As the 2016 NFL draft rolled on to Day 3, it was surprising to see so many talented skill position players still on the board. It didn't take long for NFL teams to start picking off the best values.
When Day 3 concluded, we were left with a lot of excellent talents having landed in some very intriguing situations. Broken into tiers, here are the seven Day 3 rookie running backs poised to make a fantasy impact in 2016.
Tier 1
1. Kenneth Dixon – Ravens
Dixon is billed as a space player who can immediately make an impact on passing down. His patience and burst are his unique characteristics, and we see them on display the most when he’s catching passes out of the backfield. Dixon earned CFF’s highest receiving grade of all backs and he led the class with 16 forced missed tackles on receptions.
However, there isn't enough evidence to believe in this limited projection. Dixon finished with 231 total touches in 2015. He also finished with CFF’s third-best elusive rating overall as a runner and receiver by racking up 3.27 Yco/Att and forcing 70 missed tackles on. He checks another box as a top 10 finisher in pass blocking efficiency. The one knock is Dixon’s straight-line speed — he ran a 4.58 40-yard dash at the combine.
Dixon might not be a lead back right away, but his ability to contribute as a receiver should get him on the field early in Marc Trestman’s offense. Ravens backs saw 150 targets in 2015, and when Trestman was with the Bears in 2014, their backs saw 125.
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Dan Schneier is a staff writer at PFF Fantasy. You can find him and continue the conversation on Twitter @DanSchneierNFL.
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