With the 57th pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers selected Ohio State running back Carlos Hyde. For the second year in a row, no running backs were taken in the first round of the NFL Draft. Hyde was the third running back chosen. It was pretty surprising to see him fall this far in the draft, as many considered him the top running back in the draft. Hyde’s size and physical style of play should fit nicely in the NFL. He was the straw that stirred the drink for the Ohio State offense in 2013 and should make an impact immediately for the 49ers. Here’s a look at your newest running back, San Francisco fans:
Here were some of the reactions to the pick on Twitter:
*Slow clap* Carlos Hyde winds up in San Francisco. Future RB1 stud once Frank Gore steps to the side.
— Brad Evans (@YahooNoise) May 10, 2014
Gore, Marcus Lattimore, Carlos Hyde, Kendall Hunter, LaMichael James, Anthony Dixon in your 49ers backfield running behind the NFL's best OL
— Patrick Schmidt (@PatrickASchmidt) May 10, 2014
It's about time. Hyde was a steal for San Fran. Congrats man
— Not Mike Bennett (@mike63bennett) May 10, 2014
Congrats to @elguapo! I already knows he's going to be hungry and ready to eat!!! Go Bucks!!
— Mark Pantoni (@markpantoni) May 10, 2014
While everyone in the B1G is breathing a sigh of relief, everyone in the NFC West just got a little more nervous about the 49ers.
Minor correction: this is the second year in a row that a running back hasn’t gone in the 1st round.
What’s troubling about that is that there are millions and millions of dollars’ difference between rounds. With this trend, there are about 100 great high school backs who are now reconsidering the commitment to their position, knowing that if they stay, they won’t have a financial future. That will absolutely change CFB in the next few years.
Thanks for pointing that out! I made the correction.
This is absolutely troubling for running backs. But unfortunately I don’t see this problem going away because the NFL is becoming more of a passing league every season. Unless you’re an Adrian Peterson type back, you likely won’t be the centerpiece of the offense. What hurts also is teams finding many of their running backs in the later rounds. Take for example LeGarrette Blount when he was with the Buccaneers. Went undrafted and rushed for 1000 yards in his rookie season. So yes college football will be changing more in the next few seasons. But running backs will make a comeback one day I believe.