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Tide crashing: Yeldon follows Collins as early second-round pick
By Ethan Levine
Published:
Who says running backs don’t have draft value?
After two running backs went off the board in the first 15 picks — including Georgia’s Todd Gurley — Alabama’s T.J. Yeldon became the third tailback to come off the board when Jacksonville took him with the 36th overall pick Friday night, the fourth pick of the second round.
Yeldon is the first Alabama tailback selected since Eddie Lacy was taken 61st overall in 2013, and he’s the fourth Alabama tailback taken since 2011 (Trent Richardson and Mark Ingram). He’s also the second Alabama player to go in the first four picks of the second round, following Landon Collins, and he’s the third Tide player to go overall (Amari Cooper, No. 4 overall).
Yeldon was a productive rusher for three years at Alabama, rushing for more than 1,100 yards in 2012 and 2013 before rushing for 979 yards a year ago. He was a touted prospect projected to be a Night 2 selection, but there are concerns regarding his upright running style.
Still, the Jaguars have been in need of a tailback since the days of Maurice Jones-Drew, and clearly hope Yeldon can be that guy.
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.
