Drafting a running back in the first round is a bit like buying a sports car in your twenties—flashy, fun, and almost always impractical in the long run. Still, NFL teams keep doing it, hoping their shiny new toy won’t break down the second it hits the freeway.
Some of these backs had injury issues, others burned out quickly, and a few were never built for a full NFL workload. Either way, all of these guys went in Round 1 and left their teams wondering what could’ve been if they had just waited until Day 2.
18. William Green (Cleveland Browns, 2002)
Green had a solid rookie season but couldn’t build on it thanks to injuries and off-field trouble. Cleveland reached No. 16, and it never paid off.
17. Rashaan Salaam (Chicago Bears, 1995)
Salaam won the Heisman and had high expectations, but fumbling issues and injuries plagued his career. He was out of the league after just three seasons.
16. Michael Bennett (Minnesota Vikings, 2001)
Bennett had one Pro Bowl season and then quietly faded away. For a first-round pick, Minnesota didn’t get much long-term value.
15. Chris Perry (Cincinnati Bengals, 2004)
Perry battled injuries from the jump and never found consistent playing time. His four-year NFL career was mainly spent on the sidelines.
14. Beanie Wells (Arizona Cardinals, 2009)
Wells had a few moments of brilliance but couldn’t stay healthy. He was out of the league after just four seasons, which isn’t what you want from a top-31 pick.
13. Felix Jones (Dallas Cowboys, 2008)
Jones had speed to burn, but never developed into a feature back. He was part of a confusing committee situation and faded fast.
12. Cadillac Williams (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2005)
Williams had a hot start, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year. But injuries wrecked his career, and he never came close to fulfilling his top-five pick status.
11. Trung Canidate (St. Louis Rams, 2000)
Drafted as the heir to Marshall Faulk, Canidate never looked comfortable. He had all the speed but none of the durability or vision needed to succeed.
10. Jahvid Best (Detroit Lions, 2010)
Best had home-run potential but suffered repeated concussions that ended his career early. It was a sad situation, but the risk was clear even before draft day.
9. Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts, 2009)
Brown never became the consistent weapon Indy hoped he’d be. He stuck around for a while but was never more than a rotational piece.
8. Laurence Maroney (New England Patriots, 2006)
Maroney had moments but couldn’t put it all together. For a team like the Patriots, this pick felt especially wasteful in hindsight.
7. Mark Ingram (New Orleans Saints, 2011)
Ingram eventually became a solid back, but it took years, and he split touches for most of his early career. For a first-rounder, the Saints didn’t get the return they expected.
6. Ron Dayne (New York Giants, 2000)
Dayne was unstoppable in college, but couldn’t translate his power to the NFL. His “Thunder and Lightning” pairing with Tiki Barber was mostly just thunderous disappointment.
5. Chris Johnson (Tennessee Titans, 2008)
Yes, he had a 2,000-yard season. But outside of that lightning-in-a-bottle year, Johnson was inconsistent and didn’t have the longevity you want from a Round 1 investment.
4. T.J. Duckett (Atlanta Falcons, 2002)
Duckett was a goal-line specialist who never quite became a full-time back. The Falcons reached for him at No. 18 and got short-yardage returns.
3. David Wilson (New York Giants, 2012)
Wilson had serious explosiveness but only played 21 games before a neck injury ended his career. It was a sad ending, but also a high-risk pick to begin with.
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2. Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Kansas City Chiefs, 2020)
Jonathan Taylor took over CEH, and that’s all you need to know. He flashed early but was quickly phased out in a high-powered offense.
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1. Trent Richardson (Cleveland Browns, 2012)
Richardson had the size and hype but none of the vision or burst. He flamed out so spectacularly that his name has become shorthand for draft busts.
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