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Very few tailbacks take in the 1st/2nd round these days.
DBs are at a premium. If you’re deciding between two positions it’s pretty obvious where your best chance is to see the field and get drafted.
And even in just the last 10 years, there’s been a dramatic shift in how NFL teams utilize and value RBs.
2010 season: 11 RBs with 250+ carries
2020 season: 3 RBs with 250+ carries
And how many RBs drafted in the first 2 rounds in the last 10 years would you look back and say “yeah that pick was worth it”?
Probably just Zeke, McCaffrey, and Cook. And Cook only because he was taken in the second round. And Zeke might not be worth it anymore after the year he just had.
It's wild that we're talking about potential HOFers here, and yet we can't be sure that they would've been worth the picks that they were taken at. I'm not sure why anyone would choose to play RB if they could play literally any other position.
Henry, edwards hilaire and Barkley and probably josh Jacobs IMO are all worth it. But you could make the case they’re not because of injuries too. Running back is complicated.
That said if you get a top 5-10 level running back you have a real playmaker in your backfield for dirt cheap by salary comparisons. I would say if you expect to have your team compete for a deep playoff run during the first contract for a couple of years of said player it’s absolutely worth it.
Lining up all those things is the difficult part.