It’s an article of faith that the running back position is overvalued and one should never be taken in the first round. The problem with this statement is that in the relative scheme of modern NFL player selection, positions become more or less important as offenses and defenses change.
Today’s running backs are not the three yards and a cloud of dust backs from years gone by. They are expected to be on the field for three downs. They line up in the slot to create matchup problems as pass receivers. They must be able to understand protection schemes and block blitzing linebackers and defensive backs.