The top five running back prospects (with projected round):
1. Carlos Hyde, 6-0, 230 pounds, Ohio State (second round): He rushed for 1,527 yards last season. He's sort of a throwback and not a natural fit for today's spread offenses. "I love him as a player," ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper said. "He'll block. He'll catch. He'll run hard. He's physical."
2. Tre Mason*, 5-9, 207, Auburn (second): He runs with tenacity and power for an smaller back. He powered his way to 1,816 yards and won the SEC offensive player of the year award. He also set a single-season school mark with 2,374 all-purpose yards. "Mason is a compactly built, nifty-footed runner with a balanced skill set to merit 20 touches per game at the next level," wrote Nolan Nawrocki in his 2014 NFL Draft Preview. "Fits in multiple schemes and has the (fortitude) to make an impact as a rookie."
3. Bishop Sankey*, 5-10, 209, Washington (second): He's the fastest of the elite backs in this year's draft. He did a good job of identifying holes and running with authority for the Huskies. He rushed for 1,870 yards and was a Doak Walker Award finalist last season. "The Pac-12's leading rusher, Sankey is an instinctive, competitive and shifty, low-to-the-ground hard runner," Nawrocki wrote in his 2014 NFL Draft Preview.
4. Jeremy Hill*, 6-1, 233, LSU (second or third): A big back with speed, Hill tied a school record with seven 100-yard games, including a 216-yard effort in the Outback Bowl. He finished with more than 1,400 yard and 16 touchdowns. He did have some brushes with the law and was suspended for the 2013 opener. Hill was first-team all-SEC as selected by the Associated Press and second team by the coaches.
5. Terrance West*, 5-9, 225, Towson State (third): A prolific FCS running back, West has steadily climbed up NFL draft boards. Last season, he scored at least one touchdown in all 16 games for the Tigers. He rushed for more than 100 yards in 12 games and had four games with 200 yards or more. In the FCS playoffs, he set a record by rushing for 354 yards in the quarterfinals against Eastern Illinois and also scored five touchdowns.
*Underclassman
Teams in need: Tennessee, Chicago, Indianapolis, Cleveland and Arizona.
Need area for Falcons?: Yes. The Falcons may be ignoring warning signs that Steven Jackson, who turns 31 in July, is near the end of his illustrious career. He's had soft tissue injuries in each of the past three seasons and averaged just 3.5 yards per carry last year. The Falcons averaged 77.9 yards rushing per game, last in the NFL in 2013.
Top 5 for 2015 draft: 1. Karlos Williams, 6-1, 233, Florida State; 2. Jeremy Langford, 5-11, 206, Michigan State; 3. Ameer Abdullah, 5-9, 190, Nebraska; 4. Malcolm Brown, 5-11, 225, Texas; 5. Terrance Magee, 5-9, 215, LSU.
