2018 Thousand Yard Rushers—A Young Man’s Game
By Chris Malumphy
In 2018, the Year of the Almighty Passing Game, nine players rushed for more than 1,000 yards. The nine running backs include five players selected in the first round of their drafts, two from the second round, a sixth rounder and one who was signed as a free agent after going undrafted. Each of the first rounders were top ten picks: Saquon Barkley (2nd, 2018, Giants), Ezekiel Elliott (4th, 2016, Cowboys), Adrian Peterson (7th, 2007, Vikings), Christian McCaffrey (8th, 2017, Panthers) and Todd Gurley (10th, 2015, Rams). Players drafted in the second round surpassing 1,000 yards rushing in 2018 were Derrick Henry (45th player overall, 2016, Titans) and Joe Mixon (48th, 2017, Bengals). Chris Carson was selected by the Seahawks in the seventh round, the 249th player drafted in 2017. The Broncos signed Philip Lindsay after he went undrafted in 2018.
Four of the 1,000 yard rushers were the first running back selected in their draft: Adrian Peterson (2007), Todd Gurley (2015), Ezekiel Elliott (2016) and Saquon Barkley (2018). Two others were the second running back selected: Derrick Henry (2016) and Christian McCaffrey (2017). Joe Mixon was the fourth running back selected in 2017 while Chris Carson was 29th the same year. Philip Lindsay was undrafted even though 21 running backs were selected in 2018.
Only the Rams' Todd Gurley repeated the feat from 2017. Gurley holds another distinction. Other than the ageless Adrian Peterson who was drafted way back in 2007, Gurley entered the league longest ago, in 2015. Gaining 1,000 yards on the ground in 2018 was certainly a young man's game.
2018 Thousand Yard Rushers | |||||
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2018 Team | Name Round-Pick-Player | Yards Rushing | RBs Before | Running Backs Drafted Before | Running Backs Drafted After |
Cowboys | Ezekiel Elliott 2016-1-4-4 | 1434 | 0 | Derrick Henry, Kenyan Drake, C.J. Prosise, Tyler Ervin, Kenneth Dixon, Devontae Booker, DeAndre Washington, Paul Perkins, Jordan Howard, Wendell Smallwood, Jonathan Williams, Alex Collins, Andy Janovich, Keenan Reynolds, Dan Vitale, Derek Watt, Kelvin Taylor, Darius Jackson, Dwayne Washington, Daniel Lasco, Keith Marshall, Zac Brooks | |
Giants | Saquon Barkley 2018-1-2-2 | 1307 | 0 | Rashaad Penny, Sony Michel, Nick Chubb, Ronald Jones, Kerryon Johnson, Derrius Guice, Royce Freeman, Nyheim Hines, Mark Walton, Ito Smith, Kalen Ballage, Chase Edmonds, Jordan Wilkins, John Kelly, Boston Scott, Trenton Cannon, David Williams, Bo Scarbrough, Nick Bawdon, Justin Jackson | |
Rams | Todd Gurley 2015-1-10-10 | 1251 | 0 | Melvin Gordon, T.J. Yeldon, Ameer Abdullah, Tevin Coleman, Duke Johnson Jr., David Johnson, Matt Jones, Jeremy Langford, Jalston Fowler, Javorius Allen, Mike Davis, David Cobb, Jay Ajayi, Karlos Williams, Michael Burton, Cameron Artis-Payne, Josh Robinson, Aaron Ripkowski, Marcus Murphy, Joey Iosefa, Kenny Hilliard | |
Bengals | Joe Mixon 2017-2-16-48 | 1168 | 3 | Leonard Fournette, Christian McCaffrey, Dalvin Cook | Alvin Kamara, Kareem Hunt, D'Onta Foreman, James Conner, Samaje Perine, Tarik Cohen, Joe Williams, Donnel Pumphrey, Jamaal Williams, Wayne Gallman, Marlon Mack, Brian Hill, Jeremy McNichols, T.J. Logan, Aaron Jones, Elijah McGuire, Alex Armah, De'Angelo Henderson, Sam Rogers, Brandon Wilson, Devante Mays, Marquez Williams, Khalfani Muhammad, Elijah Hood, Chris Carson, Matthew Dayes |
Seahawks | Chris Carson 2017-7-31-249 | 1151 | 28 | Leonard Fournette, Christian McCaffrey, Dalvin Cook, Joe Mixon, Alvin Kamara, Kareem Hunt, D'Onta Foreman, James Conner, Samaje Perine, Tarik Cohen, Joe Williams, Donnel Pumphrey, Jamaal Williams, Wayne Gallman, Marlon Mack, Brian Hill, Jeremy McNichols, T.J. Logan, Aaron Jones, Elijah McGuire, Alex Armah, De'Angelo Henderson, Sam Rogers, Brandon Wilson, Devante Mays, Marquez Williams, Khalfani Muhammad, Elijah Hood | Matthew Dayes |
Panthers | Christian McCaffrey 2017-1-8-8 | 1098 | 1 | Leonard Fournette | Dalvin Cook, Joe Mixon, Alvin Kamara, Kareem Hunt, D'Onta Foreman, James Conner, Samaje Perine, Tarik Cohen, Joe Williams, Donnel Pumphrey, Jamaal Williams, Wayne Gallman, Marlon Mack, Brian Hill, Jeremy McNichols, T.J. Logan, Aaron Jones, Elijah McGuire, Alex Armah, De'Angelo Henderson, Sam Rogers, Brandon Wilson, Devante Mays, Marquez Williams, Khalfani Muhammad, Elijah Hood, Chris Carson, Matthew Dayes |
Titans | Derrick Henry 2016-2-14-45 | 1059 | 1 | Ezekiel Elliott | Kenyan Drake, C.J. Prosise, Tyler Ervin, Kenneth Dixon, Devontae Booker, DeAndre Washington, Paul Perkins, Jordan Howard, Wendell Smallwood, Jonathan Williams, Alex Collins, Andy Janovich, Keenan Reynolds, Dan Vitale, Derek Watt, Kelvin Taylor, Darius Jackson, Dwayne Washington, Daniel Lasco, Keith Marshall, Zac Brooks |
Redskins | Adrian Peterson 2007-1-7-7 | 1042 | 0 | Marshawn Lynch, Kenny Irons, Chris Henry, Brian Leonard, Brandon Jackson, Lorenzo Booker, Tony Hunt, Garrett Wolfe, Michael Bush, Antonio Pittman, Dwayne Wright, Le'Ron McClain, Kolby Smith, Oren O'Neal, Reagan Mauia, Thomas Clayton, Deon Anderson, Justise Hairston, Derek Schouman, DeShawn Wynn, Nate Ilaoa, Jason Snelling, Kenneth Darby, Ahmad Bradshaw | |
Broncos | Philip Lindsay 2018 undrafted | 1037 | 21 | Saquon Barkley, Rashaad Penny, Sony Michel, Nick Chubb, Ronald Jones, Kerryon Johnson, Derrius Guice, Royce Freeman, Nyheim Hines, Mark Walton, Ito Smith, Kalen Ballage, Chase Edmonds, Jordan Wilkins, John Kelly, Boston Scott, Trenton Cannon, David Williams, Bo Scarbrough, Nick Bawdon, Justin Jackson |