Is Derrick Henry a good bet in the NFL?

Lately, the Alabama Crimson Tide is turning into the best place to find a top-tier college running back. Since Nick Saban came to town, the school has been a consistent threat to win the national championship and in the meantime, has been churning out first and second-round running backs like it is going out of style.

Alabama has given the National Football League plenty of good and bad at the position in recent seasons, with Eddie Lacy, Trent Richardson, T.J. Yeldon and Mark Ingram all being highly thought of going into the NFL draft.

Lacy has worked out to a point thus far in his three years with the Green Bay Packers, although his weight and work ethic are a constant problem. Yeldon has been up and down in his rookie season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, while Ingram was mostly a bust for the New Orleans Saints after being a first-round pick until finding his proverbial groove over the last season and a half.

Then there is Richardson, who was a top-three selection in the 2012 NFL Draft, only to be absolutely horrific. The Cleveland Browns thought they found their franchise running back, only to trade him in 2013 to the Indianapolis Colts for a first-round pick. Richardson then went to the Oakland Raiders on a two-year deal but was released and is now out of the league. In essence, Richardson actually cost two teams a first-round pick. Yikes.

Now, Alabama has its second Heisman Trophy winner in Derrick Henry, who along with Leonard Fournette was the best running back in the country. Henry is a beast at 6-foot-3 and 242 pounds. Henry measures like an inside linebacker and runs like one, bringing power and strength to every carry. Yet, his speed is lacking and there have to be some concerns about the workload he took on for the Crimson Tide.

This year, Henry toted the rock 339 times. Last year, Henry had 172 carries, splitting the time with Yeldon. Henry had a tremendous year with the Crimson Tide, rushing for 1,986 yards on 5.9 yards per carry with 23 touchdowns. There is no question the young man can play, but is he too big and perhaps already on the verge of wearing down after taking so many carries in the past two seasons?

Henry likely won’t be a first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, if only because the running back position is not nearly valued at the same premium it was in the past. Henry could and should be the first taken off the board at his position, save perhaps Ezekiel Elliott of the Ohio State Buckeyes.

The lingering question is whether Henry turns out to be a hard-working Lacy, or a gigantic bust in the mold of Richardson. It will be fascinating to see which team pulls the proverbial trigger.