Eddie Lacy finally runs, and reportedly runs fast

[steelerkeylargo]

He ran one season, and didn't even get the carries early in the season. Why wasn't he getting carries, if he is a guy you can build a team around? I think Lacy is a good back, just not worthy of the Steelers pick.

Have you heard of Trent Richardson?

[Shawn]

Have you heard of Trent Richardson?

yeah, I think so...you mean the guy who blew up the NFL with a whopping 3.6 yards per carry? Yeah dude is beast. Sad thing is Lacy is a poor mans Richardson.

[Shawn]

He sprained his knee and ankle in spring ball. As the season went on you saw him get stronger and put up big numbers. 181 vs Georgia in the SEC Championship. Those numbers early on dont scare me, Bamma was stacked and blew out most competition last year... He had some good games later in the season but I think the OL deserved the bulk of the credit.

He isnt a 1st round talent though... and personally, I dont want him. However, the more I think back to the second half of the season.. starting with Mizzou, he really showed out.

I still dont want him in the first. Im not sold on Bell either... I like the kid from Wisconsin in the second

then we agree...he isn't a first round talent.

[steelerkeylargo]

yeah, I think so...you mean the guy who blew up the NFL with a whopping 3.6 yards per carry? Yeah dude is beast. Sad thing is Lacy is a poor mans Richardson.

I think Lacy can be a better back.

[steelz09]

What makes you think he's a poor man's Richardson? And even if he's not QUITE Richardson, that's not a huge knock on the guy lol. Richardson will be a very good player.

[flippy]

My personal thought on RBs - unless the guy has AP potential, taking him in the 1st round is a wasted draft pick.

[Captain Lemming]

He ran one season, and didn't even get the carries early in the season. Why wasn't he getting carries, if he is a guy you can build a team around? I think Lacy is a good back, just not worthy of the Steelers pick.

Franco, Bettis, B Foster
Best Steeler backs the SB era, NONE led in rushing last year in college.
By no means was a team built around them.
Add to that, Willie Parker who was so far down the depth chart it was a joke.

I get your point, kinda agreed and then this popped into my head.

Compare them to our only first team All American RB (along with Barry Sanders) draft pick of the modern era.
A player who CARRIED HIS TEAM while leading the entire SEC in carries and yards..............Tim Worley.

Nevertheless, Shawn, in a weird way this STILL makes your point.
With Running backs you never know.

I agree if it aint an Adrian P type back, dont waste a first.

Heck, look at the year Mendenhall came out.
Lesser backs went before him and more productive backs went in later rounds

[Chadman]

Lacy might be the best RB in this draft class. Might be. But unfortunately for him (or perhaps fortunately, depending on how you look at it) his success will forever come with the caveat "but any RB would look good behind that OL".

It's not that Chadman doesn't like Lacy, he's just not convinced he's either the best RB in the draft or the best value in the middle of Round 1.

Starting to warm to DJ Harper out of Boise St every time Chadman watches some highlights of this season's RB's however.

[Captain Lemming]

Lacy might be the best RB in this draft class. Might be. But unfortunately for him (or perhaps fortunately, depending on how you look at it) his success will forever come with the caveat "but any RB would look good behind that OL".

It's not that Chadman doesn't like Lacy, he's just not convinced he's either the best RB in the draft or the best value in the middle of Round 1.

Starting to warm to DJ Harper out of Boise St every time Chadman watches some highlights of this season's RB's however.

I live in Boise. Not high on Harper as an every down back.
If we had a quality starter he would be a great change of pace guy.
He is really fast and given an opening he can take it to the house.

He is kinda like fast Willie, almost as fast with better vision.
He wont consistently move the chain between the tackles at the NFL level, but will break long runs too.

Funny thing is that he goes way back, was Ian Johnson's backup. Dude got hurt (knee) twice so that is a red flag.

When Doug Martin came on the scene, you KNEW he was a starting NFL player. DJ aint that at all.

Funny thing is that if you look at highlights, DJ looks better than any of his peers because he makes spectacular plays.
He is a fine 3rd down type certainly better than Mr Twitter we have (Batch) but with our need, I think he is not the answer for us

[Chadman]

I live in Boise. Not high on Harper as an every down back.
If we had a quality starter he would be a great change of pace guy.
He is really fast and given an opening he can take it to the house.

He is kinda like fast Willie, almost as fast with better vision.
He wont consistently move the chain between the tackles at the NFL level, but will break long runs too.

Funny thing is that he goes way back, was Ian Johnson's backup. Dude got hurt (knee) twice so that is a red flag.

When Doug Martin came on the scene, you KNEW he was a starting NFL player. DJ aint that at all.

Funny thing is that if you look at highlights, DJ looks better than any of his peers because he makes spectacular plays.
He is a fine 3rd down type certainly better than Mr Twitter we have (Batch) but with our need, I think he is not the answer for us

Excellent points. Combine him with Miami's Mike James & you get a nice mix of RB's to go with Dwyer/Bradshaw.... and without the high round draft selections to go with it. Could Harper be Mewelde Moore- a specialist 3rd down RB?