Rest Of The RB Pack

In the interest of moving along and covering other positions, here are the rest of my RB Rankings:

16. Edgerrin James - Arizona Cardinals (Bye Week: 8)
Edge had nearly 1400 yards last season and was still considered a huge disappointment.
No, he won't be returning to his Indy stats this season, but look for an improvement on the 6 TDs in '06 with Leinart being more comfortable and the O-Line slightly improved.

17. Thomas Jones - New York Jets (10)
Perception of his versatility is really greater than the actuality. He doesn't put up stellar receiving numbers. Likely to lose goal line carries to Leon Washington. That said, the Jets love to pound the ball (or at least not put too much burden on Pennington), so Jones should be toting the rock plenty in The Meadowlands.

18. Brandon Jacobs - New York Giants (9)
Tiki's former TD vulture is a super trendy pick to break out this season. Jacobs is the definition of a power RB, and his 4.4 YPC in '06 also leads me to be excited about his potential. He only had 99 carries in '06 though, so it remains to be seen whether or not he'll wear down after mid-season. Most surprising will be the fact that also actually contributes more to the passing game than many of those ranked ahead of him.

19. Maurice Jones-Drew - Jacksonville Jaguars (4)
The Pinball was the waiver wire darling of 2006. He is currently among the most over-hyped, reached for picks in fantasy. MJD is technically still Fred Taylor's backup, plus Greg Jones may pilfer a few TDs this season. Still, that 5.7 YPC is tough to ignore, and I believe he'll remain Jacksonville's top scoring option. Besides, we all know Fraud Taylor cannot be relied on to stay healthy from minute-to-minute.

20. Deuce McAllister - New Orleans Saints (4)
Part of quite possibly the best RBBC that the NFL has ever seen. Around 1250 total yards and 10 TDs in 2006, Deuce bounced back nicely from an injury marred 2005. Reggie Bush is now the home run threat in The Big Easy, and although most see him as an RB that contributes significantly to the passing game, keep in mind that McAllister has not had a receiving TD since 2002. Hope for a repeat of 2006 at best.

21. Marion Barber III - Dallas Cowboys (8)
An absolute touchdown machine in 2006. Barber should be seeing an increased workload this season, although he will still share time with Julius Jones. The 16 TDs may be too difficult to repeat, but being the #1 goal line option on a high powered offense is a nice spot to be in.

22. Clinton Portis - Washington Redskins (4)
Those that have read this blogs' very first entry know that I will be doing my best to avoid Portis. The knee injury, the emergence of Ladell Betts, the rapidly decreasing YPC. All big, bright red flags. If he stays healthy, he'll be a solid contributor, but that's a mighty big "if".

23. Ahman Green - Houston Texans (10)
Plenty of people will tell you that Green will fail this season, just like they said last year. Green won't give you anything to blow your socks off, but he's a solid gamer at this point in the draft. He'll put up good receiving numbers. Plus...hey, Ron Dayne thrived in this offense.

24. Carnell Williams - Tampa Bay Bucs (10)
The Cadillac was broken down in 2006. Still, his production in 2005 is hard to ignore. I am predicting a revival in 2007, although 10 TDs may be out of reach.

25. Marshawn Lynch - Buffalo Bills (6)
Finally, a rookie. Nothing generates excitement quite like rookies. That said, this isn't exactly the world's most explosive offense, or an elite O-Line. The upside is certainly there, though. That cannot be said for a ton of the options below him.

OTHER NOTABLES:
LaMont Jordan - Oakland Raiders
A first-round pick by many in 2006, Jordan was quite possibly the game's biggest bust. But he should have no competition for the first four weeks with Rhodes suspended. Other than San Diego, the first half schedule is cake.

Jamal Lewis - Cleveland Browns
The Browns will be awful this year. Lewis was bad last season on a much better team. Still, with a terrible QB situation, Lewis will be receiving a ton of touches in 2007.

Ladell Betts - Washington Redskins
Should come off the board very soon after Portis. If Portis goes down once again, Betts has shown that he can be a star. Even if Portis doesn't go down, Betts will get plenty of opportunities to shine.

Chester Taylor - Minnesota Vikings
This is also a lackluster offense. He'll lose playing time to Adrian Peterson, but is still the starting RB. Peterson is never a guarantee to remain healthy.

Adrian Peterson - Minnesota Vikings
All Day is most likely to be grabbed in the Top 25, although he shouldn't be. The offense won't put up enough points, he needs to prove that his collarbone will hold up, and he's behind Taylor on the depth chart.

Jerious Norwood - Atlanta Falcons
Monster YPC in 2006. Warrick Dunn is old and coming off back surgery. Norwood has a chance to be the break-out player of the year in 2007. Too bad about that whole thing with Joey Harrington running the offense.

DeAngelo Williams - Carolina Panthers
Has not yet unseated DeShaun Foster for DeStarting Job. It's only a matter of time though. An excellent RB3 grab.

LenDale White - Tennessee Titans
The Titans really...really want LenDale Whale to start, but with every Krispy Kreme, White pisses away his opportunities. The Tennessee backfield should really be avoided at all costs.

Brandon Jackson - Green Bay Packers
He's really much further down the board at this point, but if you can get him as an RB4, it's a fantastic pick. He'll be starting Week 1 over Vernand Morency.

Kevin Jones - Detroit Lions
He'll be out for the first 6 weeks, but will be a welcome addition in the second half with what should be a truly dynamic offense. He'll have plenty of rust to knock off and will, at least initially, share time with Tatum Bell, but he's a fine end of draft option.