Buccaneers Leonard Fournette Snubbed in PFF Rankings

No love for 'Lombardi Lenny' from the football grading site.

Leonard Fournette didn't arrive to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a whole lot of support. 

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Some were concerned, or convinced even, that he'd be cancer to the locker room and nothing else. 

Even those who liked the move had doubts he'd ever deliver on the potential many saw in him when he came into the league out of LSU. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back, Leonard Fournette

And while Fournette has become Playoff, Lombardi, Lambeau, and even Regular Season versions of popular 'Lenny' nicknames, it appears Pro Football Focus isn't as big a fan of the veteran running back, entering his third season with the Bucs. 

Completely missing from PFF's rankings and tiers of running backs for 2022, the snub is a clear result of national star-searching overweighing quality and contributions, at a team-to-team level. 

Something noted by Pewter Report's Bailey Adams. 

"It’s hard to understand why (Fournette) isn’t on PFF’s top 20 list," Adams wrote. "He proved to be more than just a “solid starter” last year and was near the upper echelon of backs in terms of production."

Of course, PFF has its own grading system, which is what landed on the football information scene in the first place. 

And they use those same internal valuations of play to determine lists like these. 

As Adams pointed out, Fournette scored a 75.1 overall grade for 2021, which placed him 21st among all qualifying backs last season. 

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On the surface, this could explain his absence from the top 20, but the issue that comes into play here is the fact backs with much fewer touches can feasibly rank ahead of others that contribute on a much larger scale for their teams. 

This is true in Fournette's case, as his grade may not reach as high as some other players while his workload and influence on his team's successes and failures are astronomically higher. 

Even Fournette's grade as a receiver, which is low compared to some, is better than other backs ranked ahead of him, like Nick Chubb (Cleveland Browns), Joe Mixon (Cincinnati Bengals), and Najee Harris (Pittsburgh Steelers). 

"So, on the whole," Adams continues. "It’s hard to see PFF’s grades being the reason for his snub. And if it wasn’t the grading system, what was it? It certainly wasn’t a lack of production or health."

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette (right, No. 7) and wide receiver Chris Godwin (left, No. 14)

Indeed, it is hard to understand how the Buccaneers' starting back was left off the list of top 20 running backs. And I can assure you there are not 20 other NFL running backs the team would rather have over Fournette. 

Perhaps the dark side of the 'Brady Effect' is in play here, and Fournette's rise as a feature back with the Bucs is being overcast by how much influence others measure the team's quarterback on that production. 

Whatever the cause, it's clear that while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may once again be Super Bowl favorites, not every player on the roster is getting a share of that championship-caliber valuation. 

For more on this and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers check out James Yarcho and David Harrison on the Locked On Bucs Podcast!