The New York Jets took Leon Washington in the fourth round of the 2006 draft, and while Washington has started just 13 games and might never develop into an every-down back, he has appeared in all 48 regular-season games during his career and is a triple threat, a shifty open-field runner who catches the ball well out of the backfield and is a dangerous return man -- he returned three kickoffs for touchdowns in 2007.
Washington is undersized, and he had problems staying healthy in college. The fact that he split carries with other backs at Florida State hurt his case as well. With all that in mind, it's easy to see why Washington lasted so long on draft day. The depth of the running back class that year likely played a role in his fall, too. Reggie Bush, Laurence Maroney, DeAngelo Williams and Joseph Addai all came off the board in the first round in 2006.
While three backs (Knowshon Moreno, Chris Wells and Donald Brown) could hear their names called on Day 1 this year, the class isn't quite as deep as some have been, so teams are going to have to work harder to get help at running back on the second day. Here are three running backs from well-known schools and one small-school prospect who are expected to come off the board on Day 2 and could prove to be steals, and the teams that could provide the ideal situations for success:
Cedric Peerman, Virginia
Peerman didn't crack the starting lineup at Virginia until 2007 and then sustained a season-ending Lisfranc foot injury midway through the year. Making matters worse, the Cavaliers didn't have the vertical passing attack to make defenses pay for loading up against the run, so Peerman put up just 774 rushing yards this past season. In addition, Peerman needs to work on his ability to catch the ball in stride and turn upfield fluidly. However, he has the size (5-foot-9, 216 pounds) and top-end speed (4.45-second 40-yard dash) to develop into an excellent No. 2 back. We believe he will reach his potential, because he has shown great work ethic off the field and determination on it.
In Cincinnati, Cedric Benson performed well for the most part this past season and the Bengals hope QB Carson Palmer will help open up the running game now that his throwing elbow is healthy. However, Benson has never started 16 games in a season, and 2004 first-round pick Chris Perry has been a disappointment. The Bengals have more pressing needs along the offensive line, so they might wait until the second day to fill their running back need, which would allow them to bring a back like Peerman into the fold. He immediately would improve Cincinnati's depth and could push Benson for playing time in the not-so-distant future.
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