Breaking down odds for first running backs taken in 2020 NFL Draft

The 2020 NFL Draft doesn’t appear to have an especially tantalizing group of running backs entering it, and it seems like only one will go in the first round. We identified a few backs with a chance to be selected before the rest in April here. Odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

No running back is head and shoulders above the rest of the pack, but Georgia’s D’Andre Swift (+115) has a narrow lead over Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor (+125) on DraftKings Sportsbook. Swift is on the smaller side at 5’8” quicker than he is fast, but has excellent vision and can be factor as a rusher and receiver. He might not have the traditional strength required to move piles, but should have a high ceiling in the right system. Taylor led the Big Ten in rushing three times during his collegiate career. He ranked fifth in the country in 2019 with 2,003 rushing yards and only just started getting involved in the passing game. But can he be productive when he doesn’t get 300 carries per season?

LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire is another smaller back, but he burst onto the national scene in 2019, notching 1,414 rushing yards in his first year as a starter. He has great instincts and knows how to make plays, but leaves room for improvement as a pass blocker.

Boston College’s AJ Dillon (+25000) is a notable dark horse. He’s built like a tank, standing six feet tall and weighing in at 247 pounds. He absorbs contact with the best of them and has 4.53 40-yard dash speed as well. However, he doesn’t have the elusiveness so many other prospects have and isn’t a natural pass catcher. But Derrick Henry has proved that there’s still a place for one-dimensional bruisers in the NFL last season.

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