When did Jordan Howard become the Rodney Dangerfield of the NFL? He doesn’t get any respect at all. Keep in mind this guy finished second and sixth respectively the past two years in rushing. He went to the Pro Bowl as a rookie despite starting just 13 games. He single-handedly led the team to a number of improbable victories last year against Pittsburgh and Baltimore.
Yet his name never comes up in the conversation of best backs in the league. It’s even greater madness considering he plays for the Chicago Bears. This franchise built their foundation on great running backs. Still nothing. At this point Howard probably isn’t surprised. He’s been overlooked his entire football career.
His first college was Alabama-Birmingham which folded. He managed a year in Indiana after that before becoming a fifth round pick by the Bears. Now here he is proving himself every year and the national “experts” can’t even be bothered to bring up his name in rankings. If people thought the Top 100 fiasco was bad, it’s about to get worse.
Jordan Howard screwed out of another rightful spot by horrid ranking
Field Yates of ESPN conducted a survey of 43 NFL insiders asking them for the best players to make up the All-Under 25 team. Unsurprisingly Todd Gurley took the top spot at running back after his ridiculous 2017 run. Where the everything truly went off the rails was who happened to come in second place.
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“Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams
Percentage of vote: 58.1Regardless of what Gurley’s timed speed is — and you know he’s fast — his functional play speed is even better. A step for Gurley, 23, in the open field usually means six points. With outstanding receiving skills and a diverse list of open-field maneuvers, he’s a true dual-threat back.
Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
Percentage of vote: 46.5A projection for the 21-year-old Barkley based off a sterling career at Penn State, the Giants are hopeful that a skill set highlighted by an abundance of power, soft hands in the passing game and uncommon return skills will yield immediate returns. His polish on and off the field boosted his case as a can’t-miss draft prospect.
Runner-up: Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys“
Okay, Ezekiel Elliott makes the list is fine. He’s earned his stripes in the NFL as a top back. What in the hell has Saquon Barkley done? He’s a rookie. People will argue he’s a freak talent. He was a stud at Penn State. The highest-drafted running back in decades. Yeah? So what? Since 1990, there have been five running backs who went in the top two selections of a draft. Three of them ended up being disappointments.
Yet these guys seem ready to crown Barkley as the second-coming of Jim Brown before he’s even taken a damn snap in the NFL. Meanwhile, here’s a 23-year old Howard with two proven seasons under his belt, having carried an offense almost on his own in that time and he can barely get a shoutout on Twitter outside of Chicago.
That’s a level of unfair that defies description.
