Bucky Irving and MarShawn Lloyd should be good value picks in the 2024 NFL running back draft class

2024 NFL Draft Class: Running back rankings No. 9-12

9. Dillon Johnson, Washington
Draft Grade: Fifth Round: Dillion Johnson had a strong season for Washington after transferring from Mississippi State. In his one season with the Huskies, he ran for 1,113 yards with 15 carries going for over 15 yards. His best game of the year was easily his against USC who he rushed for 256 yards and four touchdowns against. When evaluating his running style the first thing that stands out is how physical he is. He does a great job of keeping his feet moving on contact and it is tough for a single defender to take him down. What will likely cause him to slide to the third day of the 2024 NFL Draft is his lack of elite speed and elusiveness.

10. Jaylen Wright, Tennessee
Draft Grade: Sixth Round: While Tennessee’s Jaylen Wright saw limited touches this year when he did get the ball he made the most of it. On his 137 carries he averaged 7.4 yards per carry which led all FBS running backs who had at least 100 carries. His biggest positive as a player is his impressive speed which saw him break off numerous long runs this year. An area he will need to improve in though is his vision as he tends to miss running lanes. He also needs to improve on his technique when it comes to pass blocking.

11. Braelon Allen, Wisconsin
Draft Grade: Sixth Round: A player I am much lower on than other people is Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen. The biggest reason for this is his lack of explosion as a runner. He tends to take a while to get up to top speed and he also doesn’t have the speed to break the long run in the NFL. Another reason I am not very high on him is his questionable vision as a runner. On the positive side, he does run with good power but is in nowhere near the type of powerful runner Derrick Henry is, who he has been compared to. Scouts will also like that he was more involved in the passing game this year recording a career-high 28 receptions.

12. Blake Corum, Michigan
Draft Grade: Sixth Round: The most overrated running back in the 2024 NFL Draft is Michigan’s Blake Corum, The reason for this is he has yet to regain the explosiveness he had before suffering a season-ending knee injury last year. This is evident by his lack of big plays this year having only broken off one run over 40-yard long and seeing his average yards per carry drop to 4.7 compared to the 5.9 he had last season. A couple of other concerns I have with him is how well he holds up in the passing game as both a blocker and receiver out of the backfield. He is also an older player who will be 24 next season. If Corum can bounce back to his 2022 form he could be a solid rotational back, but that risk is worth more of a late-round selection than the third-round grade other draftniks are giving him.