Running back talent in 2017 NFL Draft could be best class ever

The running back talent is so high in 2017 that it dwarfs that of the last three NFL Drafts, per one NFL evaluator.

Ezekiel Elliot is at the top. Then comes the 2017 NFL Draft class. The running back talent available to teams in 2017 is an outlier compared to the last few seasons, according to one NFL talent evaluator, who spoke anonymously to Emily Kaplan of Monday Morning Quarterback for a recent column.

When the evaluator was asked to make a list of the top running backs available coming into the draft from the last four years, LSU’s Leonard Fournette and Florida State’s Dalvin Cook are listed at No. 2 and 3. Three spots later is Joe Mixon from Oklahoma. Two spots later are Alvin Kamara of Tennessee and Christian McCaffrey of Stanford. That’s five of the top 10 spots of all running backs since 2014.

Here’s the complete list:

"1. Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State (2016)2. Leonard Fournette, LSU (2017)3. Dalvin Cook, Florida State (2017)4. Todd Gurley, Georgia (2015)5. Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin (2015)6. Joe Mixon, Oklahoma (2017)7. Derrick Henry, Alabama (2016)8. Carlos Hyde, Ohio State (2014)9. Alvin Kamara, Tennessee (2017)10. Christian McCaffrey, Stanford (2017)11. Tre Mason, Auburn (2014)12. Jeremy Hill, LSU (2014)13. Jordan Howard, Indiana (2016)14. Tevin Coleman, Indiana (2015)15. D’Onta Foreman, Texas (2017)"

For a team with a serious weakness at running back, where no one but Spencer Ware is a proven commodity and even he shows himself to be a better tandem back than a workhorse, the draft is a well of much-needed water. The Chiefs are thirsty for a difference maker at running back in an offense where the halfback is often a dynamic two-way weapon in the running and passing game. If the Chiefs had a healthy Jamaal Charles, they would be set. Unfortunately, injuries have taken their toll on the franchise’s all-time leading rusher, which led to his release earlier this offseason. Charles has yet to sign on with another team.

The Chiefs have Charcandrick West also on the roster, but his claim to any spot on the depth chart should only come through competition rather than an assumed role because he’s been here in the past. Knile Davis also left to join the Pittsburgh Steelers which means two spots are definitely open and potentially three for the Chiefs. The good news is that the depth and talent in the draft class can help not only up top but also at the bottom, when special teams needs come into play as well.