Washington Redskins: 15 greatest running backs in franchise history

On this list, you’ll find a vast variety of player archetypes. You’ll find the stereotypical football kid of the mid-20th century. You’ll find the Pro Football Hall of Famer long retired and the Pro Football Hall of Famer who’s still got it. The No. 1 overall pick and the eighth-round pick. The favorite and the underdog.

Alfred Morris falls into the latter category. Drafted in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft after a collegiate career that saw him amass 3,529 yards and 27 touchdowns in three years as the full-time starter. Morris was at first buried in a crowded backfield, but he emerged in training camp and preseason and ended up taking the starting job by Week 1 of his rookie season.

Yeah, a sixth-round pick. Talk about peaking early.

Morris hit the ground running (can’t help myself with the puns) and built up 1,613 yards and 13 touchdowns on 335 carries. Over the next two seasons, he’d continue on this torrid pace, rushing for 2,349 yards and 15 touchdowns, earning two Pro Bowl berths as a result.

Ironically, as another 2012 NFL Draft pick in Kirk Cousins broke onto the scene, the hyperactive rushing offense led by Morris faded. He was released into free agency after the 2015 NFL season.

Since then, he’s bounced around the league as a quality backup. While he awaits his next role, he has his early career greatness to boast, if not as a part of his résumé, then as proof that he was one of the greater running backs, in an age where so many others simply faded away.