Two running backs were selected in the third round of the draft on Friday, Kenyan Drake and C.J. Prosise. Based on the track record of other third-round runners this century, the odds are against them succeeding. But if they do succeed, they might well do so in a big way.

There have been 44 other running backs taken in the third round since 2000, and by our binary evaluation (Hit/Miss), there have been more than three times as many Misses (32) as Hits (9). The jury is still out on five recent picks, and maybe we're too early in calling Jerick McKinnon and Charles Sims misses.

But although the odds are against either rookie hitting, the third-rounders who have worked out have generally not been good players -- they've been great. Hits include Frank Gore, Jamaal Charles, Brian Westbrook, DeMarco Murray, and Steve Slaton. Some of those were/are stars in the league for a lot of years -- no way would they last until the third round of the draft in retrospect.

Many of those players also made an impact right away. Four of the hits went over 1,000 total yards as rookies, while David Johnson was over 900 last season. Charles and Westbrook had quiet rookie seasons, but there's a decent chance if Drake and Prosise work out, we'll know right away.

Third-round runners since 2000, sorted by total yards as rookies, are shown below.

THIRD-ROUND RUNNING BACKS, 2000-PRESENT
YearPkPlayerHit/MissRunRecTotalTD
200889Steve Slaton, Hou.Hit1282377165910
200864Kevin Smith, Det.Hit97628612628
201171DeMarco Murray, Dall.Hit89718310802
201586David Johnson, Ariz.Hit581457103813
201577Duke Johnson, Clev.?3795349132
201475Tre Mason, St.L.Miss7651489135
201595Matt Jones, Wash.?4903047944
200180Kevan Barlow, S.F.Miss5122477595
200565Frank Gore, S.F.Hit6081317393
201494Terrance West, Clev.Miss673647375
200679Jerious Norwood, Atl.Miss6331027352
200063Travis Prentice, Clev.Miss5121917038
201496Jerick McKinnon, Minn.Miss5381356730
200873Jamaal Charles, K.C.Hit3572726291
200165James Jackson, Clev.Miss554566102
201284Bernard Pierce, Balt.Miss532475791
200185Travis Minor, Mia.Miss2812635444
200965Shonn Greene, NYJHit54005402
200076J.R. Redmond, N.E.Miss4061265323
200284Lamar Gordon, St.L.Miss2282785063
201173Stevan Ridley, N.E.Hit441134541
201573Tevin Coleman, Atl.?392144061
201267Ronnie Hillman, Den.Miss330623921
201469Charles Sims, T.B.Miss1851903751
201396Knile Davis, K.C.Miss242753175
200974Glen Coffee, S.F.Miss226763021
200577Ryan Moats, Phil.Miss27872853
200393Chris Brown, Tenn.Miss221612820
200291Brian Westbrook, Phil.Hit193862790
200573Vernand Morency, Hou.Miss184872712
200396Justin Fargas, Oak.Miss20322050
200793Garrett Wolfe, Chi.Miss851172020
200869Jacob Hester, S.D.Miss95911862
200771Lorenzo Booker, Mia.Miss12501250
201497Dri Archer, Pitt.Miss4023630
200674Brian Calhoun, Det.Miss1920390
200377Musa Smith, Balt.Miss310312
201196Alex Green, G.B.Miss116170
200790Tony Hunt, Phil.Miss160161
200182Heath Evans, Sea.Miss110110
200385B.J. Askew, NYJMiss9090
2005101Maurice Clarett, Den.Miss0000
200081Rueben Droughns, Det.Miss0000
200088Doug Chapman, Minn.Miss0000
201673Kenyan Drake, Mia.?
201690C.J. Prosise, Sea.?

--Andy Richardson