It was a mild surprise that Alabama running back Eddie Lacy fell out of round one, the first time no running back has been taken in the first round since 1963.
It’s a shock that two other running backs (and counting) have heard their names called, and Lacy is still on the board. The Bengals took North Carolina running back Giovani Bernard with the 37th overall pick, and the Steelers pulled the stunner, opting for Le’Veon Bell over Lacy 11 spots later.
So what’s going on? As one league source put it, Lacy’s slide arises from both injuries and a perception that he lacks the passion necessary to play pro football at a high level.
Running backs take a lot of punishment. They need to not simply tolerate it but thrive on it. Lacy, right or wrong, isn’t seen as a guy who is ready to go all in for the NFL.
But there’s still hope. After all, Manti Te’o got drafted. Despite having Lacy run circles around him at the BCS national title game.
