The new rookie class is in and has left many surprised. While the average rookie who enters the league is around 21-22, most of them in this draft class are around 22-24, leaving the Jet’s star rusher Breece Hall surprised. Hall, who is already into his third season in the NFL will turn 23 this month, making him almost the same age or younger than some of these rookies.
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Reacting to a Pro Football post, Hall took to X(formerly Twitter) to express what he thought about rookie age from both the 2023 and the 2024 draft class, reacting to a post about the best rushers in the league under the age of 25. The list included Hall, Bijan Robinson, Jaymyr Gibbs, Kenneth Walker, Isiah Pacheco, De’Von Achane, Kyren Williams, and James Cook.
Crazy I’m going in to my 3rd year and some of the rookies still older than me https://t.co/EwDHFvQApu
— Breece Hall (@BreeceH) May 3, 2024
Hall who is 22, couldn’t fathom that Robinson, Pacheco, Gibbs, and Achane, all drafted after him are of the same age or older than him. Meanwhile, Kyren Williams and Cook were all drafted in the same draft class as Breece is older than him. The same goes for the running backs selected in the 2024 class. Trey Benson, the second rusher drafted, will turn 22 even before he gets to play a single snap. Blake Corum and Marshawn Lloyd, are both 23. Kimani Vidal drafted by the Chargers will turn 23 in August.
Meanwhile Breece Hall, into his third year, already has 1457 yards in just 24 matches. Last season, he nearly rushed for 1000 yards behind the worst Offensive Line in the NFL. But he is fast approaching his peak in the NFL, because as per Statista, the average time in the NFL is 4 years, but for RBs it is 2.57 years.
While most fans were appreciative of Hall and his journey, many others pointed out that the many rushers of the list drafted after him were better than him.
NFL World Responds to Breece Hall’s Surprising Age
Fans were surprised by the revelation of Hall’s age and how he had already made his mark even before he turned 23. Others were happy that he was playing for the Jets. However, not everyone is pleased with pointing out the ages of other RBs, many of whom are better than him with less experience. Others pointed out that COVID played a hand in these players playing more years in college and that’s why they are older. Fans said,
You’re only 22?? Sheeesh
— Skarda (@SKARDA___) May 3, 2024
Another chimed in and added,
You left college at 19 Beast?
— Justin Doyle (@CoachJDoyle) May 3, 2024
A fan quipped,
Absolute monster in this league. Thank the lord every day he’s a Jet!
— Eric Feldman (@Felddman) May 3, 2024
Someone stated,
Achane is way more explosive. Wait until he plays a full season this year. See you twice this year lil bro. pic.twitter.com/QERMnDQFS0
— Pancake Pete (@PancakePeter11) May 3, 2024
A user wrote,
Gibbs pretty much the same age, he turned 22 in march (2nd year) and you turn 23 on may 31st (3rd year)- and he’s better than you soooooo ♂️?
— Raven (@raven55205520) May 4, 2024
Others said,
COVID had guys playing for 5-6years lol. It worked out for some of them tho. Some of them wouldn’t have been drafted if they didn’t have those extra years to show some type of production
— JasonReynoldz (@JasonReynoldz) May 3, 2024
The average period for the rushers is so short that teams aren’t willing to draft them in the first round and aren’t willing to pay them like QBs and wideouts. Most RBs last season carried the bulk of the offense for their teams, yet the franchise’s unwillingness to shell out big bucks is something that has been going on for quite some time.
The league average for running backs is less than $3 million. There was a time when RBs dominated the league when the teams used to run the ball. Rushers like Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith, Eric Dickerson, etc were all selected in the 1st round. In 2024, the first RB drafted was in the 2nd round.
