Kareem Hunt has dominated the NFL so far
Jordan Howard, Ezekiel Elliott, Alex Collins, and Derrick Henry were all drafted in 2016.
Todd Gurley, Jay Ajayi, Melvin Gordon, and Ameer Abdullah were each drafted in 2015.
Those 11 running backs are all ranked in the top 20 in rushing yards. Last year, 11 of the top 20 rushing leaders were also were 1st, 2nd, or 3rd year players, but that is pretty unusual. The table below look at every NFL season since 1970, and shows the number of players in the top 20 in rushing that were in their first, second, or third years, and the total number of players in their first three years.
| Year | 1st Yr | 2nd Yr | 3rd Yr | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 11 |
| 2016 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 11 |
| 2015 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| 2014 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| 2013 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 2012 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| 2010 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 11 |
| 2009 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 10 |
| 2008 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 9 |
| 2007 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| 2006 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 2005 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 9 |
| 2004 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 2003 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 9 |
| 2002 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 7 |
| 2001 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 2000 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| 1999 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 1998 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 8 |
| 1997 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 1996 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| 1995 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
| 1994 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| 1993 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 9 |
| 1992 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 9 |
| 1991 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 8 |
| 1990 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 11 |
| 1989 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 10 |
| 1988 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 |
| 1987 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| 1986 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 1985 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
| 1984 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| 1983 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 1982 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 7 |
| 1981 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 10 |
| 1980 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 11 |
| 1979 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 11 |
| 1978 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 10 |
| 1977 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 1976 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 |
| 1975 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| 1974 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 12 |
| 1973 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| 1972 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 1971 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| 1970 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 12 |
And it’s not just top 20 production: Hunt and Fournette, Howard and Elliott, and Gurley and Ajayi all rank in the top 10 (actually, top seven!) in rushing yards. That’s also pretty unusual: it hasn’t happened since 2008.
| Year | 1st Yr | 2nd Yr | 3rd Yr | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 2016 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 2015 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 2014 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 2013 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2012 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2011 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 2010 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| 2009 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 2008 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| 2007 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2006 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 2005 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2004 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2003 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 2002 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| 2001 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2000 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 1999 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 1998 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1997 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 1996 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 1995 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 1994 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 1993 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| 1992 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| 1991 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 1990 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| 1989 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 1988 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 1987 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 1986 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1985 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 1984 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 1983 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 1982 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| 1981 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 1980 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| 1979 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 1978 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 6 |
| 1977 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1976 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 1975 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 1974 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| 1973 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 1972 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1971 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 1970 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
Add in Tarik Cohen and Alvin Kamara (22 years old), Alex Collins (23), Isaiah Crowell, Tevin Coleman, and Ty Montgomery (24), and there have been a lot of young talented running backs to enter the NFL in recent years.