NFL Draft: Re-drafting every first-round pick from 2017 NFL Draft

NFL Draft: Re-drafting every first-round pick from 2017 NFL Draft: 32, RB Leonard Fournette

Originally selected 4th overall (-28)

There are two sides to Leonard Fournette. The one who shows up in the regular season and the more famously known “Playoff Lenny” who turns into something else entirely.

During his first few years in the league, Fournette just didn’t seem to have it. Sure the numbers were great. In two of his three seasons in Jacksonville, Fournette cracked a thousand yards, including a career-high 1,152 in his last season wearing a Jaguars uniform. Still, while the numbers looked good on paper, something seemed to be missing.

As a collegiate player, Fournette was a dominant force. In his 2015 season, Fournette rushed for 1,953 yards and 22 touchdowns – a far cry from the numbers he was putting up in Jacksonville.

At the end of his 2019, the Jaguars decided to wash their hands and walk away. While out on the street, teams barely looked in his direction until the Tampa Bay Buccaneers decided to give him a shot. The regular season numbers were pathetic as he rushed for only 367 yards but once the playoffs rolled around, Fournette was a completely different player. Fournette rushed for 300 yards to go along with three touchdowns and was a major reason why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took home the Super Bowl this past season.

For the New Orleans Saints, they have enjoyed a ton of success with running back Alvin Kamara but more times than not, they split him out wide. For as great as he is, they’re missing a player who isn’t afraid to run between the tackles and pick up the dirty yards. That would be the perfect assignment for Fournette. Whether or not his addition would get them over the championship hump is another question entirely.