There is a growing contingency—particularly among the analytics community—that believe drafting a running back in the first round is a cardinal sin. The argument is based on several things, but at the core of the debate is that the running back position has been devalued in today’s pass-heavy game, the shelf-life of a running back is far shorter than other positions, and there are other high-value positions that should be prioritized that early in the draft. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell had a fascinating article last week on the rising debate.
But it sure doesn’t sound like Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes is among those who believe in this line of thinking.