NFL Running Back Rankings for 2021: Derrick Henry stiff-arms competition
By Randy Gurzi
Derrick Henry is the gold standard out of the backfield, but how do the rest of the ball-carriers stack up in our 2021 NFL running back rankings.
We have heard it time and again, the NFL is a passing league. And of course, the numbers support this since teams have been throwing the ball up and down the field more than ever in recent years.
However, there’s still a place for great running in this league and that was evident by the number of teams in the playoffs that had solid running games. With that being said, we take some time to acknowledge some of the best running backs in the NFL with these 2021 NFL Power Rankings of all 32 starting running backs.
Just as a side note, this is only looking at the starters which means some solid No. 2 guys such as Kareem Hunt and Tony Pollard won’t make the cut even though an argument could be made that they’re both top-20 guys with Hunt flirting with the top-10. Instead, we are looking solely at starters, beginning with La’Mical Perine of the New York Jets.
32. La’Mical Perine, New York Jets
You never want to disrespect a player and putting them at No. 32 sometimes feels as though that’s exactly what is happening. However, the issue with La’Mical Perine is that he enters 2021 without a whole lot of experience.
He never had 1,000-yards for the Florida Gators with 826 being his highest output back in 2018. As a rookie in 2020, the fourth-round pick had just 64 rushes for 232 yards and two scores.
New York won’t leave him unchallenged though as they added rookie Michael Carter and veteran Tevin Coleman — although he has had injury concerns. In the end, Perine might not hold the top job for long.
31. Chase Edmonds, Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals allowed Kenyan Drake to hit the open market this offseason and they replaced him with James Conner. As of now, it looks as though Chase Edmonds will start over Conner but neither is considered a superstar and Edmonds has just 959 yards in three seasons.
He’s another guy who could break out if given more opportunities, but as of now, he still has more to prove.