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There isn't an elite running back prospect that's worthy of a top 10 pick in this draft. No Trent Richardson, Darren McFadden, Adrian Peterson or LaDainian Tomlinson. There probably isn't even a Knowshon Moreno, Ryan Matthews, C.J. Spiller or Marshawn Lynch as a top-20 pick.
What the 2013 RB class consists of is that next tier; that tier where talent meets draft slot and creates value. This is a very deep class; Comparable to the 2008 RB class that produced McFadden, Chris Johnson, Ray Rice, Jamaal Charles, Matt Forte and even Jonathan Stewart, Rashard Mendenhall and Peyton Hillis.
I didn't know how talented this class was until I finished my evaluations on over 30 prospects and started ranking them. Having watched games of every player on this list totaling over 45 hours, I feel very confident in my rankings. With that said, Draft season is more fun with respectful debate.
| RANK | PLAYER | HT/WT | SCHOOL | PROJECTION | SCORE |
| 1. | Giovani Bernard | 5'9" 205 lbs | North Carolina | Late 1st-Early 2nd | 6.76 |
| 2. | Andre Ellington | 5'11" 200 lbs | Clemson | 2nd Round | 6.70 |
| 3. | Eddie Lacy | 5'10" 238 lbs | Alabama | Late 1st-Early 2nd | 6.68 |
| 4. | Johnathan Franklin | 5'10" 195 lbs | UCLA | 2nd/3rd | 6.56 |
| 5. | Joseph Randle | 6'1" 216 lbs | Oklahoma State | 3rd | 6.50 |
| 6. | Ray Graham | 5'9" 192 lbs | Pittsburgh | 4th | 6.43 |
| 7. | Zac Stacy | 5'8" 215 lbs | Vanderbilt | 4th | 6.42 |
| 8. | Montee Ball | 5'11" 216 lbs | Wisconsin | 4th | 6.41 |
| 9. | Dennis Johnson | 5'9" 215 lbs | Arkansas | 4th/5th | 6.40 |
| 10. | Kenjon Barner | 5'10" 188 lbs | Oregon | 4th/5th | 6.18 |
| 11. | Christine Michael | 5'11" 223 lbs | Texas A&M | 4th/5th | 6.09 |
| 12. | Stepfan Taylor | 5'11" 218 lbs | Stanford | 4th/5th | 5.93 |
| 13. | Le'Veon Bell | 6'2" 235 lbs | Michigan State | 5th | 5.87 |
| 14. | Latavius Murray | 6'3" 223 lbs | UCF | 5th/6th | 5.86 |
| 15. | Cierre Wood | 6'0" 210 lbs | Notre Dame | 5th/6th | 5.86 |
| 16. | D.J. Harper | 5'10" 205 lbs | Boise State | 6th/7th | 5.82 |
| 17. | Mike James | 5'11" 220 lbs | Miami | 6th/7th | 5.80 |
| 18. | Mike Gilislee | 5'11" 210 lbs | Florida | 5th/6th | 5.78 |
| 19. | Marcus Lattimore | 6'0" 220 lbs | South Carolina | 5th/7th | 5.76 |
| 20. | Kerwynn Williams | 5'9" 185 lbs | Utah State | 6th/7th | 5.66 |
| 21. | George Winn | 5'11" 210 lbs | Cincinnati | 6th/7th | 5.63 |
| 22. | Miguel Maysonet | 5'9" 205 lbs | Stonybrook | 7th/UDFA | 5.61 |
| 23. | Montel Harris | 5'10" 206 lbs | Temple | 7th/UDFA | 5.59 |
| 24. | Stefphon Jefferson | 5'11" 210 lbs | Nevada | 7th/UDFA | 5.57 |
| 25. | Jawan Jamison | 5'8" 200 lbs | Rutgers | 7th/UDFA | 5.56 |
| 26. | Theo Riddick | 6'0" 200 lbs | Notre Dame | 7th/UDFA | 5.56 |
| 27. | |||||
| 28. | Michael Ford | 5'10" 216 lbs | LSU | 7th/UDFA | 5.31 |
| 29. | Robbie Rouse | 5'9" 190 lbs | Fresno State | 7th/UDFA | 5.24 |
| 30. | Rex Burkhead | 5'10" 215 lbs | Nebraska | 7th/UDFA | 5.21 |
*Others I viewed but couldn't get a conclusive analysis: Michael Dyer, Knile Davis, Spencer Ware, Trabis Ward, Chris Thompson and Ontario McCaleb.
Note: I think 20-25 backs could be drafted and the last 10-prospects on my board all bring one interesting skill, but don't have the complete package. They're low-risk developmental prospects that offer upside at a low price.
You can follow Joe Goodberry at @JoeGoodberry.