The 5 Best Rookie Running Back Seasons Over the Last Decade
1. Maurice Jones-Drew, 2006
Maurice Jones-Drew was drafted to replace Fred Taylor but did so quicker than Jaguars fans expected. Like other rookies, MJD had to wait patiently before finally getting a crack at carries, but he capitalized on his touches. He had 166 carries for 941 yards, an average of 5.7 yards per carry.
He went bonkers on December 10th in 2006 against his division rival, the Indianapolis Colts, collecting 166 rushing yards and 2 rushing touchdowns. In addition, Jones-Drew returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown.
Jones-Drew was also highly effective as a receiver, catching 46 passes for 436 yards and another 2 touchdowns.
| Player | Rushing NEP | Rank | Rushing NEP/P | Reception NEP | Rank | Reception NEP/Target | Total NEP | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maurice Jones-Drew | 33.06 | 3rd | 0.20 | 30.73 | 7th | 0.50 | 63.79 | 3rd |
While his league ranks are lower than David Johnson's, his Total NEP was slightly higher. Keep in mind that the running back talent in 2006 consisted of elite players like Ladainian Tomlinson, Brian Westbrook, and Tiki Barber.
| Player | Rushing NEP | Rank | Rushing NEP/P | Reception NEP | Rank | Reception NEP/Target | Total NEP | Rank | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maurice Jones-Drew | 33.06 | 3rd | 0.20 | 30.73 | 7th | 0.50 | 63.79 | 3rd | 2006 |
| David Johnson | 18.41 | 2nd | 0.15 | 42.46 | 3rd | 0.74 | 60.87 | 1st | 2015 |
| Adrian Peterson | 19.01 | 5th | 0.08 | 24.08 | 6th | 0.86 | 43.09 | 7th | 2007 |
| Joseph Addai | 19.45 | 6th | 0.09 | 24.51 | 11th | 0.49 | 42.02 | 7th | 2006 |
| Doug Martin | 10.18 | 10th | 0.03 | 25.92 | 6th | 0.37 | 36.10 | 6th | 2012 |
Here are the top five for better reference. MJD blew everyone out of the water when it came to Rushing NEP. His Reception NEP was only lower than David Johnson's. Jones-Drew has since retired and now works for the NFL Network, but his impact on the Jaguars franchise will be remembered for quite some time.
