Teams value running backs … just not in the first round.
One apiece have been selected in the last two years — Josh Jacobs to Las Vegas (No. 24) in 2019 and Clyde Edwards-Helaire to Kansas City (No. 32) last year.
Many mocks have projected Najee Harris to Pittsburgh at No. 24 on Thursday, but the Steelers have a bigger need — a left tackle to protect Ben Roethlisberger’s blind-side.
The top 10
1. Travis Etienne, 5-foot-10, 215 pounds, Clemson: Carried a whopping 686 times in college (4,952 yards and 70 touchdowns) so that may work against Etienne going in the first round. His 102 catches show he can be an immediate third-down threat.
2. Najee Harris, 6-1, 232, Alabama: Like Etienne, Harris had a heavy workload (638 carries-3,843 yards-46 touchdowns). Harris had six 100-yard rushing games for the national champions and a combined 20 touchdowns (13 rushing/seven receiving) in 2020.
3. Kenneth Gainwell, 5-8, 201, Memphis: Listed at 5-11, 195 in the Memphis media guide last year, so it was key to get his actual measurements during the pre-draft process. Gainwell played in only 18 college games.
4. Javonte Williams, 5-10, 212, North Carolina: Williams had nine career 100-yard rushing games and totals of 366 carries for 2,297 yards and 29 touchdowns. He also caught 50 passes in 35 games.
5. Michael Carter, 5-8, 201, North Carolina: In his final college game, Carter rushed 24 times for 308 yards against Miami, part of a 1,248-yard season. He caught 82 passes in 44 games.
6. Khalil Herbert, 5-9, 210, Virginia Tech: Herbert didn’t reach 700 yards in four years for Kansas, but as a graduate transfer for the Hokies, he started the year with five consecutive 100-yard games on his way to a 1,183-yard season.
7. Trey Sermon, 6-0, 215, Ohio State: Sermon played three years at Oklahoma — rushing for 947 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2019 — and finished up at Ohio State for one season, rushing for 675 yards. He gained a Big Ten record 331 yards against Northwestern.
8. Chuba Hubbard, 6-0, 210, Oklahoma State: Hubbard likely hurt his draft stock by staying to play as a fourth-year junior. After a nation-leading 2,094 yards in 2019, he had only 624 yards in ’20 and opted out of the season after seven games (ankle injury).
9. Larry Rountree, 5-10, 211, Missouri: A college teammate of Broncos quarterback Drew Lock and tight end Albert Okwuegbunam, Rountree had 1,216 yards rushing in 2018 (fourth in the SEC) and finished his career with 3,720 yards and 40 touchdowns in 48 games.
10. Jermar Jefferson, 5-10, 206, Oregon State: Jefferson reached 100 yards in 15 of his 27 games, finishing with totals of 514 carries, 2,923 yards and 27 touchdowns.
Stock rising
Kenneth Gainwell, Memphis
One season of production for Gainwell equals less of a physical toll on the body and, therefore, an improved draft stock. Gainwell rushed for 1,459 yards (6.1-yard average) in 2019, but opted out of the ’20 season, in part because four family members died of the coronavirus.
Stock falling
Jared Patterson, Buffalo
Two things are working against Patterson — his height (5-foot-6 1/2) and his college workload (636 carries). Is he big enough to play on third down and pass protect? With only 21 career catches, can he develop into a serviceable receiver? A Day 3 selection.
Five-year trend
2016: One (first round picks).
2017: Two.
2018: Three.
2019: One.
2020: One.
