FANTASY FOOTBALL ARTICLES

Sizing Up the Running Backs
David Dorey
June 23, 2008
Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide Receivers | Tight Ends

#	Team	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Age	Exp.
1	SD	LaDainian Tomlinson	5'10''	221	28	7
2	PHI	Brian Westbrook	5'10''	203	28	6
3	MIN	Adrian Peterson	6'1''	217	22	1
4	WAS	Clinton Portis	5'11''	223	26	6
5	IND	Joseph Addai	5'11''	214	24	2
6	CLE	Jamal Lewis	5'11''	245	28	8
7	DAL	Marion Barber	6'1''	220	24	3
8	BAL	Willis McGahee	6'1''	232	26	5
9	SF	Frank Gore	5'9''	223	24	3
10	ARI	Edgerrin James	6'1''	220	29	9
		Average Top 10	5'11"	222	26	5

Height - The average height has increased slightly for top running backs thanks to the 6'1" height of Adrian Peterson, Marion Barber, Willis McGahee and Edgerrin James. For many years, the average height was always around 5'10" with plenty of 5'9" players but now only Gore is below 5'10". This is often a telling point for incoming rookies who were very successful in college with a short stature but then never catch fire in the NFL.

Weight - Thanks to the additional inch of average height, the weight of the top backs also increased to a high of 222 pounds. In previous seasons, it always hovered between 215 and 220 pounds. Brian Westbrook's 203 helped keep it lower than it could have been. For top level success in the NFL, almost every back is going to be around 220 to 230 pounds. This too shows up as why so many college stars never succeed in the NFL with a smaller size. Westbrook has consistently been the freak of successful backs as was Tiki Barber. Other than those two, best to look for a relatively large running back.

Age/Experience : As always, youth be served. The average age was only 26 with five seasons of experience. No runners were over 30 years of age last year and that will be tested soon with Tomlinson, Westbrook, Lewis and James all 28 years of age or older. It is a brutal position to play in the NFL and health and youth are at least as important as talent and wisdom.

Drafted	Team	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Age
1.04	OAK	Darren McFadden	6'2''	205	21
1.13	CAR	Jonathan Stewart	5'11''	230	21
1.22	DAL	Felix Jones	6'1''	200	21
1.23	PIT	Rashard Mendenhall	5'11''	224	21
1.24	TEN	Chris Johnson	5'11''	200	23
2.13	CHI	Matt Forte	6'1''	224	23
2.24	BAL	Ray Rice	5'9''	205	21
3.01	DET	Kevin Smith	6'1''	211	22
3.06	SD	Jacob Hester	6'1''	224	23
3.10	KC	Jamaal Charles	6'1''	205	22
3.26	HOU	Steve Slaton	5'10''	190	22
4.23	DAL	Tashard Choice	5'11''	215	24
5.04	DEN	Ryan Torain	6'1''	213	22
5.11	DET	Jerome Felton	6'1''	247	22
5.14	ARI	Tim Hightower	6'1''	225	22
5.28	SEA	Owen Schmitt	6'2''	250	23
5.31	SD	Marcus Thomas	6'2''	215	24
6.06	ATL	Thomas Brown	5'8''	200	22
6.10	MIA	Jalen Parmele	6'1''	221	23
6.13	BUF	Xavier Omon	5'11''	220	23
6.36	IND	Mike Hart	5'9''	195	22
6.38	MIA	Lex Hilliard	5'11''	228	24
7.06	JAC	Chauncey Washington	6'1''	220	23
7.20	DEN	Peyton Hillis	6'1''	240	22
7.26	SEA	Justin Forsett	5'8''	190	23
7.31	TB	Cory Boyd	6'1''	213	23
7.33	BAL	Allen Patrick	6'1''	198	24

Rookies: While there are always exceptions to every rule, this is a standard set of running backs coming into the NFL from which only a handful will develop into starters of any note and even less (perhaps two or three) will ever visit the top ten for the position in any year. Going by the averages of top backs, Darren McFadden is both freakishly tall and yet light for the position. Felix Jones rings in just slightly smaller in height and weight. Both Jonathan Stewart and Rashard Mendenhall have the prototypical size for success in the NFL along with Matt Forte. Seven of the first 11 backs drafted are much lighter than what most backs need to succeed in the NFL - that happens every year.

Team	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Age	Exp.	Team	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Age	Exp.
ARI	Edgerrin James	6'1''	220	30	10	MIN	Adrian Peterson	6'1''	217	23	2
ATL	Michael Turner	5'10''	237	26	5	NE	Sammy Morris	6'1''	220	31	9
ATL	Jerious Norwood	5'11''	204	25	3	NE	Laurence Maroney	5'11''	220	23	3
BAL	Willis McGahee	6'1''	232	27	6	NO	Deuce McAllister	6'1''	232	30	8
BAL	Ray Rice	5'9''	205	21	0	NO	Reggie Bush	6'1''	203	23	3
BUF	Marshawn Lynch	5'11''	215	22	2	NO	Pierre Thomas	5'11''	210	24	2
BUF	Dwayne Wright	5'11''	228	25	2	NYG	Brandon Jacobs	6'4''	264	26	4
BUF	Fred Jackson	6'1''	215	27	2	NYG	Ahmad Bradshaw	5'9''	198	22	2
CAR	DeAngelo Williams	5'9''	217	25	3	NYJ	Thomas Jones	5'10''	215	30	9
CAR	Jonathan Stewart	5'11''	230	21	0	NYJ	Leon Washington	5'8''	202	26	3
CHI	Adrian Peterson	5'10''	210	29	7	OAK	LaMont Jordan	5'10''	230	30	8
CHI	Garrett Wolfe	5'7''	186	24	2	OAK	Justin Fargas	6'1''	220	28	6
CHI	Matt Forte	6'1''	224	23	0	OAK	Michael Bush	6'2''	247	24	1
CIN	Rudi Johnson	5'10''	214	29	8	OAK	Darren McFadden	6'2''	205	21	0
CIN	Chris Perry	6'1''	224	27	4	PHI	Correll Buckhalter	6'1''	217	30	8
CLE	Jamal Lewis	5'11''	245	29	9	PHI	Brian Westbrook	5'10''	203	29	7
CLE	Jason Wright	5'10''	214	26	4	PHI	Lorenzo Booker	5'10''	191	24	2
DAL	Marion Barber	6'1''	220	25	4	PIT	Rashard Mendenhall	5'11''	224	21	0
DAL	Felix Jones	6'1''	200	21	0	PIT	Willie Parker	5'10''	209	28	5
DAL	Tashard Choice	5'11''	215	24	0	SD	LaDainian Tomlinson	5'10''	221	29	8
DEN	Michael Pittman	6'1''	228	33	11	SD	Darren Sproles	5'6''	181	25	4
DEN	Ryan Torain	6'1''	213	22	0	SD	Jacob Hester	6'1''	224	23	0
DEN	Selvin Young	6'1''	210	25	2	SEA	T.J. Duckett	6'1''	254	27	7
DET	Tatum Bell	5'11''	213	27	5	SEA	Maurice Morris	5'11''	216	29	7
DET	Kevin Smith	6'1''	211	22	0	SEA	Julius Jones	5'10''	211	27	5
GB	Brandon Jackson	5'10''	212	23	2	SF	DeShaun Foster	6'1''	222	28	7
GB	Ryan Grant	6'1''	218	26	2	SF	Frank Gore	5'9''	223	25	4
HOU	Ahman Green	6'1''	218	31	11	SF	Michael Robinson	6'1''	218	25	3
HOU	Chris Brown	6'3''	220	27	6	STL	Steven Jackson	6'2''	231	25	5
HOU	Steve Slaton	5'10''	190	22	0	STL	Brian Leonard	6'1''	226	24	2
IND	Joseph Addai	5'11''	214	25	3	STL	Antonio Pittman	5'11''	195	23	2
IND	Dominic Rhodes	5'9''	203	29	8	TB	Warrick Dunn	5'9''	180	33	12
JAC	Fred Taylor	6'1''	226	32	11	TB	Carnell Williams	5'11''	217	26	4
JAC	Maurice Jones-Drew	5'7''	212	23	3	TB	Earnest Graham	5'9''	225	28	5
KC	Larry Johnson	6'1''	230	29	6	TEN	LenDale White	6'1''	235	24	3
KC	Jamaal Charles	6'1''	205	22	0	TEN	Chris Henry	5'11''	230	23	2
MIA	Ricky Williams	5'10''	226	31	7	TEN	Chris Johnson	5'11''	200	23	0
MIA	Ronnie Brown	6'1''	232	27	4	WAS	Clinton Portis	5'11''	223	27	7
MIN	Chester Taylor	5'11''	213	29	7	WAS	Ladell Betts	5'11''	223	29	7

Height		Weight		Age		Experience
Brandon Jacobs	6'4''	Brandon Jacobs	264	Michael Pittman	33	Warrick Dunn	12
Chris Brown	6'3''	T.J. Duckett	254	Warrick Dunn	33	Michael Pittman	11
Darren McFadden	6'2''	Michael Bush	247	Fred Taylor	32	Ahman Green	11
Steven Jackson	6'2''	Jamal Lewis	245	Ahman Green	31	Fred Taylor	11
Michael Bush	6'2''	Michael Turner	237	Ricky Williams	31	Edgerrin James	10
Ryan Torain	6'1''	LenDale White	235	Sammy Morris	31	Jamal Lewis	9
Willis McGahee	6'1''	Willis McGahee	232	Edgerrin James	30	Sammy Morris	9
Michael Robinson	6'1''	Ronnie Brown	232	Deuce McAllister	30	Thomas Jones	9
Jamaal Charles	6'1''	Deuce McAllister	232	Thomas Jones	30	Rudi Johnson	8
Michael Pittman	6'1''	Steven Jackson	231	LaMont Jordan	30	Dominic Rhodes	8
Felix Jones	6'1''	Jonathan Stewart	230	Correll Buckhalter	30	Deuce McAllister	8
Brian Leonard	6'1''	Larry Johnson	230	Adrian Peterson	29	LaMont Jordan	8
Fred Taylor	6'1''	LaMont Jordan	230	Rudi Johnson	29	Correll Buckhalter	8
LenDale White	6'1''	Chris Henry	230	Jamal Lewis	29	LaDainian Tomlinson	8
Ronnie Brown	6'1''	Dwayne Wright	228	Dominic Rhodes	29	Adrian Peterson	7
Jacob Hester	6'1''	Michael Pittman	228	Larry Johnson	29	Ricky Williams	7
Reggie Bush	6'1''	Fred Taylor	226	Chester Taylor	29	Chester Taylor	7
DeShaun Foster	6'1''	Ricky Williams	226	Brian Westbrook	29	Brian Westbrook	7
T.J. Duckett	6'1''	Brian Leonard	226	LaDainian Tomlinson	29	T.J. Duckett	7
Sammy Morris	6'1''	Earnest Graham	225	Maurice Morris	29	Maurice Morris	7
Fred Jackson	6'1''	Matt Forte	224	Ladell Betts	29	DeShaun Foster	7
Edgerrin James	6'1''	Chris Perry	224	Justin Fargas	28	Clinton Portis	7
Chris Perry	6'1''	Rashard Mendenhall	224	Willie Parker	28	Ladell Betts	7
Marion Barber	6'1''	Jacob Hester	224	DeShaun Foster	28	Willis McGahee	6
Larry Johnson	6'1''	Frank Gore	223	Earnest Graham	28	Chris Brown	6
Deuce McAllister	6'1''	Clinton Portis	223	Willis McGahee	27	Larry Johnson	6
Correll Buckhalter	6'1''	Ladell Betts	223	Fred Jackson	27	Justin Fargas	6
Ryan Grant	6'1''	DeShaun Foster	222	Chris Perry	27	Michael Turner	5
Selvin Young	6'1''	LaDainian Tomlinson	221	Tatum Bell	27	Tatum Bell	5
Kevin Smith	6'1''	Edgerrin James	220	Chris Brown	27	Willie Parker	5
Matt Forte	6'1''	Marion Barber	220	Ronnie Brown	27	Julius Jones	5
Justin Fargas	6'1''	Chris Brown	220	T.J. Duckett	27	Steven Jackson	5
Ahman Green	6'1''	Sammy Morris	220	Julius Jones	27	Earnest Graham	5
Adrian Peterson	6'1''	Laurence Maroney	220	Clinton Portis	27	Chris Perry	4
Pierre Thomas	5'11''	Justin Fargas	220	Michael Turner	26	Jason Wright	4
Laurence Maroney	5'11''	Ryan Grant	218	Jason Wright	26	Marion Barber	4
Chester Taylor	5'11''	Ahman Green	218	Ryan Grant	26	Ronnie Brown	4
Joseph Addai	5'11''	Michael Robinson	218	Brandon Jacobs	26	Brandon Jacobs	4
Tatum Bell	5'11''	DeAngelo Williams	217	Leon Washington	26	Darren Sproles	4
Tashard Choice	5'11''	Adrian Peterson	217	Carnell Williams	26	Frank Gore	4
Jamal Lewis	5'11''	Correll Buckhalter	217	Jerious Norwood	25	Carnell Williams	4
Jonathan Stewart	5'11''	Carnell Williams	217	Dwayne Wright	25	Jerious Norwood	3
Dwayne Wright	5'11''	Maurice Morris	216	DeAngelo Williams	25	DeAngelo Williams	3
Marshawn Lynch	5'11''	Marshawn Lynch	215	Marion Barber	25	Joseph Addai	3
Jerious Norwood	5'11''	Fred Jackson	215	Selvin Young	25	Maurice Jones-Drew	3
Ladell Betts	5'11''	Tashard Choice	215	Joseph Addai	25	Laurence Maroney	3
Clinton Portis	5'11''	Thomas Jones	215	Darren Sproles	25	Reggie Bush	3
Chris Johnson	5'11''	Rudi Johnson	214	Frank Gore	25	Leon Washington	3
Chris Henry	5'11''	Jason Wright	214	Michael Robinson	25	Michael Robinson	3
Carnell Williams	5'11''	Joseph Addai	214	Steven Jackson	25	LenDale White	3
Antonio Pittman	5'11''	Ryan Torain	213	Garrett Wolfe	24	Marshawn Lynch	2
Maurice Morris	5'11''	Tatum Bell	213	Tashard Choice	24	Dwayne Wright	2
Rashard Mendenhall	5'11''	Chester Taylor	213	Pierre Thomas	24	Fred Jackson	2
Julius Jones	5'10''	Brandon Jackson	212	Michael Bush	24	Garrett Wolfe	2
LaDainian Tomlinson	5'10''	Maurice Jones-Drew	212	Lorenzo Booker	24	Selvin Young	2
Willie Parker	5'10''	Kevin Smith	211	Brian Leonard	24	Brandon Jackson	2
Lorenzo Booker	5'10''	Julius Jones	211	LenDale White	24	Ryan Grant	2
Brian Westbrook	5'10''	Adrian Peterson	210	Matt Forte	23	Adrian Peterson	2
LaMont Jordan	5'10''	Selvin Young	210	Brandon Jackson	23	Pierre Thomas	2
Thomas Jones	5'10''	Pierre Thomas	210	Maurice Jones-Drew	23	Ahmad Bradshaw	2
Ricky Williams	5'10''	Willie Parker	209	Adrian Peterson	23	Lorenzo Booker	2
Steve Slaton	5'10''	Ray Rice	205	Laurence Maroney	23	Brian Leonard	2
Brandon Jackson	5'10''	Jamaal Charles	205	Reggie Bush	23	Antonio Pittman	2
Jason Wright	5'10''	Darren McFadden	205	Jacob Hester	23	Chris Henry	2
Rudi Johnson	5'10''	Jerious Norwood	204	Antonio Pittman	23	Michael Bush	1
Adrian Peterson	5'10''	Dominic Rhodes	203	Chris Henry	23	Ray Rice	0
Michael Turner	5'10''	Reggie Bush	203	Chris Johnson	23	Jonathan Stewart	0
Frank Gore	5'9''	Brian Westbrook	203	Marshawn Lynch	22	Matt Forte	0
Dominic Rhodes	5'9''	Leon Washington	202	Ryan Torain	22	Felix Jones	0
Ray Rice	5'9''	Felix Jones	200	Kevin Smith	22	Tashard Choice	0
Ahmad Bradshaw	5'9''	Chris Johnson	200	Steve Slaton	22	Ryan Torain	0
DeAngelo Williams	5'9''	Ahmad Bradshaw	198	Jamaal Charles	22	Kevin Smith	0
Earnest Graham	5'9''	Antonio Pittman	195	Ahmad Bradshaw	22	Steve Slaton	0
Warrick Dunn	5'9''	Lorenzo Booker	191	Ray Rice	21	Jamaal Charles	0
Leon Washington	5'8''	Steve Slaton	190	Jonathan Stewart	21	Darren McFadden	0
Garrett Wolfe	5'7''	Garrett Wolfe	186	Felix Jones	21	Rashard Mendenhall	0
Maurice Jones-Drew	5'7''	Darren Sproles	181	Darren McFadden	21	Jacob Hester	0
Darren Sproles	5'6''	Warrick Dunn	180	Rashard Mendenhall	21	Chris Johnson	0

Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide Receivers | Tight Ends

COMMENTS (page 1 of 1)

hooknladder

Posted Jul 7, 2008 4:29pm EDT

this is laid out nicely. i use this all the time now.

Andrew

Posted Jun 25, 2008 11:17am EDT

How weight does the average top ten back put on after being drafted?

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