My hot take, don't ever draft a running back in the 1st rd.

[Iluvsuebird]

Emmit Smith: 17th pick
Marshall Faulk: 2nd pick
Edgerrin James: 4th pick
Those guys on top, off the top of my memory, all first rounders and all with rings. I know there others, but I am not researching this. The guys below are all first rounders, with no rings:
Barry Sanders: 3rd pick
Adrian Peterson: 4th pick I think
OJ: 1st

The overall premise that you do not draft rb's in the first round is rubbish. I am not even counting the active players, Gibbs, Robinson, and CMC, all of whom are sure fire stars for their teams.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Emmit Smith: 17th pick
Marshall Faulk: 2nd pick
Edgerrin James: 4th pick
Those guys on top, off the top of my memory, all first rounders and all with rings. I know there others, but I am not researching this. The guys below are all first rounders, with no rings:
Barry Sanders: 3rd pick
Adrian Peterson: 4th pick I think
OJ: 1st

The overall premise that you do not draft rb's in the first round is rubbish. I am not even counting the active players, Gibbs, Robinson, and CMC, all of whom are sure fire stars for their teams.

Saquon, LT, Ricky Williams, etc.

 

[Deepster]

We'll see, I'm gonna take a wait and see approach on Shedeur. I know it's the cool and trendy thing to jump into this narrative that he's a locker room team cancer but I'm not gonna jump into that narrative. A lot of the thoughts are targeted outrage and no one's own opinions on him.

Do you have any reasoning behind your stand there? Have you seen or heard anything to the contrary that goes against "where there's smoke, there's fire?"

He built a customized draft room in his house with "LEGENDARY" emblazoned all over everything and his logo is 2 dollar signs. Is that trendy unsupported narrative?

Shedeur Sanders' custom NFL Draft night setup goes viral on social media

Shedeur Sanders isn't in Green Bay for the 2025 NFL Draft, but he isn't letting that hinder his potential draft moment as his custom setup at home went viral.

www.foxnews.com

 

[Scoe]

Do you have any reasoning behind your stand there? Have you seen or heard anything to the contrary that goes against "where there's smoke, there's fire?"

He built a customized draft room in his house with "LEGENDARY" emblazoned all over everything and his logo is 2 dollar signs. Is that trendy unsupported narrative?

Shedeur Sanders' custom NFL Draft night setup goes viral on social media

Shedeur Sanders isn't in Green Bay for the 2025 NFL Draft, but he isn't letting that hinder his potential draft moment as his custom setup at home went viral.

www.foxnews.com

Yes there are red flags of course and there are legit reasons he fell in the draft. He interviewed poorly.

I'm not taking a stand for or against Shedeur I'm just taking a wait and see approach and not running on a narrative. He didn't fall in the draft because of his own customed brand lol, if that were the case then why did Travis Hunter go number 2.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Do you have any reasoning behind your stand there? Have you seen or heard anything to the contrary that goes against "where there's smoke, there's fire?"

He built a customized draft room in his house with "LEGENDARY" emblazoned all over everything and his logo is 2 dollar signs. Is that trendy unsupported narrative?

Shedeur Sanders' custom NFL Draft night setup goes viral on social media

Shedeur Sanders isn't in Green Bay for the 2025 NFL Draft, but he isn't letting that hinder his potential draft moment as his custom setup at home went viral.

www.foxnews.com

Kid wants to be legendary, he is surrounding himself with motivation. I understand Deion and Shedeur got a lot of attention and certainly come off as cocky, but that attracts attention and is overall good for the brand. I think Shedeur will be good, I think the NFL will be a reality check, and Deion not constantly being around will help.

 

[Scoe]

Emmit Smith: 17th pick
Marshall Faulk: 2nd pick
Edgerrin James: 4th pick
Those guys on top, off the top of my memory, all first rounders and all with rings. I know there others, but I am not researching this. The guys below are all first rounders, with no rings:
Barry Sanders: 3rd pick
Adrian Peterson: 4th pick I think
OJ: 1st

The overall premise that you do not draft rb's in the first round is rubbish. I am not even counting the active players, Gibbs, Robinson, and CMC, all of whom are sure fire stars for their teams.

Edgerrin James did not win a ring, the Colts won it in Joseph Addai rookie year also a 1st rd pick was kind of a bust. As a matter of fact Dominic Rhodes an undrafted rb had a great playoff run with Colts in their Super Bowl season, he split carries with Addai that year, Edgerrin James went to the Cardinals that year.

Cowboys had a boat load of picks, they had drafted Tony Cadillac and Russell Maryland with higher picks they weren't great but very good dlineman.

Faulk went to the Rams to win his ring, and was around more weapons like Bruce and Holt and Warner, along with a very good line led by HOF Pace, Faulk only played with Peyton in Peyton's rookie year. There's always good backs later on in the draft, the history shows it's better to have 3 good backs than 1 great one.

 

[Scoe]

Kid wants to be legendary, he is surrounding himself with motivation. I understand Deion and Shedeur got a lot of attention and certainly come off as cocky, but that attracts attention and is overall good for the brand. I think Shedeur will be good, I think the NFL will be a reality check, and Deion not constantly being around will help.

I'm a little pissed that Dart was picked over Sanders, apparently Schoen liked Sanders more but Daboll like Dart more.

 

[Deepster]

Kid wants to be legendary, he is surrounding himself with motivation. I understand Deion and Shedeur got a lot of attention and certainly come off as cocky, but that attracts attention and is overall good for the brand. I think Shedeur will be good, I think the NFL will be a reality check, and Deion not constantly being around will help.

I guess if you come from that point of view, that's your call. Using phrases like "surrounding himself with motivation" is an interesting choice. Especially when you hear stories about guys like Jerry Rice who lost games and were seen running hills at 5 am the next day.

And again, "come off as cocky" is also interesting. I feel comfortable saying he IS cocky.

And seeing guys a lot more talented him in college flame out in the pros (I could name 30 off the top of my head), I guess I just don't see how this stuff puts him on the path to really actually being legendary on the field.

 

[Palatine]

First RB picked by year. Lots of good one and gold jackets.

• Year	Pick	Player
  1970	8	Larry Stegent
  1971	6	John Riggins
  1972	13	Franco Harris
  1973	9	Otis Armstrong
  1974	2	Bo Matthews
  1975	4	Walter Payton
  1976	3	Chuck Muncie
  1977	1	Ricky Bell
  1978	1	Earl Campbell
  1979	8	Ottis Anderson
  1980	1	Billy Sims
  1981	1	George Rogers
  1982	7	Darrin Nelson
  1983	2	Eric Dickerson
  1984	26	Greg Bell
  1985	19	George Adams
  1986	1	Bo Jackson
  1987	3	Alonzo Highsmith
  1988	14	Gaston Green
  1989	3	Barry Sanders
  1990	2	Blair Thomas
  1991	14	Leonard Russell
  1992	9	Tommy Vardell
  1993	3	Garrison Hearst
  1994	2	Marshall Faulk
  1995	1	Ki-Jana Carter
  1996	6	Lawrence Phillips
  1997	12	Warrick Dunn
  1998	5	Curtis Enis
  1999	4	Edgerrin James
  2000	5	Jamal Lewis
  2001	5	LaDainian Tomlinson
  2002	16	William Green
  2003	23	Willis McGahee
  2004	24	Steven Jackson
  2005	2	Ronnie Brown
  2006	2	Reggie Bush
  2007	7	Adrian Peterson
  2008	4	Darren McFadden
  2009	12	Knowshon Moreno
  2010	9	C.J. Spiller
  2011	28	Mark Ingram
  2012	3	Trent Richardson
  2013	37	Giovani Bernard
  2014	54	Bishop Sankey
  2015	10	Todd Gurley
  2016	4	Ezekiel Elliott
  2017	4	Leonard Fournette
  2018	2	Saquon Barkley
  2019	24	Josh Jacobs
  2020	32	Clyde Edwards-Helaire
  2021	24	Najee Harris
  2022	36	Breece Hall
  2023	8	Bijan Robinson

 

[Lafayette]

I guess if you come from that point of view, that's your call. Using phrases like "surrounding himself with motivation" is an interesting choice. Especially when you hear stories about guys like Jerry Rice who lost games and were seen running hills at 5 am the next day.

And again, "come off as cocky" is also interesting. I feel comfortable saying he IS cocky.

And seeing guys a lot more talented him in college flame out in the pros (I could name 30 off the top of my head), I guess I just don't see how this stuff puts him on the path to really actually being legendary on the field.

Fair point, but he isn't at all like Ryan Leaf and other flame outs. Kid has real skill and solid numbers from CO. Who cares if he's cocky? Joe Namath used to be on the sidelines in a full fur coat and sunglasses yet he could ball. As if Prime Time was gonna have a non-cocky kid playing football.

 

[Lafayette]

First RB picked by year. Lots of good one and gold jackets.

• Year	Pick	Player
  1970	8	Larry Stegent
  1971	6	John Riggins
  1972	13	Franco Harris
  1973	9	Otis Armstrong
  1974	2	Bo Matthews
  1975	4	Walter Payton
  1976	3	Chuck Muncie
  1977	1	Ricky Bell
  1978	1	Earl Campbell
  1979	8	Ottis Anderson
  1980	1	Billy Sims
  1981	1	George Rogers
  1982	7	Darrin Nelson
  1983	2	Eric Dickerson
  1984	26	Greg Bell
  1985	19	George Adams
  1986	1	Bo Jackson
  1987	3	Alonzo Highsmith
  1988	14	Gaston Green
  1989	3	Barry Sanders
  1990	2	Blair Thomas
  1991	14	Leonard Russell
  1992	9	Tommy Vardell
  1993	3	Garrison Hearst
  1994	2	Marshall Faulk
  1995	1	Ki-Jana Carter
  1996	6	Lawrence Phillips
  1997	12	Warrick Dunn
  1998	5	Curtis Enis
  1999	4	Edgerrin James
  2000	5	Jamal Lewis
  2001	5	LaDainian Tomlinson
  2002	16	William Green
  2003	23	Willis McGahee
  2004	24	Steven Jackson
  2005	2	Ronnie Brown
  2006	2	Reggie Bush
  2007	7	Adrian Peterson
  2008	4	Darren McFadden
  2009	12	Knowshon Moreno
  2010	9	C.J. Spiller
  2011	28	Mark Ingram
  2012	3	Trent Richardson
  2013	37	Giovani Bernard
  2014	54	Bishop Sankey
  2015	10	Todd Gurley
  2016	4	Ezekiel Elliott
  2017	4	Leonard Fournette
  2018	2	Saquon Barkley
  2019	24	Josh Jacobs
  2020	32	Clyde Edwards-Helaire
  2021	24	Najee Harris
  2022	36	Breece Hall
  2023	8	Bijan Robinson

I still chuckly at Barry Sanders being drafted 3rd. I get Dallas needed a QB, but Green Bay went for Mandarich but could have taken Barry and super bowl rings would be aplenty.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

I guess if you come from that point of view, that's your call. Using phrases like "surrounding himself with motivation" is an interesting choice. Especially when you hear stories about guys like Jerry Rice who lost games and were seen running hills at 5 am the next day.

And again, "come off as cocky" is also interesting. I feel comfortable saying he IS cocky.

And seeing guys a lot more talented him in college flame out in the pros (I could name 30 off the top of my head), I guess I just don't see how this stuff puts him on the path to really actually being legendary on the field.

Well comparing him to Jerry Rice is just unfair. Comes off as cocky because that’s not how most act, but he grew up with Deion as his father and the spotlight followed him, I think it just eventually turned into his personality, hard to blame the kid. I don’t have much of an opinion on him one way or another, though I would have rather had him than Dart.

 

[Deepster]

Well comparing him to Jerry Rice is just unfair. Comes off as cocky because that’s not how most act, but he grew up with Deion as his father and the spotlight followed him, I think it just eventually turned into his personality, hard to blame the kid. I don’t have much of an opinion on him one way or another, though I would have rather had him than Dart.

When you call yourself "legendary" who do you think we should be comparing him to? Jamarcus Russell?

Frankly, that's probably a closer comparison.....

 

[Skiblets]

All I know is that last nights draft was boring a f

Other than Hunter, zero star power. Was seemingly all d and o linemen. The Pack drafting a wide receiver had some buzz but overall a snooze fest

 

[FfldCntyFan]

When you call yourself "legendary" who do you think we should be comparing him to?

Barney Stinson

 

[Husky25]

I understand the philosophy and don't disagree with it but I also want to add the you should not draft a QB in round one unless you are convinced that he is the right guy.

I still get irritated when I hear alleged experts rehash the 2018 draft knowing what they know now, claim that the Giants still would have been better off drafting Darnold (didn't show he could be an NFL QB until he was with his fourth team) or Rosen (showed basically nothing before he washed out of the league) than Barkley.

Yes, Allen (who many of the same experts claimed was a gamble when the Bills drafted him) turned out to be something very good but he was never among the QB's they said the Giants should have picked.

Close the window a bit, and I'll buy in. A 1st running back is meant to put a team over the top, not build around. It's okay for a playoff team to select a running back in the back half of the first round. They presumably have less holes, but a team in the top 10 is presumably in that position for a reason. Of course there are exceptions such as good team acquiring a top pick via trade.

Saquon had top 5 talent, but he was the wrong pick for the Giants at the time. It helped Mara sell tickets and merch but it didn't help them get any meaningful wins.

Drafting a QB is just as much of crap shoot, but the payoff is much better.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I won't argue that at the time drafting Saquon was far from the best move they could have made. With what they had at that time, if they didn't view the QB's available as being worth drafting, they should have put that pick on the open market. They would have received a boatload of picks as quite a few teams viewed it as a loaded QB class.

My gripe is the mentality that a failed QB would still have been a better choice, which quite a few talking heads have stated years after the fact.

They'll give a pass to picking a QB who fails yet view picking a RB who did play at a very high level as a mistake.

 

[superjohn]

All I know is that last nights draft was boring a f

Other than Hunter, zero star power. Was seemingly all d and o linemen. The Pack drafting a wide receiver had some buzz but overall a snooze fest

I had no idea it was last night, assumed it was in June. Only player I've heard the talking heads talk about is Deion Sanders kid.

 

[DRBackup]

Edgerrin James did not win a ring, the Colts won it in Joseph Addai rookie year also a 1st rd pick was kind of a bust. As a matter of fact Dominic Rhodes an undrafted rb had a great playoff run with Colts in their Super Bowl season, he split carries with Addai that year, Edgerrin James went to the Cardinals that year.

Cowboys had a boat load of picks, they had drafted Tony Cadillac and Russell Maryland with higher picks they weren't great but very good dlineman.

Faulk went to the Rams to win his ring, and was around more weapons like Bruce and Holt and Warner, along with a very good line led by HOF Pace, Faulk only played with Peyton in Peyton's rookie year. There's always good backs later on in the draft, the history shows it's better to have 3 good backs than 1 great one.

Are you talking about Tony Casillas here ? They didn't draft him, they traded 2nd and 8th round picks to Atlanta for him.

I mean, let's not kid ourselves here, they had a ton of talent, though all young. Irvin was taken 11th overall in 1988, Aikman #1 overall in 1989, and all three are in the HOF. But they weren't perfect, either. Blew the #1 overall pick in 90 to take Steve Walsh in the supplemental draft, with the top pick of the second round that year they took Ace Wright who ended being nothing but a special team's player, and Russell Maryland #1 overall was good, but not top pick in the draft good.

At some point, when you have the #1 overall pick in three straight drafts, you have to amass some amount of high level talent.

 

[DRBackup]

Close the window a bit, and I'll buy in. A 1st running back is meant to put a team over the top, not build around. It's okay for a playoff team to select a running back in the back half of the first round. They presumably have less holes, but a team in the top 10 is presumably in that position for a reason. Of course there are exceptions such as good team acquiring a top pick via trade.

In Zeke Elliot's case, the Cowboys were at #4 because Romo got hurt and missed all but 4 games.

 

[Scoe]

Are you talking about Tony Casillas here ? They didn't draft him, they traded 2nd and 8th round picks to Atlanta for him.

I mean, let's not kid ourselves here, they had a ton of talent, though all young. Irvin was taken 11th overall in 1988, Aikman #1 overall in 1989, and all three are in the HOF. But they weren't perfect, either. Blew the #1 overall pick in 90 to take Steve Walsh in the supplemental draft, with the top pick of the second round that year they took Ace Wright who ended being nothing but a special team's player, and Russell Maryland #1 overall was good, but not top pick in the draft good.

At some point, when you have the #1 overall pick in three straight drafts, you have to amass some amount of high level talent.

Ok I got my facts a bit screwed up there and of course the Cowboys had their fare share of dumb picks but my theory still proves correct of not taking a rb in rd 1. Like I had said the Cowboys drafting Emmitt was an outlier.

 

[Waquoit]

When you call yourself "legendary" who do you think we should be comparing him to?

How about Floyd Mayweather? Aren't they both bankrupt?

 

[Husky25]

In Zeke Elliot's case, the Cowboys were at #4 because Romo got hurt and missed all but 4 games.

And there is the exception. The Cowboys went 13-3in '16. Even if Dak didn't pan out they still had a quality, if not aging, player at QB.

 

[coachcap]

I had no idea it was last night, assumed it was in June. Only player I've heard the talking heads talk about is Deion Sanders kid.

"Assumed it was in June..."
That's an interesting take. Since ESPN started televising it in the late 70''s (as they needed broadcast product), the Draft has always started on the 4th Thursday in April. And, back then, it was an all day affair as the event started at 9 A.M. Eastern time & ran until completion.

 

[SubbaBub]

Only true because the NFL went pass heavy. You still need a running game and a top RB has value, just not worth a top 10 pick unless it's a special talent, like Barkley. Same goes for QB. Unless your getting a sure thing, don't.

 

[Husky25]

Only true because the NFL went pass heavy. You still need a running game and a top RB has value, just not worth a top 10 pick unless it's a special talent, like Barkley. Same goes for QB. Unless your getting a sure thing, don't.

Special talent or not, The Giants made a poor selection that year.

 

[Scoe]

I won't argue that at the time drafting Saquon was far from the best move they could have made. With what they had at that time, if they didn't view the QB's available as being worth drafting, they should have put that pick on the open market. They would have received a boatload of picks as quite a few teams viewed it as a loaded QB class.

My gripe is the mentality that a failed QB would still have been a better choice, which quite a few talking heads have stated years after the fact.

They'll give a pass to picking a QB who fails yet view picking a RB who did play at a very high level as a mistake.

Well the idea is to take the right qb, your generally safest taking a olineman or dlineman in rd 1, even busts have had fairly good careers.

 

[Scoe]

First RB picked by year. Lots of good one and gold jackets.

• Year	Pick	Player
  1970	8	Larry Stegent
  1971	6	John Riggins
  1972	13	Franco Harris
  1973	9	Otis Armstrong
  1974	2	Bo Matthews
  1975	4	Walter Payton
  1976	3	Chuck Muncie
  1977	1	Ricky Bell
  1978	1	Earl Campbell
  1979	8	Ottis Anderson
  1980	1	Billy Sims
  1981	1	George Rogers
  1982	7	Darrin Nelson
  1983	2	Eric Dickerson
  1984	26	Greg Bell
  1985	19	George Adams
  1986	1	Bo Jackson
  1987	3	Alonzo Highsmith
  1988	14	Gaston Green
  1989	3	Barry Sanders
  1990	2	Blair Thomas
  1991	14	Leonard Russell
  1992	9	Tommy Vardell
  1993	3	Garrison Hearst
  1994	2	Marshall Faulk
  1995	1	Ki-Jana Carter
  1996	6	Lawrence Phillips
  1997	12	Warrick Dunn
  1998	5	Curtis Enis
  1999	4	Edgerrin James
  2000	5	Jamal Lewis
  2001	5	LaDainian Tomlinson
  2002	16	William Green
  2003	23	Willis McGahee
  2004	24	Steven Jackson
  2005	2	Ronnie Brown
  2006	2	Reggie Bush
  2007	7	Adrian Peterson
  2008	4	Darren McFadden
  2009	12	Knowshon Moreno
  2010	9	C.J. Spiller
  2011	28	Mark Ingram
  2012	3	Trent Richardson
  2013	37	Giovani Bernard
  2014	54	Bishop Sankey
  2015	10	Todd Gurley
  2016	4	Ezekiel Elliott
  2017	4	Leonard Fournette
  2018	2	Saquon Barkley
  2019	24	Josh Jacobs
  2020	32	Clyde Edwards-Helaire
  2021	24	Najee Harris
  2022	36	Breece Hall
  2023	8	Bijan Robinson

You got busts in there too.

 

[Iluvsuebird]

Edgerrin James did not win a ring, the Colts won it in Joseph Addai rookie year also a 1st rd pick was kind of a bust. As a matter of fact Dominic Rhodes an undrafted rb had a great playoff run with Colts in their Super Bowl season, he split carries with Addai that year, Edgerrin James went to the Cardinals that year.

Cowboys had a boat load of picks, they had drafted Tony Cadillac and Russell Maryland with higher picks they weren't great but very good dlineman.

Faulk went to the Rams to win his ring, and was around more weapons like Bruce and Holt and Warner, along with a very good line led by HOF Pace, Faulk only played with Peyton in Peyton's rookie year. There's always good backs later on in the draft, the history shows it's better to have 3 good backs than 1 great one.

You cannot be making a case that Emmitt wasn't the reason the Cowboys won those rings?!?!? I refuse to believe that. If you watch the games you would know better. In my opinion, the Greatest Show on Turf was powered by Faulk my friend, he was the x factor. An NFL D will stop a good passing game, but not if the RB is also a HOF'r. Nobody suggests that a stellar RB does not need a good line. A stellar QB surely needs a good line, right? So why are we discounting rb's for needing good lines?

And while I am typing, I realize I omitted the GOAT: Walter Payton. Fourth overall pick. Oh but wait, he played with the best D of all time, so what he did doesn't count. My bad.

And while James did not win a ring, and I believe you when you tell me that, we can agree dude was real freaking good. By the way, do the Eagles win last year's SB w/out Barkley??? And where was he drafted again????

 

[Scoe]

You cannot be making a case that Emmitt wasn't the reason the Cowboys won those rings?!?!? I refuse to believe that. If you watch the games you would know better. In my opinion, the Greatest Show on Turf was powered by Faulk my friend, he was the x factor. An NFL D will stop a good passing game, but not if the RB is also a HOF'r. Nobody suggests that a stellar RB does not need a good line. A stellar QB surely needs a good line, right? So why are we discounting rb's for needing good lines?

And while I am typing, I realize I omitted the GOAT: Walter Payton. Fourth overall pick. Oh but wait, he played with the best D of all time, so what he did doesn't count. My bad.

And while James did not win a ring, and I believe you when you tell me that, we can agree dude was real freaking good. By the way, do the Eagles win last year's SB w/out Barkley??? And where was he drafted again????

I didn't say a rb can't be the star or a difference maker , now Faulk wasn't drafted by the Rams and Saquon wasn't drafted by the Eagles their teams were built in the draft already.

A very good to great qb can overcome team deficiencies, even a good one is a good pick in rd 1. Solid backs are always available later on in the draft and even undrafted ones, even worse ones you can live with so long as you have weapons around him of course you would love to add a great one if you can.

Edgerrin James was great but it just proves my point even more its just the nature of the rb compared to qb, Edge was on the Cardinals the year they went to the Super Bowl that year and he was injured that year, Cards had a prolific passing game and Hightower was their main back that year. If Kurt Warner was hurt that year the Cards don’t make the playoffs.

Like I had previously said the Colts won the Super Bowl with Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes who was undrafted. If Peyton were ever hurt do the Colts even make the playoffs probably not, if Edge was hurt do they make the playoffs probably.

There are examples of drafting rb in 1st round winning superbowls but my stance on this is still not gonna change.