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[Deleted member 6794]

The perennial 1,000 yard rushers in the league are drafted early. I think we can all agree that Eddie Lacy is the best back the Packers have drafted in the last decade. He was a 2nd rounder. I’m happy we hit on Jones but the other 3rd day backs were Dexter Williams, Jaamal Williams, Devante Mays, Jonathan Franklin, and Alex Green.

While it's true that most elite running backs are selected early it's easier to find a gem at the position late in the draft compared to others. The Packers have had success that way with Dorsey Levens, Edgar Bennett, Ryan Grant, James Starks in the past as well.

For the record, Alex Green was drafted in the third round.

If the Packers used players like Jones and Donald Driver as conclusive evidence and set their policy on when to select certain positions by it, I think we all would be very disappointed. Jones for example is a bright spot in a long line of pretty disappointing mid to late round or UDFA RB's in Green Bay.

I don't advocate for the Packers to use Jones as conclusive evidence but they and other teams around the league have had more success drafting running backs late than at other skill positions. Taking a look at the past 10 years the Packers used six day three picks on RBs and did pretty well overall (James Starks, Aaron Jones, Jamaal Williams, Johnathan Franklin, Devante Mays and Dexter Williams).

 

[GleefulGary]

While it's true that most elite running backs are selected early it's easier to find a gem at the position late in the draft compared to others. The Packers have had success that way with Dorsey Levens, Edgar Bennett, Ryan Grant, James Starks in the past as well.

For the record, Alex Green was drafted in the third round.



I don't advocate for the Packers to use Jones as conclusive evidence but they and other teams around the league have had more success drafting running backs late than at other skill positions. Taking a look at the past 10 years the Packers used six day three picks on RBs and did pretty well overall (James Starks, Aaron Jones, Jamaal Williams, Johnathan Franklin, Devante Mays and Dexter Williams).

Easier does not equal easy.

Among the ones you listed drafted by GB, only one of them is a quality starter. Two are/were average backups. The rest have done nothing.

So 1/6 made a quality starter. Still a pretty low number.

 

[tynimiller]

To be fair, there is ALWAYS except K, P and Long snapper a draftee worthy of a Day 1, Day 2 or Day 3 drafting. I may sometimes disagree with a selection and typing specifically for the player, but to say it is too early due to the position, sorry not a fan of that misguided logic.

 

[Fat Dogs]

While it's true that most elite running backs are selected early it's easier to find a gem at the position late in the draft compared to others. The Packers have had success that way with Dorsey Levens, Edgar Bennett, Ryan Grant, James Starks in the past as well.

For the record, Alex Green was drafted in the third round.



I don't advocate for the Packers to use Jones as conclusive evidence but they and other teams around the league have had more success drafting running backs late than at other skill positions. Taking a look at the past 10 years the Packers used six day three picks on RBs and did pretty well overall (James Starks, Aaron Jones, Jamaal Williams, Johnathan Franklin, Devante Mays and Dexter Williams).

28 years of searching for gems and this is the best we could do? I’m curious to see how many draft picks were wasted along the way. Levens and Grant Were great packers but nothing anyone outside of our fan base would remember.

I looked up the top 30 rushers of all time. 26 were first rounders, 3 were 2nd rounders and one was a 3rd. None drafted on day 3. This debate is silly.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Easier does not equal easy.

Among the ones you listed drafted by GB, only one of them is a quality starter. Two are/were average backups. The rest have done nothing.

So 1/6 made a quality starter. Still a pretty low number.

In my opinion it would be fair to give James Starks more credit. He was an impact player during the Packers Super Bowl run in 2010.

To be fair, there is ALWAYS except K, P and Long snapper a draftee worthy of a Day 1, Day 2 or Day 3 drafting. I may sometimes disagree with a selection and typing specifically for the player, but to say it is too early due to the position, sorry not a fan of that misguided logic.

I would have been fine with the Packers selecting a running back in the second round if they were in need of a starter. Not with drafting a backup at the position though.

28 years of searching for gems and this is the best we could do? I’m curious to see how many draft picks were wasted along the way. Levens and Grant Were great packers but nothing anyone outside of our fan base would remember.

On the other hand the Packers haven't had any success drafting running backs before the third round over that span at all.

I looked up the top 30 rushers of all time. 26 were first rounders, 3 were 2nd rounders and one was a 3rd. None drafted on day 3. This debate is silly.

The game has changed though. Over the past 10 years eight of the 30 best running backs have either been drafted on day three or not at all. Another three were selected in the third round.

 

[gopkrs]

In my opinion it would be fair to give James Starks more credit. He was an impact player during the Packers Super Bowl run in 2010.

Starks played a huge role in our run. And he showed that (even though he wasn't great at it) he could catch the ball. A lot of people were so sure he couldn't. That end sweep to the right was a huge play for us. He did it consistently well during that run.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Starks played a huge role in our run. And he showed that (even though he wasn't great at it) he could catch the ball. A lot of people were so sure he couldn't. That end sweep to the right was a huge play for us. He did it consistently well during that run.

In my opinion it would be fair to give James Starks more credit. He was an impact player during the Packers Super Bowl run in 2010.

Right. Without Starks coming on at the end of 2010 the Packers don't win that Super Bowl.

For what it's worth, Starks had as high as a 2nd. round grade in some quarters going into his senior season; he was on the Doak Walker Award watch list. Then he missed that entire season with labrum surgery which was the cause of his drop to the 6th. round.

 

[OldSchool101]

Dillon wasn't more productive in college than Williams though.

.2 yards per carry in a college career doesn’t equate to a better RB. That would be like saying QB’s Brett Favre wasn’t more productive than Kaepernick (Bretts career passer rating was lower).

I’m actually shocked you consider strictly YPC as the sole measuring stick of a RB’s entire collegiate performance.
So essentially what you’re saying is if you were GM you’d draft Jamaal Williams over AJ Dillon strictly based on .2 YPC (splitting hairs on that even)?

You might fool some posters but not me. I’m calling a spade a spade and I actually don’t believe you believe that for one second. I think you’re rebuttals of Dillon are reaching to say the least and are largely driven by your discontent with the overall draft. Its absolutely ok to be frustrated and many of us are to a degree, but but it’s really showing in some of these far reaching poster rebuttals. You’re normally a lot more consistent in the accuracy of your posters comments so I guess these recent ones shock me a bit. I normally look for you as my constant. It’s like Earth is inching out of orbit.

 

[tynimiller]

.2 yards per carry in a college career doesn’t equate to a better RB. That would be like saying QB’s Brett Favre wasn’t more productive in college though (his career passer rating was lower).

I’m actually shocked you consider strictly YPC as the sole measuring stick of a RB’s entire collegiate performance.
So essentially what you’re saying is if you were GM you’d draft Jamaal Williams over AJ Dillon strictly based on .2 YPC (splitting hairs on that even)?

You might fool some posters but not me. I’m calling a spade a spade and I actually don’t believe you believe that for one second. I think you’re rebuttals of Dillon are reaching to say the least and are largely driven by your discontent with the overall draft. Its absolutely ok to be frustrated and many of us are to a degree, but but it’s really showing in some of these far reaching poster rebuttals. You’re normally a lot more consistent in the accuracy of your posters comments so I guess these recent ones shock me a bit. I normally look for you as my constant. It’s like Earth is inching out of orbit.

Whatever....I was a TE and DL in high school....played Safety for one play, interception returned for a TD.....my stats per play were insanely better than the starter. Therefore clearly I was the best safety on the roster.

LOL

 

[Deleted member 6794]

.2 yards per carry in a college career doesn’t equate to a better RB. That would be like saying QB’s Brett Favre wasn’t more productive than Kaepernick (Bretts career passer rating was lower).

I’m actually shocked you consider strictly YPC as the sole measuring stick of a RB’s entire collegiate performance.
So essentially what you’re saying is if you were GM you’d draft Jamaal Williams over AJ Dillon strictly based on .2 YPC (splitting hairs on that even)?

You might fool some posters but not me. I’m calling a spade a spade and I actually don’t believe you believe that for one second. I think you’re rebuttals of Dillon are reaching to say the least and are largely driven by your discontent with the overall draft. Its absolutely ok to be frustrated and many of us are to a degree, but but it’s really showing in some of these far reaching poster rebuttals. You’re normally a lot more consistent in the accuracy of your posters comments so I guess these recent ones shock me a bit. I normally look for you as my constant. It’s like Earth is inching out of orbit.

Whoa. I only mentioned that Dillon didn't have better numbers than Williams in college, which is a fact, but never said anything about Jamaal being the better player.

I don't agree with a lot of posters taking it for granted that Dillon will move past him on the depth chart just like that though.

 

[OldSchool101]

Whoa. I only mentioned that Dillon didn't have better numbers than Williams in college, which is a fact, but never said anything about Jamaal being the better player.

I don't agree with a lot of posters taking it for granted that Dillon will move past him on the depth chart just like that though.

Oh gotcha. But that’s the way it comes across when you say they are a more “productive” player at the college level is just that. Most people don’t equate a “lower production” assertion of a player with he’s the “better” player. But I apologize if I misunderstood your point on depth expectations.

The fact still remains that Dillon in 3 seasons had more production than Williams in 4 seasons. I’ll just add that I’m 95% confident that had Williams increased his workload to match Dillon’s attempts in college? Williams YPC would’ve began waning and likely put him under Dillon’s YPC. Everyone knew Dillon was running the ball regularly and that Offense was vastly built around the Running attack, that’s what makes Dillon so intriguing. Dillon had an exceptionally high workload in just 3 seasons, so much so that it became a concern as to his durability in the NFL.

The Depth chart doesn’t really matter to me as much because it’s often a moving target that almost can be subjective from the site you look at (past the known quantity starters). But I do partially agree, Dillon may not see more overall snaps unless he comes out if the gate and breaks a couple big ones. I do think they’ll increase his workload later as the season progresses or maybe earlier if he pops a few big runs early.
I don’t mind calling Dillon a #3 RB or even him having less YPC than Williams as long as Dillon is converting more tough 1st downs and stacked Red Zone TD’s. That’s going to be his calling card.