A Rank Amateur's running back rankings

[PonyExpress]

Depending on how one thinks of Reggie Bush, one could argue that there isn’t a single lead back in this class.

1. Reggie Bush: Tony Dorsett.
2. Deangelo Williams: Ernest Byner. Will run it up the gut, can make people miss in a tight space. Runs low, excellent balance breaks arm tackles. Sub-par competition.
3. Addai: Travis Henry. Tough as nails but will take a beating. Runs upright and has a knack for taking ridiculously hard hits. I don’t see him surviving as a lead back more than a season or two before he succumbs to injuries. Same career trajectory as Travis Henry, if he’s lucky. But tough as nails…
4. Brian Calhoun: Warrick Dunn without the toughness. Never goes up the middle: better speed than Deangelo Williams, never fumbles, great pass catcher, but hates contact.
5. Maroney: poor man’s Edgerrin James. Runs too upright, almost seems to be limping as he runs. Rumor that he left early for the draft because of a hidden knee injury, to avoid risk his senior year. This guy’s going to take a beating because he doesn’t stay low. Glides a bit like ****erson without the world class speed.
6. Mo Drew: NYGiants’ Dave Meggett. His upside is Joe Morris, but Meggett until he proves he can stay healthy.
7. Andre Hall: Kevin Faulk clone.
(Unranked) Lendale White: Ron Dayne. Runs soft for a big guy. A bully mentality. When an NFL LBer bigger than him crushes him for the first time I expect him to rethink his career options…

 

[mavfan2390]

Tough as nails

Addai? Are you serious, look at his injury history.

 

[PonyExpress]

Addai? Are you serious, look at his injury history.

tough but injury prone.

 

[PonyExpress]

My sleeper is Taurean Henderson, Texas Tech.

 

[primetime]

It looks like you just made stuff up. Bush is more Marshall Faulk than Tony Dorsett.

 

[Flying Fungi]

It looks like you just made stuff up. Bush is more Marshall Faulk than Tony Dorsett.

apparently you never enjoyed watching TD in his prime

I'd take a young TD over a young Marshall Faulk personally...


PE--what's your take on Riggs' kid?

 

[PonyExpress]

It looks like you just made stuff up. Bush is more Marshall Faulk than Tony Dorsett.

Marshall Faulk was a much tougher interior runner and had a lower center of gravity when he ran. Tomlinson is the closest thing to Faulk in my book, he's just used differently by the Chargers because they have a different offense. Dorsett was just like Bush and just as good, if not better, coming out of college. At the time he held the career record for yards rushing in NCAA history (6,046 I believe) and there was no more electric talent in the open field. He had the same negatives: no bulk, but Landry (against Dorsett's wishes) lengthened Dorsett's career by minimizing his carries for years, which created tension between them. The smart coach who drafts Bush will do the same...

 

[PonyExpress]

apparently you never enjoyed watching TD in his prime

I'd take a young TD over a young Marshall Faulk personally...


PE--what's your take on Riggs' kid?

Fungi,
after that spectacular game Riggs had against Auburn in the SEC championship two years ago, I was rooting for him to have a good (but not great!) year so that he would fall to the Pats. But on further review, I saw a guy with little wiggle, who doesn't like contact and who almost looks like he'd rather be doing something else on Saturdays. His size and speed are great, but combined with the knee injury I'm afraid he's more Antowain Womack than Curtis Martin. A real disappointment... There's no verve or anger in him when he runs. Maybe he was sick of facing 9 men in the box after the terrible quarterback play they got from Ainge and Clausen. The whole TEN team looked dispirited all year because of their QBs...

 

[dryheat44]

I like your list, but isn't Williams A LOT smaller than Byner? Maybe my memory's leaving me, but I remember Byner as a big back. I liken Williams to Walter Payton, from the standpoint of size, running style, and coming from a small school, so nobody knows really how good he is.

Note that I am not comparing a draftee to IMO the greatest RB of all time. Simply looks the part.

 

[PonyExpress]

I like your list, but isn't Williams A LOT smaller than Byner? Maybe my memory's leaving me, but I remember Byner as a big back. I liken Williams to Walter Payton, from the standpoint of size, running style, and coming from a small school, so nobody knows really how good he is.

Note that I am not comparing a draftee to IMO the greatest RB of all time. Simply looks the part.

Your memory is very good... Byner played at 5'10'' 215, big for his time, and Williams is 5'8''1/2 215 (playing weight). But I think their running style and how they should be used are pretty close: Not quite third down backs but not lead backs either; Alot of use in the passing game, with another sledgehammer back to keep from wearing out the tread on their tires. Of course we don't know if Williams has half the heart that Byner did. Byner was underrated IMO...