7. James White, RB – New England Patriots
White was the 37th-best running back in 2017, according to Pro Football Focus, which classifies him as an average player at his position.
White is a running back in name only. The former Wisconsin back has made a name for himself in the Patriots offense as one of Tom Brady’s trustiest receivers. White hardly played his rookie season, but has been a menace for opposing defenses ever since. He’s caught at least 40 passes each of the last three seasons.
Much like Clement, White also shined the brightest on the biggest stage. In Super Bowl LI, the historic Patriots comeback against the Atlanta Falcons, White caught 14 passes for 110 yards and one touchdown, and rushed six times for 29 yards and two touchdowns. He also converted on a two-point conversion that was key in the comeback effort.
The highlight of White’s Super Bowl was the game-winning score in overtime that completed one of the best Super Bowls in NFL history.
At Wisconsin
White was an extremely underrated player in college. As a freshman he ran for over 1,000 yards and scored 14 touchdowns. He was part of the offense in 2010 that had three dominant rushers (Montee Ball and John Clay) and Ball finished four yards shy of being the third 1,000-yard back on the team. Ball dominated the following season leaving only 713 yards for White on the ground. He played his junior year behind Ball as well, racking up 806 rushing yards. His senior year he split time Melvin Gordon, but put up a more impressive 1,444 yards. His career total trumps the 4,000-yard threshold.
White is going to continue to help the Patriots spread the field in the passing game. There are no signs the Patriots offense will slow down, so there are no signs White is going to stop catching passes in the NFL.