Factoid
After four games, rookie running backs Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch, taken at picks 7 and 12 in April's draft, are both easily on pace for 1,000-yard seasons. (Peterson: 1,532; Lynch: 1,228.) Surprisingly, it will be nearly unprecedented if they both achieve it.
Since the league went to a 16-game season in 1978, two or more running backs have been taken within the draft's top 15 picks on 15 occasions. Only twice – in 1978 and 1983 – have two of those players gone over 1,000 rushing yards in their rookie seasons. Coincidentally, one of those pairs includes the running back Peterson is most often compared to: Eric Dickerson.
The rookie rushing numbers for those 15 sets of backs taken in the top 15 are presented below.
| Year | Pick | Yds | TDs | Player, Team |
| 2005 | 2 | 907 | 5 | Ronnie Brown, Dolphins |
| 2005 | 4 | 272 | 0 | Cedric Benson, Bears |
| 2005 | 5 | 1178 | 6 | Cadillac Williams, Bucs |
| 2000 | 5 | 1364 | 6 | Jamal Lewis, Ravens |
| 2000 | 7 | 373 | 2 | Thomas Jones, Cardinals |
| 2000 | 11 | 770 | 5 | Ron Dayne, Giants |
| 1999 | 4 | 1553 | 17 | Edgerrin James, Colts |
| 1999 | 5 | 884 | 2 | Ricky Williams, Saints |
| 1998 | 5 | 497 | 0 | Curtis Enis, Bears |
| 1998 | 9 | 1223 | 17 | Fred Taylor, Jaguars |
| 1996 | 6 | 632 | 5 | Lawrence Phillips, Rams |
| 1996 | 8 | 229 | 0 | Tim Biakabutuka, Panthers |
| 1996 | 14 | 1368 | 8 | Eddie George, Oilers |
| 1993 | 3 | 264 | 1 | Garrison Hearst, Cardinals |
| 1993 | 10 | 1429 | 7 | Jerome Bettis, Rams |
| 1989 | 3 | 1470 | 14 | Barry Sanders, Lions |
| 1989 | 7 | 770 | 5 | Tim Worley, Steelers |
| 1989 | 9 | 659 | 6 | Sammie Smith, Dolphins |
| 1989 | 13 | 633 | 10 | Eric Metcalf, Browns |
| 1987 | 3 | 106 | 2 | Alonzo Highsmith, Oilers |
| 1987 | 4 | 274 | 5 | Brent Fullwood, Packers |
| 1987 | 14 | 257 | 7 | D.J. Dozier, Vikings |
| 1986 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Bo Jackson, Buccaneers |
| 1986 | 10 | 577 | 1 | Keith Byars, Eagles |
| 1986 | 15 | 538 | 0 | John L. Williams, Seahawks |
| 1983 | 2 | 1808 | 20 | Eric Dickerson, Rams |
| 1983 | 3 | 1449 | 14 | Curt Warner, Seahawks |
| 1983 | 8 | 220 | 2 | Michael Haddix, Eagles |
| 1983 | 13 | 475 | 7 | James Jones, Lions |
| 1982 | 7 | 136 | 0 | Darrin Nelson, Vikings |
| 1982 | 9 | 299 | 5 | Gerald Riggs, Falcons |
| 1982 | 10 | 697 | 14 | Marcus Allen, Raiders |
| 1982 | 12 | 100 | 2 | Walter Abercrombie, Steelers |
| 1982 | 14 | 24 | 0 | Barry Redden, Rams |
| 1981 | 1 | 1674 | 13 | George Rogers, Saints |
| 1981 | 3 | 623 | 3 | Freeman McNeil, Jets |
| 1981 | 12 | 597 | 4 | Randy McMillan, Colts |
| 1981 | 13 | 0 | 0 | David Overstreet, Dolphins |
| 1980 | 1 | 1303 | 16 | Billy Sims,Lions |
| 1980 | 5 | 800 | 13 | Curtis Dickey, Colts |
| 1980 | 13 | 720 | 9 | Earl Cooper, 49ers |
| 1979 | 8 | 1605 | 10 | Ottis Anderson, Cardinals |
| 1979 | 13 | 286 | 1 | Charles Alexander, Bengals |
| 1979 | 15 | 24 | 0 | Eddie Lee Ivery, Packers |
| 1978 | 1 | 1450 | 13 | Earl Campbell (T.B.), Oilers |
| 1978 | 5 | 1060 | 7 | Terry Miller, Bills |
Source: FANTASY FOOTBALL INDEX research
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Posted by Brian Grzybowski | Oct. 01 at 08:32 AM
But what happens if you take draft position out of the equation? I think it happens much more often once you do that. 2001 comes to mind when both Ladanian Tomlinson and Anthony Thomas went over 1,000 yards as rookies. Thomas was named Offensive Rookie of the Year....bet they wish they could get a mulligan on that.
Posted by ANDY RICHARDSON | Oct. 01 at 10:38 AM
You're correct. I've got the rookie numbers for running backs taken in the first three rounds over the years. It last happened in 2001; also a few times in the '90s. Interestingly, most of those duos included one player who has gone on to a good career (Tomlinson, Eddie George, Curtis Martin) and one guy who didn't (Thomas, Karim Abdul-Jabbar, Rashaan Salaam).