(Photo: Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire, Getty)
Here are the last three years of running backs taken in the fourth round and their production year one:
2024, 120, Miami Dolphins, Jaylen Wright
Rushes - 68
Yards - 249
Yards Per Attempt - 3.7
Touchdowns - 0
2024, 125, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Bucky Irving
Rushes - 224
Yards - 1,119
Yards Per Attempt - 5.4
Touchdowns - 8
2024, 127, Philadelphia Eagles, Will Shipley
Rushes - 34
Yards - 159
Yards Per Attempt - 4.7
Touchdowns - 1
2024, 128, Buffalo Bills, Ray Davis
Rushes - 120
Yards - 478
Yards Per Attempt - 4.0
Touchdowns - 4
2024, 129, San Francisco 49ers, Isaac Guerendo
Rushes - 84
Yards - 420
Yards Per Attempt - 5.0
Touchdowns - 4
2024, 132, Detroit Lions, Sione Vaki
Rushes - 6
Yards - 14
Yards Per Attempt - 2.3
Touchdowns - 0
2024, 134, New York Jets, Braelon Allen
Rushes - 92
Yards - 334
Yards Per Attempt - 3.6
Touchdowns - 2
2023, 115, Chicago Bears, Roschon Johnson
Rushes - 81
Yards - 352
Yards Per Attempt - 4.3
Touchdowns - 2
2022, 107, Houston Texans, Dameon Pierce
Rushes - 220
Yards - 939
Yards Per Attempt - 4.3
Touchdowns - 4
2022, 122, Las Vegas Raiders, Zamir White
Rushes - 17
Yards - 70
Yards Per Attempt - 4.1
Touchdowns - 0
2022, 123, Los Angeles Chargers, Isaiah Spiller
Rushes - 18
Yards - 41
Yards Per Attempt - 2.3
Touchdowns - 0
2022, 127, New England Patriots, Pierre Strong
Rushes - 10
Yards - 100
Yards Per Attempt - 10.0
Touchdowns - 1
2022, 131, Tennessee Titans, Hassan Haskins
Rushes - 25
Yards - 93
Yards Per Attempt - 3.7
Touchdowns - 0
There is an incredibly wide range of outcomes here, from the successful pairing in Bucky Irving and Dameon Pierce to a handful of players who have barely registered in their rookie season. If you are going to look at the middle of the road performances then you would expect 60 to 80 rushes, around 400 yards and a handful of touchdowns.
Results
Rushes - 65
Yards - 175
Yards Per Attempt - 2.7
Touchdowns - 0
The thing to note here is that the stats I looked at focused on rushing production, where as most of Sampson's production came in the receiving game.
Receptions - 33
Yards - 271
Yards Per Reception - 8.2
Touchdowns - 2
Only two backs had a better yards per reception, only one (Cam Skattebo) had a better PFF receiving grade. So there is plenty to like in his rookie season but he needs to prove he has the rushing side to his game else he is going to be a one dimensional player for the Cleveland Browns.