2008 Darren McFadden NFL Predictions


June 24, 2008 | Posted By Larry Cook

In 2007 when the NFL draft had come to an end, there was plenty of speculation about how Adrian Peterson’s first year for the Minnesota Vikings would turn out. He was going to a team with a great offensive line, not a lot of competition in the division, and was going to be able to work in steadily by joining Chester Taylor in the backfield. A year later Peterson is widely held to be one of the best running backs in the league after winning the rookie of the year award, rushing for 1,341 yards, and scoring 12 rushing touchdowns.

This year the same questions are being asked, but this time it’s Darren McFadden.  This former standout for the Arkansas Razorbacks is very talented, and last year put up 1,830 yards rushing, but scouts are wondering about his lack of consistency.  He only scored 16 times, which seems like a lot but not in comparison to other top backs.

The good news is that McFadden seemed to get better with each passing year.  He improved his total yards by 200+ yards per season, with his last campaign being his best to date.  The problem was that McFadden wasn’t the force everyone thought he was going to be during the college football betting season.

What some people are forgetting though is that his offensive line was shaky at best, he split carries with another talented back, and his quarterback couldn’t stop the opposition from packing defenders into the box.  His situation in Oakland should be more favorable if JaMarcus Russell can be a threat with his arm.  The problem with the Raiders is that they are almost too deep in the backfield.  Justin Fargas comes in as the starter and performs well when healthy.  Michael Bush is also there who looked like a monster at Louisville.

If you are a Raiders fan, you have to like their schedule this year.  These guys only play two teams that were in the top 10 in rushing defense last year, and with these three backs you know that Lane Kiffen will be running the ball as much as possible.

McFadden will likely contribute right away, but don’t expect Peterson like numbers in his rookie year.  There is no Steve Hutchinson or Tony Richardson to block for him, and he won’t be getting the number of carries.

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