There are a lot of players who came out of this draft that will have a chance at instant relevance in the NFL. To read about my instant impact QB’s click HERE. The Running Backs who should have an impact during this 2014 season include…
Bishop Sankey (Titans): Sankey was the first running back taken in the NFL draft and he had to wait until day 2 pick number 54 to be selected. Even though it took so long for him to be drafted, he was drafted into a fantastic position to have an instant impact. Sankey was drafted to the Titans who have an overload of talent on the offensive line and have recently released their top running back, Chris Johnson. So Sankey’s only competition is Shonne Greene who is coming off an injury and has never been able to take control of the lead role even when he was the only RB on a team. Bishop Sankey will be the number one ranked rookie running back in fantasy terms and on top of that he will win the offensive rookie of the year this season.
Jeremy Hill (Bengals): Soon after Sankey was drafted, then Hill went off the board. A lot of people may think that Hill’s role will be limited this season because Giovanni Bernard has the reigns on the running back position in Cincinnati. If you think back to last season the Bengals used Green-Ellis a lot during the season on short yardage plays or goal line plays. I see Hill taking on this role the only difference is Hill is a better running back than Green-Ellis so I can see Hill taking more carries away from Bernard later in the season after he shows his talents. For those who hoped Bernard would get all the carries for the Bengals, sorry but the league has become more of a committee when it comes to running backs but in Hue Jacksons system expect the ground game to have plenty of work to go around. Hill won’t lead rookie’s running backs in any categories except possibly touchdowns but he will make an impact for this balanced Bengals offense in their attempt to return to the playoffs.
Devonta Freeman (Falcons): Last year when Steven Jackson went down to injury the Falcons struggled to find a back to replace him. Jacquizz Rodgers was their next best back but he’s more of a change of pace guy rather than a featured back. The answer to this issue is Devonta Freeman. His size may be similar to Rodgers but the difference is Devonta Freeman runs more like a featured back. Freeman may not get a chance early this season but I highly expect him to start taking carries away from Jackson because even when he returned from injury he struggled to break off runs and he’s only getting older already past the 30 year old mark. By the 2015 season Freeman will be the lead back in Atlanta but for now he will be the answer to any possible injuries to Steven Jackson.
Carlos Hyde (49ers): According to my pre draft analysis Carlos Hyde was the best available running back in this draft class. He ended up being drafted with the 57th pick by the San Francisco 49ers. From a quick glance it seems confusing why the 49ers would draft Hyde and from Hyde’s perspective it seems like he wouldn’t want to go to the 49ers since he’ll be buried on the depth chart under all the RB’s they already have. The way I see it though is that the 49ers are not certain with any of their current RB options. Of course Gore has been consistent for the 49ers throughout the years but like Steven Jackson he’s getting older and is on the wrong side of 30 and a decline is imminent. Last year the 49ers drafted Marcus Lattimore who before his gruesome injury was supposed to be a superstar RB but by drafting Carlos Hyde it hints at the fact Lattimore may not be that same back anymore. Kendall Hunter their other running back has always been more of a compliment and LaMichael James is a change of pace back that hasn’t even been able to have an impact there. I expect Hyde to be similar to what Montee Ball was last year for the Broncos. Hyde should play sparingly and show signs that he can be the lead back but his time won’t come until either a Gore injury or the 2015 season comes around.
Terrance West (Browns): Last year Zac Stacy of the St Louis Rams started off as the third running back on the depth chart but finished the season as one of the best running backs in the league and the featured back for the Rams moving forward. I see Terrance West as the Zac Stacy of this season. He’s behind Ben Tate on the depth chart for the Browns but Tate has been known to have his injury woes and as soon as Tate tweaks an ankle I expect West to take over as the lead back. With the loss of Josh Gordon I expect the Browns to run a lot and that will open up more opportunities for West to get carries even without a Tate injury. West went to a small school but he put up ridiculous numbers and I highly expect him to make an impact and start for the Browns at least a few games this season.
Photo Courtesy: Elaine Thompson/Associated Press