NFL Draft Preview: Where Have All The Running Backs Gone?

The last time a running back was taken in the first round of the NFL Draft was 2012, when three of them went in the first 32 picks. Trent Richardson was a bust. Doug Martin and David Wilson can't stay healthy (in fact, Wilson is currently out of the league).

So you really can't blame pro football teams from being wary of taking a back too high. But this year that looks like it's going to change.

The college running back class of 2015 looks better than it has in years, with Heisman Trophy finalist Melvin Gordon, Georgia workhorse Todd Gurley, Indiana home run hitter Tevin Coleman, Nebraska speedster Ameer Abdullah, Boise State bruiser Jay Ajayi, the list goes on and on.

The Chargers, quite obviously, need help in the run game. But would they take the plunge and draft a runner that early?

Last time they did was Ryan Mathews, who showed flashes of brilliance but overall was underwhelming and injury-prone.

The time before that was LaDainian Tomlinson, who is arguably the greatest player in franchise history and will be a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee.

Before that, you'd have to go to Rod Bernstine back in 1987 to find a 1st-round Chargers running back selection.

NFL teams are more cautious now with drafting running backs, but Chargers general manager Tom Telesco told us recently the talent at the position this year could change the order of things. You can see what he has to say in the video below and check out the latest NBC Sports Pro Football Talk mock draft here.