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When compiling a list of the greatest NFL running backs of all time, many pundits make the mistake of simply referring back to the list of Top 10 career yardage men. Without a doubt, it's a solid assumption that there's a link, and quite a few of the best are listed.

But there are glaring omissions. Yardage statistics reward longevity as much as genuine impact - putting Curtis Martin over the likes of Earl Campbell, Gayle Sayers, and (sorry) O.J. Simpson. Martin was a durable and productive back, but the man who would take him over any of the other three is not playing on a 100-yard field, if you know what I mean.

My Dallas Cowboy blood runs dark and deep, so I'm obviously pulled from my core to pick Emmitt at the top - but I want to do this objectively.

There are other things to consider than just yardage. Since longevity skews things, I'm going to approach this by looking at it over their most productive three to five-year span. Then, since offensive and defensive schemes of the day dictate a lot of how much they produced, I'll compare them to other RBs of their day. Of course, I'll also consider major accomplishments, records and championships.

So according to their production (yardage and scoring), their dominance (superiority over peers), their impact on the league, and the scope of their individual legacies, here are the Top 8 Greatest NFL Running Backs of All Time:

1. Jim Brown (Cleveland Browns)
Before Sweetness, Emmitt, Barry, Dickerson, Dorsett or even O.J., Cleveland's Jim Brown defined what an iconic NFL player should be on the field. Statistically, Brown ranks eighth in all-time rushing yards (12,312), fifth in all-time rushing TDs (106), eighth in all-time total TDs (126), first in career yards per carry (5.2), and is the only NFL running back in history to average more than 100 yards per game over the course of a career. With three of those records falling fifth or lower, how is Brown the best NFL back of all time? Brown played only nine years, retiring before he turned 29. His best season was 1963 - a year that defenses shut down the ground game. That year, the backs who ranked second through fifth in rushing averaged just 849 yards, while the second-leading rusher ran for 1,018 yards. The top dog, Brown, ran for 1,868 - darn near the league average PLUS his closest competitor. In 2002, The Sporting News not only named him as the top running back of all time, but the best NFL player of all time.

2. Walter Payton (Chicago Bears)
The legendary Mike Ditka

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