The rundown on Tampa’s Cadillac Williams pick in 2005

Much like we discussed with Doug Martin earlier in the series, Cadillac Williams is another cautionary tale about drafting a running back in the first round of the NFL draft.

Williams was electric at Auburn, but he also was already a workhorse there — he averaged almost 20 carries per game in his last two seasons with the Tigers, which already put some mileage on him. He had a stellar rookie campaign as a thousand-yard rusher, but it all went downhill from there after he suffered multiple injuries in his 2007 and 2008 campaigns.

He had a decent season in 2009 after returning and playing a full 16 games, but in 2010 the Bucs had another star running back — LeGarrette Blount, who the Bucs claimed off of waivers from the Titans in 2010. Williams was phased out until he was eventually released, where he finished his career with the Rams as a rotational back.

Long story short is that running backs have a tremendously short shelf life, and picking one in the first round is rarely going to work out.