NFL draft 2022 working again projections

Might Breece Hall be the subsequent Jonathan Taylor?

In Taylor’s second NFL season, the Indianapolis Colts working again gained greater than 2,000 all-purpose yards and completed second in voting for AP Offensive Participant of the Yr. Though Taylor had a comparatively excessive draft place in 2020 — No. 41 general — he was solely the third working again taken, after the Kansas City Chiefs took Clyde Edwards-Helaire and the Detroit Lions chosen D’Andre Swift. Though each of these gamers may in the end develop into strong contributors, Taylor presently has extra dashing yards than each of them mixed.

Though many scouts underrated Taylor, BackCAST — Football Outsiders‘ system for projecting working backs — identified Taylor as a potential star. Taylor had one of the best BackCAST projection of all time. In line with BackCAST, Taylor was not one other Wisconsin working again because of fail however a stellar prospect with an uncommon mix of dimension, velocity and school manufacturing.

Taylor’s current success begs the query. Are there any underrated working again prospects within the 2022 NFL draft who’ve famous person potential? Thankfully for running-back-needy groups, the reply is “sure,” with this yr’s working again prospects highlighted by Iowa State’s Corridor.

Right here is how BackCAST works (go to the underside of the story for the total methodology): BackCAST initiatives NFL working again success primarily based on statistics which have correlated with success up to now. Traditionally, a school working again who has size-speed mixture, has a excessive common yards per carry and represented a big proportion of his school group’s working assault is extra more likely to succeed on the NFL degree. BackCAST considers these elements and initiatives the diploma to which the working again will exceed the NFL manufacturing of an “common” drafted working again throughout his first 5 years within the NFL.

For instance, a working again with a plus-50% BackCAST is projected to realize 50% extra yards than the “common” drafted working again. BackCAST additionally initiatives whether or not every working again is more likely to be closely concerned within the receiving recreation or is extra of a “ground-and-pound” again.

What follows are a few of the most notable BackCAST projections for the working again prospects out there within the 2022 NFL draft, together with two overrated again primarily based on this mannequin: