The devaluation of the running back position in the NFL is easiest to see during the NFL Draft. In this year’s class, the position wasn’t chosen until pick 46 — and then only three other times before Day 3, the final four rounds of the event.
So when a back enters the draft with unimpressive athletic testing, it can drive their value even further down. That was the case with TCU running back Emani Bailey. After rushing for 1,209 yards and earning honorable mention All-Big 12 in 2023, Bailey was an intriguing name to consider on draft weekend.