Every single NFL season, a phenomenon occurs: We get to October or November, and, with a rash of injuries at the running back position, a mostly unknown commodity at the position -- with either Day 3 draft status or low-level collegiate pedigree -- steps into a more sizable role and runs with impressive efficiency.
And we, as NFL fans and analysts, are reminded that spending high draft picks on the position is silly.
Below are five of those "previously unknown commodities" who have the talent and refined skill to perform admirably if they only were given a chance in 2024.
Mason was on my 'Out of Nowhere' Breakout Team before the 2023 season, and his breakout never fully materialized because of the seismic presence of Christian McCaffrey and his Offensive Player of the Year production in Kyle Shanahan's 49ers offense. And CMac stayed healthy, appearing on a whopping 76% of San Francisco's offensive snaps during the regular season.
Yet just as he did as an undrafted rookie in 2022, Mason flourished in a tiny sample. Just 40 attempts before the playoffs, and the former Georgia Tech runner averaged 5.2 yards per pop and hit the 20% mark (again) in forced-missed tackle rate. Mason's yards after contact rate dipped from an otherworldly 4.23 as a rookie to 3.10, and while the low volume must be considered, it was the same figure as Bijan Robinson last year.
Shanahan has cemented himself as one of the NFL's finest offensive minds. And like what was absolutely true with his dad, Mike Shanahan -- the Shanahan running scheme, even as it has evolved, is luxurious for running backs of any kind, picked in any round in the draft, or ball carriers not drafted at all.
Mason, at a sturdy 5-foot-11 and 220-plus pounds with uncharacteristically nimble footwork relative to his size and effortless power, can absolutely stand in as a valuable RB2 or, yes, San Francisco's RB1 if the situation ever called for it. And maybe it's time to give this underutilized stud more than 40ish carries in a season.
It's the Breece Hall Show with the Jets -- when it's not the Aaron Rodgers Show -- after the young back had a monstrous bounce-back season off his rookie-year injury in 2023. He averaged 4.5 yards per tote and caught a massive 76 passes for nearly 600 yards last year.
Behind Hall, first, is mid-rounder Braelon Allen, who enters the league with Wisconsin running back pedigree and nearly 3,500 collegiate rushing yards at nearly 6.0 yards per rush before his 20th birthday.
Then there's Davis, a South Dakota State product with average NFL athleticism for the position. In short, Davis is clearly third in the backfield pecking order. His vision, dynamic cutting skill and contact balance cannot be overlooked simply due to his FCS background and Day 3 draft position. Across 677 collegiate attempts, Davis' missed forced tackle rate was a mega 30.2%. For perspective right within the Jets running back room, Allen's was 24.3%.
Davis has feature-back size at a hair above 6-0 and 218 pounds. He has the size and God-gifted rushing talent to find cracks in the defense, elude defenders in tight quarters and stay on his feet after tackle attempts to serve as a fine contributor early with the Jets if he gets an opportunity.
Rodriguez is a throwback runner -- wide frame, downhill style and linebackers glance off him when he really gets the legs churning, even between the tackles. At nearly 6-0 and 217 pounds, he's plenty big enough to shoulder a sizable load if needed, although he'll start his second season in the nation's capital behind Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler.
Fascinatingly, in the SEC, at nearly the same time frame, Rodriguez averaged 4.00 yards after contact in his Kentucky career. Robinson averaged 3.38. Rodriguez's contact balance and sheer force through contact are no joke. And, as a rookie in 2023, the former Wildcat icon demonstrated everything power-related to his game translates. On just 51 attempts with the Commanders, his yards after contact average was 3.65. Now, of course, he didn't qualify for most rushing metrics, yet that 3.65 YAC rate would've ranked fourth in the NFL, right ahead of Breece Hall.
There's a glimmer of wiggle to Rodriguez's game, too, just in case you were wondering if he was only capable of running through walls in a straight line. The Washington backfield is in good hands because of the depth built there.
Easily the most obvious selection of the bunch, I felt compelled to highlight Spears because he's splitting time with the more well-known Tony Pollard to at least begin the 2024 campaign. I will not be surprised in the least if Spears is the clear-cut top dog by November. He's that talented.
Heck, Pollard is, too, but is now 27 and toted the rock over 300 times last season for the Cowboys. Spears is a young, fresh, electric talent who forced a missed tackle on 26% of his 100 rushes in 2023. His 3.15 yards-after-contact-per-rush number was better than the likes of Jonathan Taylor, Bijan Robinson, Brian Robinson and Kenneth Walker III, albeit on a much smaller sample.
Spears has supreme lateral cutting skill even by NFL standards, plenty of burst off the snap and contact balance is clearly part of what he brings to the field. He's also caught 52 passes a season ago -- 11th most in football -- and forced the second-most missed tackles on those receptions. Massive potential for this former Tulane superstar, who's always looked like one of the most athletically gifted players in any game in which he's participated.
Venturing to the deepest depths here with a name you know well. While I'll forever wish the football gods could've gifted us Frank Gore playing in the NFL with his son -- which would've been a first in league history -- we only missed by four seasons.
Anyway, one of my boldest takes this summer is this -- Ray Davis is a more purely talented athlete than Frank Gore Jr., while the latter is a more naturally skilled rusher. He's a tick more elusive, too. Davis' forced missed tackle rate was 25.2% in his long, illustrious collegiate carrier. At Southern Miss, Gore forced a missed tackle on 30.6% of his runs.
This selection comes with some parameters. Davis was a fourth-round pick. Gore went undrafted. That matters. Davis is going to get the first call as the James Cook backup. And there's the explosive Ty Johnson on Buffalo's roster, too. Davis is also more NFL running back size at just over 5-8 and a compact 211 pounds. Gore isn't quite 5-8 and weighed in at 197 pounds at his pro day.
But if Davis falters in his backup role, I completely believe in Gore's ability to hide behind the trees inside, awesomely set up blocks and accelerate through the second level as an efficient back in the Bills' high-powered offense. We're not talking feature back here. But useful complement? Absolutely.
