Whenever the NFL draft rolls around, all eyes are on where the top quarterbacks are going to end up. They hog all the attention.
But hey, running backs get a lot of attention too. And this year, we surprisingly saw three running backs go in the first round. A lot of people expected to see just one go in the first round.
Four more came off the board on Day 2, with two backs going in the second round and two going in the third round. Nobody should be too quick to overlook these guys, as recent history has shown that running backs found after the first round are very much capable of becoming stars.
Will any of the four running backs taken on Day 2 become stars? Let's gaze into their futures and take a look.
Note: I wrote up a complete recap of Day 2 picks, for your convenience.
Isaiah Pead (No. 50 Overall Pick of St. Louis Rams)
Before the draft, there was buzz about the Rams making a move to get Trent Richardson, which would have meant the end of Steven Jackson's career in St. Louis.
Instead, the Rams went for Isaiah Pead in the second round. He won't take Jackson's job, but he will provide the Rams with some much needed depth at running back.
There are things to like about Pead. He's a guy with very good speed, and he's very good in space. He's pretty much the anti-Jackson, as he's not going to make his living plowing through defenders with brute strength.
However, it's hard to see Pead as a starter down the line. He looks more like a change-of-pace back, a guy the Rams can bring in on third down to open up the playbook a little. I wouldn't be surprised if they used him in the return game too.
Best-case scenario, Pead will be a Darren Sproles-like player. But let's face it, there's only one Sproles.
Career Path: Situational back
LaMichael James (No. 61 Overall Pick of San Francisco 49ers)
The 49ers are doing some very interesting things in this draft. When they made the move to draft LaMichael James in the second round, a lot of eyes were opened.
James is a guy who does look like he may have a Sproles-like career in his future. He's too small to cut it as an every-down running back in the NFL, but he's a guy who can accelerate very quickly and make would-be tacklers miss in space. He'll be able to turn broken plays into home runs.
The issue with James in San Francisco is that it's hard to decipher how he's going to fit in right away. The 49ers have Frank Gore as their feature back, and they also have Brandon Jacobs to bring the thunder and Kendall Hunter to provide lightning on third-down plays.
The 49ers are creative enough to work James in somehow, but early on in his career, he'll probably be used more on special teams than on offense. Remember, he got some experience returning punts in 2011.
I love the idea of James in San Francisco, but it's going to be very hard for him to get his career off to a hot start. That's going to plague him going forward.
Career Path: Situational back, special teams player
Ronnie Hillman (No. 67 Overall Pick of Denver Broncos)
Some mocks had the Broncos going for a running back in the first round, and it's easy to see why. Running back was a pretty big need in Denver heading into the draft, and there were going to be some good ones available at the end of the first round.
I don't blame the Broncos for waiting; however, I'm not sure why they decided to go for Ronnie Hillman.
Hillman had a productive career at San Diego State, rushing for over 1,500 yards in each of the last two seasons. He also made big strides as a receiver in 2011, which bodes well for him as he joins a Denver offense that will be passing the ball a lot. Ball security, however, was an issue.
There will be a role for Hillman to play in Denver, potentially a major one. The Broncos got a great season out of Willis McGahee in 2011, but he's getting pretty long in the tooth. Knowshon Moreno, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2009 draft, has been a bust.
The tricky part is that Hillman is a project running back, so handing him a huge role right away would be a roll of the dice. By asking him to do too much right away, the Broncos will be running the risk of ruining Hillman completely.
My guess is that he'll eventually end up starting in Denver. He just won't be a very good starter.
Career Path: Backup, then average starter
Bernard Pierce (No. 84 Overall Pick of Baltimore Ravens)
Uh oh. Should Ray Rice be looking over his shoulder?
Um, no. With all respect to Bernard Pierce, Rice is one of the best running backs in the NFL. Pierce is going to Baltimore to play second fiddle.
However, Pierce is different from the first two guys on this list. He's not a fast, quick change-of-pace back. He's big guy who will bring the thunder and leave a few bruised defenders in his wake.
He'll fit in well in Baltimore. Rice is an outstanding back, but his game is based more on elusiveness than power. Earl Campbell he is not. Pierce will provide the thunder to his lightning, not unlike Ricky Williams did this past season.
There will be carries for Pierce in Baltimore, and I think he's going to do quite well in relief of Rice. Down the line, don't be surprised when Pierce is starting as a feature back.
Career Path: Situational back, then starter
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