagles ace it, Best, worst, most interesting pick for all, Winners, losers from the draft: Crafty Colts, Undrafted free agent tracker: Team-by-team list of signings, 10 veteran moves that should happen post-2023 draft, Report: Bucs star Barrett's daughter, 2, drowns in pool, NFL schedule release target date, plus 5 things we know, Steelers' draft haul one the team hadn't seen in 38 years. A two-time NFL rushing champion, Elliott is on pace to join fellowCowboysgreats Tony Dorsett and Emmitt Smith in Canton, Ohio. San Francisco 49ers (2005-2014), Indianapolis Colts (2015-17), Miami Dolphins (2018), Buffalo Bills (2019), New York Jets (2020). We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Harris and Etienne will try to change the narrative currently surrounding running backs. Marshall Faulk (1994-2005) . Ironically, Dayne's best season was his last; he rushed for 773 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 4 yards per carry for the Texans. Tomlinson is tied for 80th with 626 catches and Allen is 100th with 587. ARIZONA CARDINALS: QB Jim Hart (1966-1983). 4: Fred Taylor -- He has more yards rushing yards than any eligible back not in the Hall of Fame. Some think he's prime to return to some early-career form playing off a more explosive passing game with the blocking also reset to be more in his favor. I am on the fence over the Arizona Cardinals possibly moving on from DeAndre Hopkins. Jones shared a backfield for most of his career; he spent three seasons playing alongside Marion Barber and two years with DeMarco Murray. In this year's edition of Sporting News' ratings, there are promising rising stars mixed in with those who have hit their career prime, with the right experience experience but without the wrong wear. And despite a solid 2003 season in Washington, Canidate was released after the team traded for former Broncos Pro Bowler Clinton Portis. the Eagles were looking to trade for Henry. Cook has all the talent to be No. Despite his abbreviated prime, Alexander is 36th on the league's career rushing list. 2021 stats: 162 carries, 593rushing yards, 3.7 yards per carry, 41 receptions on 57 targets, 263 receiving yards, 4 total TDs. 2021 stats: 130 carries, 719 rushing yards, 5.5 yards per carry, 39 receptions on 46 targets, 337 receiving yards, 2 total TDs. Conner has been a great power running fit with his size and quickness in Kliff Kingsbury's offense, playing well off Kyler Murray. He is smart and. Chiefs (2003-2009); Bengals (2009); Washington (2010); Miami (2011). Nobody considers him the best of his generation. Derrick Henry has spent his entire NFL career out of Alabama with the Tennessee Titans, but there is a chance the future hall-of-fame bell-cow back could be dealt to the Philadelphia Eagles at some point in the 2023 NFL Draft. He's still a powerful runner with some pop to finish drives and reel off some long runs, but he also has developed into a reliable short-area receiver for Tom Brady. He was a freak of nature coming out of Oklahoma and didn't disappoint at the pro level. Plus, MJD updates his ranking of the top 15 running backs right now. 1 receiver when the Colts made it back to the Super Bowl in 2009. After nine seasons in St. Louis, Jackson signed with the Falcons, who were coming off of a 13-3 season and appearance in the NFC title game. D.A. A five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, Sharp led the league in receptions three different times. Jack Tatum. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. the future hall-of-fame bell-cow back could be dealt to the . 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. And while an injury in 2007 contributed to his 2009 release, McAllister was added to the Saints' roster prior to the team's Super Bowl win over the Colts. "Playoff Lenny" gained 448 total yards and four touchdowns during the Buccaneers' 2020 playoff run. In 16 seasons, he's third on the all-time rushing list with 16,000 yards, third in carries (3,735), third in touches (4,219) and fourth in scrimmage yards (19,985). While somewhat underwhelming, Green still managed to rack up 1,000 all-purpose yards while helping theBrownsmake the playoffs during this rookie season. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Dillon had the size (6-foot-1, 225 pounds) and physical style similar to Eddie George. With that in mind, we decided to rank each running back that was selected in the first round between 2000-20. That season, Lewis rushed for nearly 1,400 yards while helping lead Baltimore to its first Super Bowl title. Injuries, however, along with the eventual emergence ofLeGarrette Blountultimately contributed to Williams never duplicating his rookie success. And he absolutely quantifies the whole "you can't tell the story of the NFL without this player" requirement. He should be in for a big Year 2 to put an offense in transition on his back. He's this high because of talent and some hope that 2022 will be more "make" than "break" in a new offense with more explosive intentions. Three years earlier, Tomlinson became the first running back to catch 100 passes in a single season (incredibly, Tomlinson was not named to the Pro Bowl that year). (AP Photo/Beth Keiser). Dolphins (2005-10); Eagles (2011); Chargers (2012-14); Texans (2014). The Bills drafted McGahee with the understanding that he would need time to heal a serious knee injury sustained during the 2003 national championship. Lynch ran through his opponents (See: Beast Quake vs. Saints) and made the Seahawks one of the scariest rushing attacks during their heyday. He's currently eighth all-time with 14,731 career receiving yards. He had one uneventful season in Chicago before spending another year in the now defunct United Football League. 2023 Audacy, Inc. All rights reserved. Only two of those 11 Floyd Little and Terrell Davis had fewer than 12,000 career rushing yards. "Especially having this draft party and inviting everybody out and not knowing what's going to happen. Henry is every bit his generations version of Adrian Peterson, but even he had a definite shelf life. He's been snubbed often, and it's a real shame that he's not a finalist this year. He handled a high volume and earned everything he could despite a limited downfield passing game and some blocking issues. He had seven seasons with at least 1,100 rushing yards (T-sixth in NFL history) and led the league in rush yards per game (107.6) in 2000. Smith's extreme competitiveness more than made up for his 5-foot-9, 195-pound frame. McAllister's 6,096 rushing yards remains the Saints' career rushing record. He helped the Eagles reach the postseasons three times, but had to wait until Year 11 to win his first ring, when he reunited with Andy Reid in Kansas City. Ranked fifth in NFL history with 14,918 career rushing yards, Peterson wants to play in 2022 and perhaps beyond. The physical, bruising back was consistently great and a player defenses had to plan for throughout his career. He spent the final two season of his career shuffling between teams before returning to Clemson, where he was recently promoted to running backs coach. But an injury limited him to eight games in 2012, and a torn Achilles tendon sustained during the ensuing offseason prematurely ended his career. 2021 stats: 219carries, 937 rushing yards, 4.3 yards per carry, 18 receptions on 20 targets, 154 receiving yards, 10 total TDs. Smith was on the verge of having a long, prolific career, but he chose to walk away to study medicine. No. Freeman McNeil, New York Jets: 1981-1992 1 of 10 9. One of the league's best running backs during his heyday, Alexander . It wouldn't be surprising if Stevenson jumps into the top-20 with an expanded role. Maurice Jones-Drew identifies five running backs who can save their teams' seasons down the stretch. Montgomery makes this list based on his cumulative production vs. his limited efficiency as a runner and pass-catcher. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings), He gets covered up a little bit because he split time with Warrick Dunn, but Alstott was able to do it all for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Johnson's 9,651 rushing yards are good for 35th on the all-time list, ahead of Hall of Famers Earl Campbell, Jim Taylor and Larry Csonka, among others. Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin section: | slug: nfls-top-20-players-not-in-the-hall-of-fame-torry-holt-zach-thomas-ken-anderson-headline-all-time-list | sport: football | route: article_single.us | 1 pick has boom-bust potential. Williams retired with 10,202 all-purpose yards and 70 total touchdowns. Taylor's transition to the NFL was seamless after the two leagues merged in 1970. Craig was a four-time Pro Bowler, and a three-time champion. A Lisfranc injury in 2012 (his only season with thePackers) limited him to just five games in what would be his final season. And despite Manning's departure in 2012, a 34-year-old Wayne earned Pro Bowl honors that season while catching passes from a rookie quarterback named Andrew Luck. Mixon had teased of a big season early in his career. In 1965, Taylor spurned the NFL (he was drafted by theEagleswith the 203rd pick in theNFL draft) to play for the AFL'sKansas City Chiefs. Like another receiver who cracked the list, Johnson was not selected to the Hall of Fame in 2022, his first year of eligibility. He led the league in yards per rushing attempt and will start off leading what will be a much run-heavier attack without Russell Wilson. 13. That doesn't get you in the Hall of Fame. We present them here for purely educational purposes. At 28, Henry is facing an important rebound year as the massive workload from 2019 and 2020 caught up to him last season. The 14th overall pick in the 1974 draft, Gradishar earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in 1977 while leading Denver's "Orange Crush" defense, a unit that helped spearhead the Broncos' first Super Bowl appearance. Hall of Fame: Yes (1993) NFL MVP: 1. When Barry Sanders arrived in Detroit, then-coach Wayne Fontes wanted him to wear No. Williams can be a reliable supporting cog for Russell Wilson in every capacity, taking the Jones role in the Packers-like system. Take a look at some of the best photos of Aaron Rodgers from throughout the years! Jacksonville Jaguars (1998-2008), New England Patriots (2009-2010). Here's a look at some of the best prospects available for teams drafting in the early part of the second round: Jordan Porter Jr., CB, Penn State. Cliff Branch, who was posthumously enshrined on Saturday, had been eligible for 30 years before his family received that long-awaited phone call. Vikings (2001-05); Chiefs (2006-07); Buccaneers (2007-08); Chargers (2008-09); Raiders (2010). 1 / 60 In 2014, following teammateDeAngelo Williams' injury, Stewart gained nearly 1,000-purpose yards while receiving a then-career high eight starts. With theCowboyspunting from their own 16-yard line, Tasker was lined up against linebacker Robert Jones, a rookie who filled in for an injured starter. He was never the same after that. Richardson averaged just 3.3 yards per carry during his three-year career. The fifth running back selected in the first round of the 2000 draft, Canidate spent his first three NFL seasons playing behind future Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk. Stewart put up impressive career numbers despite sharing a backfield for the majority of his career. A backup in 2001, McAllister became the Saints' starting running back after the team traded Ricky Williams in 2002. I have five benchmarks that I use -- and I've written about them before -- to decide whether a running back is worthy of a gold jacket: Each of the players discussed below check a number (if not all) of these boxes and, in my opinion, deserve Hall of Fame recognition. A 2009 Pro Bowler, Williams led the league in rushing touchdowns in 2008 and in 2015. Many football historians believe Jim Brown to be the greatest running back ever. A member of the NFL's All-1980s Team, Jacoby helped protect Super Bowl MVPs Doug Williams and Mark Rypien in Super Bowls XXII and XXVI. Many more would argue that he is the best football player . With the 115th pick, the Chicago Bears . 2021 stats: 119 carries, 517 rushing yards, 4.3 yards per carry, 19 receptions on 23 targets, 129 receiving yards, 6 total TDs. Three of Ward's four consecutive Pro Bowl selections came with different quarterbacks: Kordell Stewart (2001), Tommy Maddox (2002-03) and a rookie namedBen Roethlisberger(2004). Pitta was the best tight end in college football in 2009, but the Mackey Award voters opted to give the award to Aaron Hernandez from Florida instead. The league's leading receiver on two separate occasions, Holt was the Rams' No. Dillon in this backfield, but that's also helped him stay fresh and kept him in an explosive groove in Matt LaFleur's zone rushing attack.
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