NFL: 30 running backs who got better after leaving their first team

The guys on this list so far have been former first-round draft picks, but Peyton Hillis came from the opposite end, selected in the seventh round by the Denver Broncos.

He was projected to be a fullback with the team, but injuries to their starting running backs gave the former Arkansas Razorback opportunities to play. He got six starts as a rookie and scored six times before going down with an injury himself.

Hillis played very little the following season and ended up being traded to the Cleveland Browns in 2010. Similar to his start with Denver, injuries paved the way for him to start early in the season again.

This time Hillis excelled, starting with 22 carries and 144 yards in Week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens. His performances were a mixed result, but when he was on – he was on fire. That includes a career-high 29 carries, 184 yards, and two touchdowns in a win over the New England Patriots.

Hillis finished the season with 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns, along with 61 catches for 477 yards and two touchdowns as a receiver. He became a bright spot for Cleveland and a fan favorite, winning the fan vote tournament for the Madden NFL 12 cover.

That proved to be the beginning of the end for Hillis, as the “Madden curse” claimed another victim. Injuries limited him to just 10 games the following season, with the Browns electing not to bring him back in the ensuing offseason.

The Kansas City Chiefs, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the New York Giants gave him a flyer between 2012 to 2014, but he never could get back the magic he had in 2010 with Cleveland. Hillis retired with less than 3,000 total rushing yards, but will always have the Madden cover to look back on.