In the ongoing Fanex Analysis Draft, I’ve made my picks in the 9th and 10th rounds. A pair of running backs from the NFC South – Doug Martin and Devonta Freeman. Some explanation is in order.
With Martin, he’s been a good running back in the past. He had a very good rookie year. After some years in which he’s been thwarted by injuries and poor offensive line play, he’s supposedly now in good shape as he enters a contract year.
The Bucs also have Charles Sims, but he had an underwhelming rookie season in which he lost yards on 15 of his 66 carries. That’s the worst ratio by a running back (with at least 50 attempts) in the last five years. I think Martin will beat out Sims (who may become more of a third-down back).
With Freeman, the plan going in is for him to share time with Tevin Coleman (their third-round pick). I like that Freeman has been there for a year, and I like that he appears to be a lot better in the passing game. Freeman caught 30 of the 38 passes they threw to him last year (when I thought he should have played more).
Coleman ran for over 2,000 yards at Indiana last year, but that was out of a spread system. It could take a while for him to adjust to the pros (which is what we’ve seen in recent years out of a other spread-system backs – Bishop Sankey, LaMichael James).
That said, I must admit that Freeman also had problems with losing yards on plays last year. In his case, he went backwards on 10 of 65 carries.
Here are the worst such backs of the last five years.
LOSING YARDS (LAST 5 YEARS) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Att | Stuff | Pct |
2014 | Charles Sims, T.B. | 66 | 15 | 22.7% |
2010 | Chester Taylor, Chi | 112 | 24 | 21.4% |
2012 | Ryan Williams, Ariz. | 58 | 12 | 20.7% |
2011 | Deji Karim, Jac. | 63 | 13 | 20.6% |
2010 | C.J. Spiller, Buff. | 74 | 15 | 20.3% |
2013 | Bryce Brown, Phil. | 75 | 15 | 20.0% |
2012 | Brandon Bolden, N.E. | 56 | 11 | 19.6% |
2012 | LaRod Stephens-Howling, Ariz. | 110 | 21 | 19.1% |
2011 | Javon Ringer, Tenn. | 59 | 11 | 18.6% |
2010 | Ryan Torain, Wash. | 164 | 30 | 18.3% |
2010 | Jahvid Best, Det. | 171 | 30 | 17.5% |
2011 | Jacquizz Rodgers, Atl. | 57 | 10 | 17.5% |
2012 | Bryce Brown, Phil. | 115 | 20 | 17.4% |
2011 | Kendall Hunter, S.F. | 112 | 19 | 17.0% |
2014 | C.J. Spiller, Buff. | 78 | 13 | 16.7% |
2012 | Vick Ballard, Ind. | 211 | 35 | 16.6% |
2011 | LeSean McCoy, Phil. | 273 | 45 | 16.5% |
2014 | James Starks, G.B. | 85 | 14 | 16.5% |
2012 | DeAngelo Williams, Car. | 173 | 28 | 16.2% |
2012 | Jonathan Stewart, Car. | 93 | 15 | 16.1% |
2013 | Roy Helu, Wash. | 62 | 10 | 16.1% |
2010 | Justin Forsett, Sea. | 118 | 19 | 16.1% |
2013 | Pierre Thomas, N.O. | 147 | 23 | 15.6% |
2013 | Jacquizz Rodgers, Atl. | 96 | 15 | 15.6% |
2014 | Isaiah Crowell, Clev. | 148 | 23 | 15.5% |
2014 | Devonta Freeman, Atl. | 65 | 10 | 15.4% |
2010 | Keiland Williams, Wash. | 65 | 10 | 15.4% |
2013 | Kendall Hunter, S.F. | 78 | 12 | 15.4% |
2010 | Correll Buckhalter, Den. | 59 | 9 | 15.3% |
2012 | Shaun Draughn, K.C. | 59 | 9 | 15.3% |
2010 | Marshawn Lynch, Sea. | 165 | 25 | 15.2% |
2014 | Ben Tate, Clev. | 106 | 16 | 15.1% |
2011 | Michael Turner, Atl. | 301 | 45 | 15.0% |
And here’s how the Fanex Analysis Draft looks as we approach the end of the 10th round …
FANEX ANALYSIS DRAFT | ||
---|---|---|
Pick | Pos | Player |
1.01 | RB | Eddie Lacy |
1.02 | RB | Jamaal Charles |
1.03 | RB | LeVeon Bell |
1.04 | RB | Adrian Peterson |
1.05 | RB | C.J. Anderson |
1.06 | WR | Antonio Brown |
1.07 | RB | Marshawn Lynch |
1.08 | TE | Rob Gronkowski |
1.09 | WR | Dez Bryant |
1.10 | RB | Arian Foster |
1.11 | RB | LeSean McCoy |
1.12 | RB | Matt Forte |
2.01 | WR | Demaryius Thomas |
2.02 | RB | Melvin Gordon |
2.03 | RB | DeMarco Murray |
2.04 | WR | Odell Beckham Jr. |
2.05 | WR | Julio Jones |
2.06 | QB | Andrew Luck |
2.07 | RB | Jeremy Hill |
2.08 | WR | Randall Cobb |
2.09 | WR | Mike Evans |
2.10 | WR | Calvin Johnson |
2.11 | WR | A.J. Green |
2.12 | WR | Jordy Nelson |
3.01 | QB | Aaron Rodgers |
3.02 | WR | Alshon Jeffery |
3.03 | WR | T.Y. Hilton |
3.04 | RB | Ameer Abdullah |
3.05 | WR | Emmanuel Sanders |
3.06 | WR | Julian Edelman |
3.07 | RB | Justin Forsett |
3.08 | WR | Brandin Cooks |
3.09 | WR | DeAndre Hopkins |
3.10 | RB | Frank Gore |
3.11 | TE | Jimmy Graham |
3.12 | RB | Mark Ingram |
4.01 | WR | Kelvin Benjamin |
4.02 | RB | Todd Gurley |
4.03 | WR | Jordan Matthews |
4.04 | RB | Alfred Morris |
4.05 | RB | Carlos Hyde |
4.06 | WR | Keenan Allen |
4.07 | RB | C.J. Spiller |
4.08 | RB | Latavius Murray |
4.09 | WR | Jeremy Maclin |
4.10 | RB | Lamar Miller |
4.11 | WR | Golden Tate |
4.12 | WR | Amari Cooper |
5.01 | WR | Sammy Watkins |
5.02 | QB | Russell Wilson |
5.03 | RB | Joseph Randle |
5.04 | RB | T.J. Yeldon |
5.05 | RB | Andre Ellington |
5.06 | WR | Roddy White |
5.07 | WR | Brandon Marshall |
5.08 | WR | Andre Johnson |
5.09 | RB | Jonathan Stewart |
5.10 | TE | Travis Kelce |
5.11 | WR | Jarvis Landry |
5.12 | TE | Martellus Bennett |
6.01 | QB | Peyton Manning |
6.02 | QB | Drew Brees |
6.03 | WR | Martavis Bryant |
6.04 | TE | Greg Olsen |
6.05 | RB | Rashad Jennings |
6.06 | WR | DeSean Jackson |
6.07 | WR | Larry Fitzgerald |
6.08 | WR | Allen Robinson |
6.09 | TE | Zach Ertz |
6.10 | WR | Vincent Jackson |
6.11 | RB | Giovani Bernard |
6.12 | RB | LeGarrette Blount |
7.01 | RB | Tevin Coleman |
7.02 | WR | Torrey Smith |
7.03 | QB | Tony Romo |
7.04 | QB | Ben Roethlisberger |
7.05 | QB | Matt Ryan |
7.06 | QB | Cam Newton |
7.07 | RB | Shane Vereen |
7.08 | RB | Isaiah Crowell |
7.09 | QB | Tom Brady |
7.10 | WR | Charles Johnson |
7.11 | WR | Davante Adams |
7.12 | WR | Brandon LaFell |
8.01 | RB | Knile Davis |
8.02 | WR | Eric Decker |
8.03 | WR | Steve Smith Sr. |
8.04 | RB | Joique Bell |
8.05 | WR | Victor Cruz |
8.06 | TE | Antonio Gates |
8.07 | QB | Eli Manning |
8.08 | QB | Matthew Stafford |
8.09 | RB | Tre Mason |
8.10 | TE | Jason Witten |
8.11 | WR | Nelson Agholor |
8.12 | WR | Kevin White |
9.01 | QB | Philip Rivers |
9.02 | QB | Ryan Tannehill |
9.03 | WR | Michael Floyd |
9.04 | WR | Kenny Stills |
9.05 | TE | Julius Thomas |
9.06 | RB | Doug Martin |
9.07 | WR | Mike Wallace |
9.08 | QB | Joe Flacco |
9.09 | QB | Colin Kaepernick |
9.10 | RB | Chris Ivory |
9.11 | WR | Kendall Wright |
9.12 | WR | Kenny Britt |
10.01 | TE | Owen Daniels |
10.02 | WR | Breshad Perriman |
10.03 | WR | Anquan Boldin |
10.04 | WR | John Brown |
10.05 | QB | Jay Cutler |
10.06 | TE | Jordan Cameron |
10.07 | RB | Devonta Freeman |
10.08 | WR | DeVante Parker |
10.09 | WR | Doug Baldwin |
—Ian Allan