Leonard Fournette isn't being handed the started running back job in Jacksonville. He's working as the No. 2 behind Chris Ivory, with head coach Doug Marrone saying "people got to earn things." It's an understandable and admirable approach, even though Fournette will absolutely be the starter by Week 1.
For his part, Fournette is saying all the right things. “My freshman year in college, I wasn’t with the ones yet,’’ Fournette said. “It’s something you have to work on. It’s something you have to get better of doing, of competing. That’s everybody’s job out here. Nobody is promised anything so you have to compete until your number is called.”
There's little doubt, though, that Fournette will be ahead of the team's holdovers before long. Ivory and T.J. Yeldon both averaged 3.8 yards per carry or worse last year; weren't effective. And with Fournette being drafted with a top-5 pick, it's nearly certain he'll get plenty of work right away.
Over the last 20 years, there have been a dozen other running backs selected in the top 5 of the NFL draft. Eight of those backs had at least 200 carries in their rookie seasons, nine went over 1,000 total yards, and half went over 1,300. Nearly half (five) scored at least 9 TDs.
Fournette looks like a very safe choice to be a big part of the offense as a rookie. The kind of back fantasy owners can think about selecting in the top 10 at his position.
| RBS SELECTED IN TOP 5, ROOKIE SEASONS (1998-2017) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Pk | Player | Att | Run | No | Rec | Tot | TD |
| 2017 | 4 | Leonard Fournette, Jac. | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| 2016 | 4 | Ezekiel Elliott, Dall. | 322 | 1631 | 32 | 363 | 1994 | 16 |
| 2012 | 3 | Trent Richardson, Clev. | 267 | 950 | 51 | 367 | 1317 | 12 |
| 2008 | 4 | Darren McFadden, Oak. | 113 | 499 | 29 | 285 | 784 | 4 |
| 2006 | 2 | Reggie Bush, N.O. | 155 | 565 | 88 | 742 | 1307 | 9 |
| 2005 | 2 | Ronnie Brown, Mia. | 207 | 907 | 32 | 232 | 1139 | 5 |
| 2005 | 4 | Cedric Benson, Chi. | 67 | 272 | 1 | 3 | 275 | 0 |
| 2005 | 5 | Cadillac Williams, T.B. | 290 | 1178 | 20 | 81 | 1259 | 6 |
| 2001 | 5 | LaDainian Tomlinson, S.D. | 339 | 1236 | 59 | 367 | 1603 | 10 |
| 2000 | 5 | Jamal Lewis, Balt. | 309 | 1364 | 27 | 296 | 1660 | 6 |
| 1999 | 4 | Edgerrin James, Ind. | 369 | 1553 | 62 | 586 | 2139 | 17 |
| 1999 | 5 | Ricky Williams, N.O. | 253 | 884 | 28 | 172 | 1056 | 2 |
| 1998 | 5 | Curtis Enis, Chi. | 133 | 497 | 6 | 20 | 517 | 0 |
--Andy Richardson