The Oakland Raiders already knew this to be true, but it is good to know that it is also recognized on a national stage. Bill Williamson, ESPN's blogger for the AFC West released his rankings of the top running backs in the AFC West this morning. Sitting atop the list was the Oakland Raiders very own injury prone back, Darren McFadden. He edged out Kansas City running back Jamaal Charles, the only other back in the AFC West who could possibly be compared to McFadden.
However, while McFadden's inclusion atop the list was no surprise, there is a surprise in the fact that the Raiders actually had two backs on Williamson's list. Not only did McFadden top the list of the AFC West's best backs, second year player Taiwan Jones also made the list at number six. Considering the fact that Jones only saw the field a few times last season, he obviously did enough to impress Williamson. However, Williamson notes that he believes Jones is best suited to be a change of pace back, as opposed to a primary back up.
↵Williamson states in his post that he considers all backs on the roster that he believes will play a role in the offense, including rookies. He bases his rankings on three factors: past play, 2012 projection, and role in the offense. McFadden was amidst a break out season before he injured himself in 2011. However, the skills he showed were enough for him to top the AFC West.
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