Lions RB draft history since Barry

[Blaming Brad]

Was gonna post this in the Royce Freeman thread but figured it deserved its own discussion.

We all like to talk about the curse of Bobby Layne. What about the curse of Barry Sanders? Below is every RB the Lions have drafted since Barry. Safe to say that Theo Riddick was the only one that panned out. The Kevin's both had productive rookie years then fell off the cliff. 72 of Droughns' 3,602 career yards were with Detroit. That CarAV column is from Pro Football Reference and represents a calculation of their career value. For reference Barry's number is 121.

Year	Rnd	Pick	Player	CarAV	G	GS	Att	Yds	TD	Rec	Yds	TD
2019	6	186	Ty Johnson	2	16	1	63	273	0	24	109	0
2018	2	43	Kerryon Johnson	8	18	14	231	1044	6	42	340	2
2018	7	237	Nick Bawden	0	10	2	0	0	0	4	17	0
2016	7	236	Dwayne Washington	4	46	2	145	523	1	13	82	0
2015	2	54	Ameer Abdullah	12	58	22	350	1366	6	73	518	4
2013	6	199	Theo Riddick	24	84	19	288	1023	5	285	2238	14
2011	2	57	Mikel Leshoure	5	17	14	217	807	9	34	214	0
2010	1	30	Jahvid Best	13	22	15	255	945	6	85	774	3
2009	6	192	Aaron Brown	2	22	2	45	189	0	18	138	1
2008	3	64	Kevin Smith	19	54	31	598	2346	17	123	1082	5
2006	3	74	Brian Calhoun	1	11	0	14	54	0	7	55	0
2004	1	30	Kevin Jones	27	64	49	795	3176	24	143	1011	3
2003	4	99	Artose Pinner	8	47	7	250	858	8	39	308	0
2003	7	236	Brandon Drumm	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2002	7	214	Luke Staley	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2000	3	81	Reuben Droughns	27	114	51	929	3602	19	123	989	6
1999	4	103	Sedrick Irvin	4	20	0	45	182	4	33	323	0
1997	7	206	Terry Battle	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
1993	7	174	Ty Hallock	6	86	35	17	62	1	65	487	3
1991	8	205	Cedric Jackson	0	8	1	17	55	0	1	-2	0
1990	11	285	Reginald Warnsley	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

[tepod2001]

Since 2010, the Lions have used one 1st round and three 2nd round picks on RB. The team is still looking for a running game. YIKES!!!

I still have hope for Kerryon but think he needs someone to compliment. Royce Freeman for a 5th (6th if we are lucky) still feels like a good way to go to me.

[def]

Ok, I guess I'll say it. Letting George Winn go bit us in the ass. He was a bowling ball that always went forward. Dumbass GM's. He didn't break the bank either. How'd Zenner work out for ya/ 






On a serious note, Kevin jones had a lot of potential, that hurt, same with Jahvid Best. Still, while Kerryons showed flashes, we've never had a top tie, upper tier back like Barry, where you knew he was awesome. I'm not sure there is a RB like that in this years draft, maybe Saquon Barkley last year, but this year?

[Blaming Brad]

I really like Clyde Edwards-Helaire, but I think he's moving up draft boards.

[Vic]

A lot if these guys had injury concerns in college and while talented, just can't stay healthy. Durability is the number one intangible needed from this position.

[badnews3123]

Apr 16, 2020 10:10:32 GMT -6 tepod2001 said:

Since 2010, the Lions have used one 1st round and three 2nd round picks on RB. The team is still looking for a running game. YIKES!!!

I still have hope for Kerryon but think he needs someone to compliment. Royce Freeman for a 5th (6th if we are lucky) still feels like a good way to go to me.

With the shelf life of RB’s, that’s really not a shocking stat.

[badnews3123]

Apr 16, 2020 13:15:10 GMT -6 Blaming Brad said:

I really like Clyde Edwards-Helaire, but I think he's moving up draft boards.

Yeah, i don’t think he makes it 3rd.

There’s a group of 5-6 backs I think would be great fits here, but I think all will take a day 2 pick.

[tepod2001]

Apr 16, 2020 13:39:03 GMT -6 badnews3123 said:

Apr 16, 2020 10:10:32 GMT -6 tepod2001 said:

Since 2010, the Lions have used one 1st round and three 2nd round picks on RB. The team is still looking for a running game. YIKES!!!

I still have hope for Kerryon but think he needs someone to compliment. Royce Freeman for a 5th (6th if we are lucky) still feels like a good way to go to me.

With the shelf life of RB’s, that’s really not a shocking stat.

10 years - four picks in the top two rounds and still no running game during that time

I would be curious to see how many other RB teams have taken that early, especially the teams that consistently struggle to run the ball

[badnews3123]

Just looked at some of the top teams in the last decade.

Pats have spent a 1st, 2nd and 2 3rds

Saints have spent 1st and 3rd

Packers have spent 2nd and 3rd

Baltimore has used a 3rd(they love RB’s in the 4th, taken 5 of them)

Seahawks have spent a 1st, 2nd and 3rd

Chiefs have spent 2 3rd’s

Steelers a 2nd and 3rd

Lions investment isn’t out of the ordinary. The lack of return is.

[goldenlions]

Can't have a good RB without a good run blocking OLine.

It's basically a chicken and egg argument at this point.

[Deleted]

There hasn't been a good run blocking line here since Barry Sanders was here. Maybe a couple of serviceable ones but nothing that teams feared

[Reignman]

Apr 16, 2020 21:29:29 GMT -6 goldenlions said:

Can't have a good RB without a good run blocking OLine.

It's basically a chicken and egg argument at this point.

Yeah I was going to say, I think blocking is more important than a good RB these days. Us Vikings fans are arguing about whether or not to extend Dalvin Cook, and for how much. I think this past season proved that maybe Dalvin is a product of our zone blocking scheme because when he missed time due to injury, our run game didn't miss a beat with rookie Mattison or UDFA Boone filling in. Cook has also missed 19 games in his first 3 seasons.

I personally wouldn't waste a high pick on a RB or pay one all that much. It's a passing league now and teams are only going backward if they try to become a run first or run heavy team, even if they have to because they don't have much going on at the QB position.

As you guys know from 1997 with Sanders and as we found out in 2012 with Peterson, even if you have a 2000 yard back, it's not enough. You still need a good passing game to win in this league.

[jean74]

Really nobody can and never will be able to top Barry no matter what.

[thedane]

Could have had LeGarrette Blount instead of Timmy Toone in 2010. Had we taken him we wouldn't have used a 2nd round pick on Leshoure the next season.

AND of course the whiff on Jordan Howard that meant we wouldn't have needed the Kerryon Johnson pick as well.

[Blaming Brad]

Apr 17, 2020 11:02:56 GMT -6 thedane said:

Could have had LeGarrette Blount instead of Timmy Toone in 2010. Had we taken him we wouldn't have used a 2nd round pick on Leshoure the next season.

AND of course the whiff on Jordan Howard that meant we wouldn't have needed the Kerryon Johnson pick as well.

Neither of those guys would have amounted to much on this team. Perhaps it changes future RB picks but it still wouldn't have changed the running game and we'd still be where we are now.

[stuckincheeseland]

I liked the Kevin Jones pick when they made it and until he got hurt he was looking good

[thedane]

Apr 17, 2020 18:53:09 GMT -6 Blaming Brad said:

Apr 17, 2020 11:02:56 GMT -6 thedane said:

Could have had LeGarrette Blount instead of Timmy Toone in 2010. Had we taken him we wouldn't have used a 2nd round pick on Leshoure the next season.

AND of course the whiff on Jordan Howard that meant we wouldn't have needed the Kerryon Johnson pick as well.

Neither of those guys would have amounted to much on this team. Perhaps it changes future RB picks but it still wouldn't have changed the running game and we'd still be where we are now.

LOL, and that is based on what? Certainly not facts.

[Blaming Brad]

Apr 18, 2020 10:18:47 GMT -6 thedane said:

LOL, and that is based on what? Certainly not facts.

No, just my opinion based on history and tendencies of this organization and the fact that Blount and Howard were never really anything special to begin with. Neither even made it through their rookie contract with their original team. Not to mention the Lion factor - where careers go to die.

[thedane]

Apr 18, 2020 11:20:44 GMT -6 Blaming Brad said:

Apr 18, 2020 10:18:47 GMT -6 thedane said:

LOL, and that is based on what? Certainly not facts.

No, just my opinion based on history and tendencies of this organization and the fact that Blount and Howard were never really anything special to begin with. Neither even made it through their rookie contract with their original team. Not to mention the Lion factor - where careers go to die.

So, Blount runs for over 1,000 yards as a rookie on a team that was 3-13 the year before and he would have been nothing special here? LOL, nice. The Bears were 6-10 in 2015 and Howard ran for over 1,300 yards in 2016. See, these are facts, and who cares if they make it through their rookie contract? They both would have cost nothing and their teams were way better with them. 

[Blaming Brad]

Apr 18, 2020 13:32:11 GMT -6 thedane said:

See, these are facts, and who cares if they make it through their rookie contract? They both would have cost nothing and their teams were way better with them.

Exactly. If they were so good and given their extremely low cost, why were those teams so quick to dump them? The Bears couldn't get rid of Howard quick enough and gave him away for a 6th round pick and all they had at RB at the time was the specialist Cohen and Mike Davis.

[badnews3123]

I’m sure it’s coming soon.

I wouldn’t trade for Fourtnette. He’s been beat up and I can’t imagine a team that moved guys that kept displeasure in house, bringing in a guy that has publicly criticized the front office and staff.

[Blaming Brad]

Yeah Fournette is super talented but lazy and can't stay healthy. Pass.

[thedane]

Apr 18, 2020 17:17:14 GMT -6 Blaming Brad said:

Apr 18, 2020 13:32:11 GMT -6 thedane said:

See, these are facts, and who cares if they make it through their rookie contract? They both would have cost nothing and their teams were way better with them.

Exactly. If they were so good and given their extremely low cost, why were those teams so quick to dump them? The Bears couldn't get rid of Howard quick enough and gave him away for a 6th round pick and all they had at RB at the time was the specialist Cohen and Mike Davis.

You do know that the ave life span of a RB in the NFL is 4 years, right? And the Bears were stupid, they got rid of Howard and drafted a Howard. Howard didn't fit in the Nagy O, he's a 20 carry type player whose best yards were typically later in the game. Nagy spreads it around and also runs out of the shotgun more often than they did before he got there, 78% compared to 58%. Howard was less effective running out of the shotgun. Montgomery failed to rush for 70 yards in his first seven games. When they gave him over 20 carries? 27 rushes for 135 yards in week 8. Week 9, back to 14x for 40 yards. And so it went, he rushed for 889 yards as a rookie because they kept trying to put a square peg in a round hole. These are facts.

With re to Blount, NE signed him twice because he was a role player that they utilized fairly effectively esp in the playoffs. If you go just off his numbers, they don't tell the whole story. You need to do your homework.

[Blaming Brad]

Apr 19, 2020 10:31:02 GMT -6 thedane said:

You do know that the ave life span of a RB in the NFL is 4 years, right? And the Bears were stupid, they got rid of Howard and drafted a Howard. Howard didn't fit in the Nagy O, he's a 20 carry type player whose best yards were typically later in the game. Nagy spreads it around and also runs out of the shotgun more often than they did before he got there, 78% compared to 58%. Howard was less effective running out of the shotgun. Montgomery failed to rush for 70 yards in his first seven games. When they gave him over 20 carries? 27 rushes for 135 yards in week 8. Week 9, back to 14x for 40 yards. And so it went, he rushed for 889 yards as a rookie because they kept trying to put a square peg in a round hole. These are facts.

With re to Blount, NE signed him twice because he was a role player that they utilized fairly effectively esp in the playoffs. If you go just off his numbers, they don't tell the whole story. You need to do your homework.

I'm not completely disagreeing with everything you're saying. I just don't think Howard or Blount are/were world-beaters and would have changed much for the Lions. Could they have made the team better the first couple years of their careers? Maybe, but I don't fault the Lions for not going after them (although I do fault them for going after Blount after that fluky year on the downside of his career). And don't forget all 32 teams passed on Blount in the draft.

The Lions running game problems for the past 20 years run much deeper than the lack of talent they've had at the position.

[thedane]

They run deeper because of this. "Maybe" they would have made the team better? I don't think you're agreeing with anything I said.