Undrafted and late-round RBs continuing to flourish

Arian Foster became a household name
last season in winning the rushing title despite being undrafted, but
he isn’t alone.

What Priest Holmes once did and what
Foster accomplished in 2010 prove that it isn’t how you start, it’s
how you finish. Running backs no longer are all the rage in the NFL
Draft in part because of guys like Foster, Danny Woodhead, and LeGarrette Blount.

In the postseason, a sixth-round
unknown named James Starks became the Packers’ go-to tailback in the
team’s run to a Super Bowl championship. Injured most of 2010, his
fresh legs provided a much-needed boost after Ryan Grant (another
undrafted back who had a breakout campaign in 2007) went down with a
season-ending injury in Week 1.

Mark Ingram will likely be the first
running back taken in the 2011 Draft, but scouts are somewhat
skeptical of whether Ingram will have a big impact at the pro level.
The former Alabama Heisman winner may not even land in the first
round, because many teams are starting to realize they can find
plenty of value at the position in the later rounds.

For a team like the Miami Dolphins,
facing the possibility of losing both Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams
looms large in their decision whether or not to use their first pick
on a running back. But for a 7-9 team with other pressing needs,
Ingram might want to hold off on his plans to relocate to South
Beach.

There is no doubt this trend will
continue, and another major reason teams aren’t so quick on the draw
to take running backs is because they are fearful of falling into the
trap of picking someone purely based on his Combine speed or his
collegiate numbers.

Instead, many teams run much more
complex offensive schemes nowadays and expect the backs to do more
than simply take 300-400 handoffs a year. They also need to be able
to catch the ball out of the backfield and pick up blitzes
effectively. A prime example is the Indianapolis Colts’ first-round
selection of 2006, Joseph Addai.

Though slowed by injuries the past
three seasons, Addai’s presence in the Colts’ offense isn’t solely
based on how many yards or touchdowns he gets. Rather, he gives
Peyton Manning the flexibility to change plays and schemes without
sacrificing any production.

So expect to see more unheralded
success stories like Foster, the diminutive Woodhead, and Peyton
Hillis (a seventh-rounder), guys who didn’t light up the college
circuit by any stretch but all bring unique variables to their
respective clubs.

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