Which Rookie RB Is in a Tough Situation?

Photo: Dale Zanine, USA Today Sports

Is there a rookie running back with great talent but stuck in a bad situation? The bad situation could be anything from a bad coaching staff to being behind an entrenched starter to having subpar surrounding talent.

Jason Wood

Darrell Henderson landed with a great offensive coaching staff and has a window if Todd Gurley's knee acts up. But Henderson would have been an instant, every-down starter on a lot of teams and now has to bide his time behind one of the league's best (and highest-paid) tailbacks. Damien Harris is the other choice here, as he goes to a Patriots team with Sony Michel -- who established himself as arguably the most productive running back of the Bill Belichick era last year.

Daniel Simpkins

Miles Sanders qualifies. He has the potential to be a three-down back with more development, but he went to an offense that prefers to deploy a committee backfield. Some will argue that they’ve never had a back that they could deploy in this way and that could be true. Late career Darren Sproles, oft-injured Ryan Matthews, and Jay Ajayi with a bone-on-bone knee condition may be the closest players this regime has ever had to backs with three-down potential. We will see if the Eagles depart from an approach that has largely worked for them over the past three years to feature Sanders.