NFL Running Backs Are Experiencing a Resurgence of the Power Back
This week’s running back class, and the rest of the NFL, is feeling the wrath of the NFL Draft. All of the top-level running backs in the NFL are gone. The running back class of 2012 is shaping up to be the deepest running back class ever, and there are at least five running backs that are destined to be available in the fifth-overall selection or before the season starts.
The best running backs of the last 20 years may well be gone, and with them most of the talent and the production in the backfield, but those running backs will find a way to stick around, and in many cases, to thrive. That is because there is a lot of talent in the running back class of 2012, and there is a ton of talent available to the team that drafts that player.
Now, this is a trend that has been felt in the NFL for a long time, and it is one that has not been seen as well in the draft. You may recall former MVP Doug Martin being passed over in favor of Chris Johnson for Houston, and many thought that the former MVP would not have been drafted at all. Yet, Martin’s performance at Houston and in the NFL has not been the product of the talent he was drafted with.
The reason that the “Power Back” is experiencing a resurgence is that teams in the NFL are drafting with the mentality that they will get a player like Martin from the running back class of 2011 or 2012. That may not have been the case had the running back draft class been just that good, and teams are taking a calculated approach to their running back needs.
The NFL has had success in developing talent. That does not mean that the NFL is perfect. Teams in the NFL are always looking to find a need and fill it with the best available player. That leads to teams having to pick the lesser of two evils in order to continue to get the most production out of the running backs on their roster.
The NFL Draft is filled with a plethora of talent, but the competition in the NFL is still one of the highest due to the wide range of talent. The best talent is still available, and