Today's NFL is set up to be a passing league, but the importance of the running the football hasn't disappeared.
Investments in what's viewed as a devalued position are still common, particularly among the league's best squads.
Among professional football's final four last season, the Kansas City Chiefs drafted two of their ball-carriers,
including a 2020 first-rounder in Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
The Eagles' top rusher, Miles Sanders, was a second-round selection.
The same can be said of Joe Mixon with the Cincinnati Bengals. The San Francisco 49ers drafted three running backs in the last two draft classes, and two of those occurred in the third round.
The incoming class is loaded with talent, and eventual starters will be found throughout all seven rounds, starting with Texas' Bijan Robinson,
who is graded as a top-five overall prospect by Bleacher Report's Scouting Department.
But that price might be too rich for some squads. The same could be said for Alabama's Jahmyr Gibbs, who also carries a first-round grade.
Organizations should look at how their respective boards are stacked and see where the best value lies.
The best option may be addressing a premium position in the opening frame followed by a running back addition in the second or third round.