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Last week, we looked at the career leaders in rushing yards over worst starter; today, we use the same methodology but with yards from scrimmage. Let’s use Walter Payton’s 1977 season as an example.

That season, the NFL had 28 teams, and the 28th-ranked player in yards from scrimmage gained 854 yards.  But Payton, in his best season as a pro, rushed for 1,852 yards and picked up another 269 yards through the air, for a total of 2,121 yards from scrimmage.  That gave him 1,267 yards above the baseline of “worst starter.”  But remember, in ’77, the NFL had a 14-game schedule; pro-rate that to 16 games, and Peyton is credited with 1,448 yards over the baseline.  That’s the 2nd best season ever by this formula.

While 1977 was by far Payton’s best year, he dominated in this metric for most of his career, posting the 48th, 82nd, 87th, 90th, 94th, 108th, and 157th best seasons. And while Emmitt Smith finally edged past Payton on the career yards from scrimmage last in the final games of his career, Payton has a big edge in this metric because we are removing “junk” seasons. In fact, Payton has a big edge over just about everyone. Nobody forgets about Walter Payton, of course, but I wonder if sometimes his dominance in this metric is overlooked: he led the NFL in YFS in ’77 and ’78, then finished 2nd in the category in ’79. He ranked 3rd in YFS in ’80 and in ’83, ’84, and ’85. Add in a 4th-place finish in ’76 and a 5th-place in ’86, and that gives Payton a whopping 9 finishes in the top 5 in yards from scrimmage.

If we use the methodology described above for every season of a player’s career, we get what I think is a better version of the career yards from scrimmage leaders (at least for running backs) because we are removing junk seasons. Below are the career grades for the top 200 players (note that by default, the table only displays the top 25). I have also listed for each back his career yards from scrimmage and his rank in that category.

RkPlayerYFSRkFirst YrLast YrHOFVALUE
1Walter Payton21264319751987Yes8914
2Jim Brown148112319571965Yes7868
3Barry Sanders18190619891998Yes7351
4LaDainian Tomlinson18456520012011Not El.6312
5Marshall Faulk19154419942005Yes5842
6Emmitt Smith21579219902004Yes5829
7Eric Dickerson153961519831993Yes5260
8O.J. Simpson133783719691979Yes5139
9Tiki Barber156321219972006No4999
10Thurman Thomas16532919882000Yes4961
11Tony Dorsett162931019771988Yes4947
12Curtis Martin17430819952005Yes4768
13Don Hutson827517519351945Yes4560
14Jerry Rice23540119852004Yes4421
15Edgerrin James156101319992009No4411
16Ricky Watters148912219922001No4328
17Lydell Mitchell973710219721980No4027
18Adrian Peterson119055920072014Not El.3789
19Marcus Allen17654719821997Yes3675
20William Andrews863315419791986No3659
21Ottis Anderson133353819791992No3617
22Chuck Foreman910612119731980No3602
23Franco Harris144072519721984Yes3516
24Matt Forte114316620082014Not El.3441
25Clinton Portis119415720022010Not El.3362
26Steven Jackson150512120042014Not El.3357
27Roger Craig131004119831993No3296
28Herschel Walker130844219861997No3183
29Ahman Green120885519982009No3172
30Priest Holmes111347019972007No3140
31Chris Johnson107827720082014Not El.3055
32Lenny Moore112136919561967Yes3041
33Terrell Davis888714019952001No3019
34Lawrence McCutcheon837716519721981No2998
35Earl Campbell102139319781985Yes2947
36Shaun Alexander109737320002008No2934
37Ray Rice921411620082013Not El.2915
38Frank Gore139562920052014Not El.2846
39Eddie George126684619962004No2774
40Arian Foster835016820092014Not El.2764
41Wilbert Montgomery929111119771985No2755
42Fred Taylor140792819982010Not El.2726
43Jamaal Charles912212020082014Not El.2707
44Larry Brown836016719691976No2582
45Steve Van Buren638330319441951Yes2568
46Billy Sims717824019801984No2522
47Jim Taylor103538919581967Yes2467
48Jamal Lewis124865120002009No2452
49Ricky Williams126154819992011Not El.2451
50Leroy Kelly955510719641973Yes2448
51LeSean McCoy907412420092014Not El.2421
52Maurice Jones-Drew111117120062014Not El.2384
53Corey Dillon131544019972006No2292
54Jerome Bettis151112019932005Yes2285
55Brian Westbrook102759020022010Not El.2248
56Marshawn Lynch105948120072014Not El.2187
57Greg Pruitt874115019731984No2104
58Cliff Battles405767419321937Yes2103
59Clem Daniels845216319601968No2094
60Gerald Riggs970410319821991No2079
61John Riggins134423519711985No2014
62Charlie Garner108087619942004No1953
63Larry Johnson759620820032011Not El.1937
64Ron Johnson628531619691975No1918
65Curt Warner831117019831990No1903
66James Wilder950810919811990No1899
67Calvin Johnson105728220072014Not El.1874
68Frank Gifford904312819521964Yes1823
69Michael Irvin119105819881999Yes1806
70Randy Moss154511419982012Not El.1804
71James Brooks115836319811992No1798
72Neal Anderson892913719861993No1794
73Otis Armstrong575537719731980No1785
74Freeman McNeil110357219811992No1773
75Joe Cribbs755521119801988No1763
76Abner Haynes816518419601967No1757
77Marvin Harrison146082419962008No1743
78Jamal Anderson698125719942001No1717
79Joe Perry117446119481963Yes1704
80Floyd Little874115119671975Yes1667
81Wendell Tyler819418119771986No1666
82Lance Alworth103958619621972Yes1664
83Mike Pruitt923811519761986No1661
84Stephen Davis954610819962006No1655
85Warrick Dunn153061719972008No1648
86Andre Johnson136513320032014Not El.1643
87Earnest Byner128664519841997No1636
88Deuce McAllister781620120012008No1635
89Bobby Mitchell106897819581968Yes1622
90John Brockington648229419711977No1608
91Mark van Eeghen823417819741983No1598
92Gale Sayers626332219651971Yes1584
93Calvin Hill894413619691981No1581
94Garrison Hearst100319619932004No1549
95Jim Benton482051919381947No1537
96Timmy Brown726123519591968No1531
97Terry Allen102159219912001No1529
98Thomas Jones126144920002011Not El.1517
99Torry Holt134393619992009No1515
100Bill Brown902113019611974No1514
101Delvin Williams701325319741981No1506
102Ollie Matson845816219521966Yes1499
103Chet Mutryn488151319461950No1490
104Chris Warren963110519902000No1488
105DeMarco Murray572238420112014Not El.1458
106Chuck Muncie902512919761984No1432
107Mike Thomas620732519751980No1336
108Charley Hennigan682326519601966No1315
109Michael Turner786619920042012Not El.1299
110Robert Smith811019019932000No1276
111Ted Brown739622219791986No1275
112Charley Taylor105988019641977Yes1272
113Joe Washington825217619771985No1261
114Don Maynard119046019581973Yes1239
115Hugh McElhenny852815719521964Yes1217
116Sterling Sharpe820617919881994No1208
117James Lofton142502719781993Yes1205
118Sam Cunningham735822719731982No1202
119Le'Veon Bell347480020132014Not El.1200
120Henry Ellard138273119831998No1178
121Joe Morris654528819821991No1175
122Chad Johnson112346820012011Not El.1172
123Steve Smith136493420012014Not El.1166
124Rick Casares738522319551966No1161
125Rodney Hampton820618019901997No1144
126Dorsey Levens728923319942004No1144
127Billy Howton848816019521963No1140
128Jim Nance627131919651973No1138
129Duce Staley837216619972006No1131
130Harry Clarke2733102819401948No1124
131Isaac Bruce153471619942009No1117
132Larry Fitzgerald122145320042014Not El.1115
133John Williams966210419861995No1112
134Jimmy Smith122865219922005No1098
135Elroy Hirsch771620619461957Yes1089
136Willie Parker607534020042009No1089
137Mike Garrett749121519661973No1087
138Dave Hampton569238819691976No1087
139Dutch Clark311390619311938Yes1086
140MacArthur Lane744222019681978No1083
141Tim Brown151241919882004Yes1071
142Barry Foster474753819901994No1068
143Demaryius Thomas532344120102014Not El.1055
144John David Crow866215319581968No1048
145Terry Metcalf595535519731981No1032
146Beattie Feathers2223123919341940No1019
147Reggie Wayne143452620012014Not El.1012
148Domanick Williams447158820032005No1011
149Spec Sanders317288619461950No1006
150Johnny Strzykalski463355919461952No986
151Mal Kutner311990119461950No979
152Wes Welker99739820042014Not El.978
153Donny Anderson724423719661974No965
154Rudi Johnson665528120012008No958
155Ken Willard828917219651974No954
156Lorenzo White598035219881995No950
157Marion Motley582737219461955Yes946
158Antonio Brown534143920102014Not El.940
159Tom Tracy438061019561964No937
160Travis Henry703725120012007No937
161Greg Bell626632119841990No929
162Hoyle Granger499249819661972No927
163Gene Roberts303993119471950No923
164Tom Fears541242819481956Yes921
165Harlon Hill482052019541962No913
166Dan Towler415865919501955No903
167Gary Clark109107419851995No898
168Roddy White103768720052014Not El.894
169Tuffy Leemans355477919361943Yes888
170Herman Moore917411719912002No876
171Mac Speedie560240319461952No860
172Brandon Marshall98899920062014Not El.854
173Andy Farkas318988119381945No849
174Alfred Morris427263820122014Not El.844
175Essex Johnson497850119681976No838
176Don Woods444559219741980No831
177Rod Smith117376219952006No824
178Swede Hanson2447112919311938No822
179Alan Ameche477853019551960No821
180Bill Groman348379619601965No821
181Del Shofner647129519571967No808
182George Rogers754421219811987No801
183Steve Largent131723919761989Yes800
184Wes Chandler905012619781988No795
185Larry Csonka890113919681979Yes786
186Marv Hubbard517246619691977No778
187Doug Martin300694120122014Not El.772
188Ernie Caddel295295719331938No770
189Rickey Young695125919751983No766
190Alex Webster731723019551964No753
191Sherman Smith591335819761983No753
192Billy Hillenbrand287698819461948No751
193Reggie Bush895413520062014Not El.748
194Tom Sullivan442859619721978No742
195Billy Cannon611133319601970No738
196Tom Matte751521419611972No738
197Reuben Droughns459156920012008No730
198Eddie Lacy300194220132014Not El.727
199Andre Reed136983219852000Yes723
200DeAngelo Williams846716120062014Not El.723

Tiki Barber, Edgerrin James, Ricky Watters, Lydell Mitchell, and William Andrews check in as the only players in the top 20 not in the HOF. I am sure their rankings here don’t come as a shock to hardcore fans — all were dominant in their prime — but does this change your view on the HOF case for any of them?

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