Houston Texans: Three Small-School Running Backs To Watch For In The 2015 NFL Draft

Nov 2, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans running back Arian Foster (23) warms up before the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

In 2014, the Houston Texans’ run game ranked 5th in the NFL, averaging just over 135 rushing yards per game. This was mainly due to the outstanding production of veteran star Arian Foster, who finished the season with 1246 yards on the ground.

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Even though Foster once again had a great season, he again missed time due to injury. In fact, Foster has missed 11 games since 2013, and will be 29 in August. Last year’s 6th round gem Alfred Blue had a good season, but many believe he still isn’t the answer to eventually replace #23.

In a recent Toro Times post, we looked at the possibility of drafting Georgia running back Todd Gurley with the 16th pick in the upcoming draft. While there is little doubt that Gurley would be a star in the NFL (barring injury of course), the Texans may not want to spend that high of a pick on a running back, a position that has been devalued over the past few seasons.

Instead, the Houston Texans could look to add a running back later in the draft. Doing this would provide value, and wouldn’t pressure the coaching staff to start the player right away.

This year’s running back class has a lot of talent, and because of this, a lot of smaller school players will get lost in the conversation. But there are still a few players who had outstanding production, even if it was at the FCS level. With that, here are three small school players that could have big numbers at the professional level.