5 NFL Running Backs Who Will Improve In 2017 (And 5 Who Won't)
Running backs are returning to prominence in the NFL, but who reaps the benefits and who falls off?
As the NFL has evolved into a more pass-happy league, the running back position has been devalued. Teams are throwing more, so quarterbacks, wide-receivers, and tight ends are more important than ever, while running backs have become something of a non-essential luxury.
This has led to many running backs, even the most elite, to fall in the draft. Between 2011 and 2015, only five running backs were drafted in the first round, with zero being drafted in the first rounds of the 2013 and 2014 drafts.
Fortunately for all fans of ground based offense, the running back position is making a comeback. While many teams aren't pounding like they used to, young backs such as Ezekiel Elliot, Melvin Gordon, and Leonard Fournette are reviving teams' enthusiasm for the position and making it less of a taboo to draft high or spend high on a running back.
While quarterbacks still are the most important players in the NFL, we're in the midst of a running back renaissance, whether they're being used as focal points, role players to take the pressure of the QB, or hybrids switching between the ground and air on the fly. The future of running back is bright, but the new landscape will certainly be more kind to some than others.
10. Down - Adrian Peterson
Adrian Peterson is low on this list, despite his age and significant injury history. Peterson is the greatest running back of an entire generation of NFL players. He's a 7 time Pro-Bowl-er, a 3 time rushing champion, and a former MVP. His past accolades have earned him the benefit of the doubt, no matter how bad things may look. That being said, things are looking bad for AP.
In 2015, he ran for a league high 1,485 yards and 11 touchdowns on an average of 4.5 yards per carry. In 2016, however, he played in just 3 games before being sidelined with a meniscus tear, carrying the ball 37 times for a grand total of 72 yards.
While it's a small sample size, those 3 games were the worst he's ever looked in his 10 year NFL career. 2017 could be a revival for AP, as he's left the Minnesota Vikings and their stagnant offense for the much more dynamic New Orleans Saints, it's hard to see a full return to form for the future Hall of Famer.