News and Notes: How Do Rookie Running Backs Fare in Year One

Now that the NFL draft is over things have died down. NFLmocks is all football all the time, however. We’ll be bringing you news and notes each day to keep you satiated. Our first link is a post over at bloggingthebeast that takes a look at the potential impact of Giants rookie running back David Wilson based on the recent history of rookie running backs.

“I think the perception is that running back is a position that is comparatively easy to learn and there’s a higher likelihood of success for a rookie RB than there is at a much more cerebral position like QB. This is a perception I largely agree with, as 5 running backs drafted in the 2nd round or higher between 2008 and 2007 had bigtime rookie seasons

However, in the last 3 years, that trend has not continued. While 4 early picks in 2007-2008 topped 1000 yards their rookies seasons in 2007-2008 and a 5th racked up 10 TD’s, running back classes of the last 3 years haven’t done nearly as well. Here’s that group”

Chad Reuter takes a look at the top five players by position for the 2013 NFL Draft

Interestingly, a NFLmocks favorite Logan Thomas, is not in the top five quarterbacks–Landry Jones and E.J. Manuel are, however.

The Seattle Seahawks are almost all done signing draft picks already.

The Seattle Seahawks came to terms with eight of the team’s 10 draft picks May 6, less than two weeks after the 2012 NFL Draft took place. Credit could go to the collective bargaining agreement reached in 2011 that ended the NFL lockout, or perhaps things just fell together quickly.

“There are a lot of factors at work, the primary one being the CBA,” said John Idzik, Seahawks’ vice president of football administration, the point man on negotiations.

Whatever the reasons, it’s a refreshing shift from the uncertainties and late news of last summer. The 2011 NFL lockout didn’t end until late July, and then the scramble was on. This year, teams can take their time developing their strategies. Of course, locking down who will be playing is a big part of that.

The Seattle Seahawks are in love with their two Utah State draft picks

“The early word out of Seattle is that the Seahawks believe they doubled their pleasure with their new Utah State connection — second-round LB Bobby Wagner and fourth-round RB Robert Turbin. Wagner was often referred to as “a tackling machine” at Utah State, where he started all four seasons and played all three LB positions. He might not be quite on a par with Boston College ILB Luke Kuechly, who ended up being a top-10 pick by the Panthers (ninth). But with good speed and excellent athleticism, Wagner is expected to start the offseason as the Seahawks’ starting middle linebacker, replacing David Hawthorne, the team’s leading tackler in each of the last three seasons, who signed with the Saints.”

The Tuscon Citizen takes a look at the draft from three years ago--2009 the year they chose Beanie Wells in the first round.

“There’s an NFL axiom that says it takes at least three years to accurately assess a draft class.So let’s take the focus off the Cardinals 2012 class for a while. The only thing we can do is guess how those players are going to fare. We don’t know yet if it was smart for the Cardinals to pass up an offensive lineman in the first round, or to take a cornerback in the third. Time will allow the rest of us to second guess.

Let’s look back at the 2009 draft class, where time has told us something: the results were average, at best.

The results must be filtered a bit, too. The Cardinals played in the Super Bowl the previous season, meaning their selections came near the bottom of every round. That’s an obvious disadvantage.”

Home/NFL Draft