First-round picks past 15 years: 2

Top three rounds: 4

Total drafted: 6

The skinny: There's not all that many (the six draftees is tied for 12th in our span), but the six Golden Bears running backs in our span generally have been productive. The top Bear and the main reason Cal is ranked second is Marshawn Lynch, who is one of the two Cal first-rounders in our span and one of the NFL's top players. The other first-rounder was Jahvid Best, who had to retire because of concussion issues. It took a while, but seventh-rounder Justin Forsett has paid off in a nice way, and second-rounder Shane Vereen has been a steady producer. Second-rounder J.J. Arrington had a brief run as an effective third-down back.