The running back position doesn’t carry the same weight in today’s NFL as it did 15 or 20 years ago, but it’s still crucial. Who are the best in the game?
The running back position used to be king in the NFL. It was such an important position to have a star player at, not unlike the quarterback position in today’s NFL.
At one point, the New Orleans Saints infamously traded an entire draft class (back in 1999) so they could select Texas star running back Ricky Williams.
Running backs were the game changers in the 90s and early 2000s, but the game has changed and evolved. This position is still obviously very important but the NFL is a quarterback-driven league and the running backs are secondary by comparison.
Now with the 2022 NFL Draft in the books, teams have mostly sorted out their rosters. Which teams have the best running backs?
Who are the best running backs in the NFL? We’re going to rank the top 32 from worst to best.
The best running backs in the NFL (that didn’t make the list)
- Dameon Pierce (Texans)
- Devin Singletary (Bills)
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Chiefs)
- James Robinson (Jaguars)
- Chase Edmonds (Dolphins)
Unfortunately, just because this is a list of the top 32 running backs in the NFL does not mean that all 32 teams are represented.
Sorry to the fans of the Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Houston Texans.
All of these players just missed the cut as the list was being assembled, and after picking backs from all 32 teams, these five had to be eliminated.
That’s not to say they can’t make it onto next year’s list, or even a midseason list. They are all talented players capable of making big contributions.
But they’re not in the top 32. These players are.
NFL top 32 running backs for 2022
32. Damien Harris, New England Patriots
Key Stats in 2021
- 1,061 yards from scrimmage
- 15 total touchdowns
- 18 receptions
To say that Damien Harris had a breakout season for the New England Patriots in 2022 would be a massive understatement.
Harris had two touchdowns combined in his first two NFL seasons coming out of Alabama, and he racked up a whopping 15 for the Patriots in 2021.
There’s very little question about the fact that the Patriots like to cycle through running backs. They will undoubtedly continue to do so, but Harris has effectively earned the title of “featured back” in an offense that is notorious for not having one.
Even with the Patriots’ depth at the running back position, Harris deserves an expanded role and entering a contract year, that couldn’t come at a better time.
31. D’Andre Swift, Detroit Lions
2021 stats:
- 1,069 yards from scrimmage
- 7 total touchdowns
- 62 receptions
In 13 games last season, D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams split carries almost right down the middle for the Detroit Lions.
Swift was more involved in the passing game, and wound up leading the Lions in total touches offensively with 213, catching a pretty robust 62 passes.
Still, the Lions need more from the former second-round pick out of Georgia. He’s only 23 this season and I expect the passing game to open up considerably for the Lions this year.
Detroit has added a number of key options in the passing game including first-round pick Jameson Williams and free agent acquisition DJ Chark.
If the passing game can open up for Detroit, things are going to be a lot easier on D’Andre Swift, who can be a dynamic three-down back at the NFL level.
If Swift can give the Lions a fully healthy season, I don’t think 1,800 yards from scrimmage is out of reach for him in 2022.
30. Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys
2021 stats:
- 1,056 yards from scrimmage
- 2 total touchdowns
- 39 receptions
- 489 kickoff return yards
- 1 KR TD
It feels almost a little dirty to put a “backup” running back higher than a couple of top backs on this list, but Tony Pollard feels about as worthy as anybody.
I think a number of NFL teams would take Pollard as their RB1 right now and if he would have been a free agent this year, I think he could have really cashed in.
Pollard can do a little bit of everything for you as a runner, receiver, and return man.
Including his return yardage, Pollard racked up over 1,500 total yards last season and while he only had two touchdowns offensively, there are some who think he would be better in the featured role in Dallas over Ezekiel Elliott.
The 2022 season represents a contract year for Pollard, and I think the Cowboys have to find a way to get him 200 touches for the first time as an NFL player.
29. Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams
2021 stats (3 playoff games):
- 248 yards from scrimmage
- 0 TD
- 8 receptions
The Los Angeles Rams were sent into a bit of a frenzy last year when Cam Akers went down with an injury that almost cost him his entire season.
Miraculously, Akers came back from an Achilles injury suffered in the offseason to play near the end of the year for the Rams and contribute heavily on their Super Bowl run.
He averaged over 80 yards from scrimmage per game in the postseason and I think he’s obviously in line to be a featured back in 2022 once again.
Akers showed a ton of promise in his rookie season out of Florida State back in 2020 but obviously, the injury in 2021 slowed down his hype some.
I think a lot of respect and credit is owed to Darrell Henderson as well. Henderson racked up 864 yards from scrimmage last season as well as eight total touchdowns.
Overall, though, I think Akers is going to get the lion’s share of carries this year and I think he’s in line to have a big-time breakout year as a third-year player in one of the best offenses in the league.
Although it may be a bit of a projection to put him over some of the other guys on this list, I think Akers deserves his spot here.
28. Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars
2021 stats
- Did not record any stats, was injured all of 2021
The next time we see Travis Etienne on the football field for a regular season game will be the first time we’ll have seen him in meaningful action since he was a member of the Clemson program.
Etienne made a brief appearance in the preseason last year, and it’s easy to forget just how dynamic and dependable he was as the primary back in Clemson’s offense.
The Jacksonville Jaguars desperately need Trevor Lawrence to show signs of progress in his second NFL season and a healthy Travis Etienne is going to help them do exactly that.
The team has certainly been hyping Etienne up this offseason as he makes his way back from the dreaded knee injury.
Etienne has legitimate 4.40 speed and is tough to track down when he gets a full head of steam.
Although speed is a huge part of his game, Etienne also is hard to bring down with arm tackles. He does a good job of fighting through contact in the open field even if he’s not a bruising type of back.
Coming back from injury, it’s hard to know exactly what to expect from Etienne. The Jaguars upgraded their offensive line this offseason and with a better coaching staff in place, I expect him to be a stud.
27. Kenneth Walker, Seattle Seahawks
2021 stats (at Michigan State)
- 1,725 yards from scrimmage
- 19 total touchdowns
- 13 receptions
There were few running backs in college football last season better than Kenneth Walker, who made a strong bid for the Heisman trophy with his 1,725 yards from scrimmage and 19 total touchdowns.
Walker has an outstanding combination of speed and contact balance that makes him an absolute nightmare at the second and third levels of defense.
The biggest question here — can Walker grow into a more dynamic presence on third down?
He only caught 13 passes at Michigan State last season and that’s obviously going to need to be a much bigger part of his game if he’s going to be a featured back in the NFL.
As a rookie, he will be working in tandem with the recently re-signed Rashaad Penny, a former first-round pick who averaged over six yards per carry last season for the Seahawks.
I think Walker will win the “featured” running back role as a rookie and I think we’ll see him do a really good job behind a revamped Seahawks offensive line.
26. Breece Hall, New York Jets
2021 stats (at Iowa State)
- 1,774 yards from scrimmage
- 23 total touchdowns
- 36 receptions
I decided to put New York Jets rookie running back Breece Hall above his fellow rookie Kenneth Walker for a couple of reasons.
First of all, I think Hall’s overall body of work at Iowa State is superior to what we saw from Walker in his time at both Wake Forest and Michigan State.
Hall was consistently great for Iowa State, including a much more expanded role as a pass catcher for the Cyclones.
The New York Jets also have a better offensive line than the Seahawks, and even though the two teams run similar offensive schemes, I think Hall has a better chance at early success.
That feels super weird to say, because the Jets haven’t exactly been a model of success offensively in recent years.
The addition of Laken Tomlinson at the guard position and the progression of the other young players on this Jets offensive line gives me hope that the team is going to be able to very effectively run the ball with Hall and 2021 rookie Michael Carter.
I think Hall is in line for a huge workload in 2022.
25. AJ Dillon, Green Bay Packers
2021 stats:
- 1,116 yards from scrimmage
- 7 total touchdowns
- 34 receptions
The Green Bay Packers have a quarterback with back-to-back MVP awards the last two seasons, and yet they also have two players on this list of the top 32 backs in the NFL.
The running backs for Matt LaFleur’s offense are a huge reason for Aaron Rodgers’ success.
Although the selection of AJ Dillon and the decision to give a big-money contract to Aaron Jones were not met with universal approval, the Packers realize the value those two players bring to the table.
For AJ Dillon, it’s more than just being a big, bruising back.
Splitting touches with Jones almost down the middle, these two players combined for 444 touches last year and Dillon made the most of his extended work, racking up 1,116 yards from scrimmage and seven total touchdowns.
Dillon averaged 13 touches per game for the Packers last season and should be in line for similar work in 2022.
24. Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns
2021 stats:
- 560 yards from scrimmage (8 games)
- 5 total touchdowns
- 22 receptions
Although he only played in eight games this past season, I think Kareem Hunt deserves his placement on this list as an all-around running back.
Between he and Nick Chubb, it’s amazing that anyone is ever really able to stop the Cleveland Browns’ running game.
Not only do the Browns have a tremendous offensive line, but Hunt and Chubb are two of the best in the business at breaking tackles and creating yardage after contact.
It wasn’t that long ago that Hunt was arguably a top three back in the league for the Kansas City Chiefs.
When he’s healthy, Kareem Hunt is simply tough to handle as a featured runner. He can wear you down with yards after contact, and he’s so dynamic in space as a receiver with soft hands.
Even working in tandem with one of the best backs in the game, Nick Chubb, Hunt is more than capable of racking up 1,200-1,500 yards from scrimmage and double-digit touchdowns.
23. Melvin Gordon, Denver Broncos
2021 stats:
- 1,131 yards from scrimmage
- 10 total touchdowns
- 28 receptions
As Javonte Williams began to emerge for the Denver Broncos last season, Melvin Gordon just continued to provide the team a steady presence offensively.
The Broncos signed Gordon in free agency back in 2020 and that move has paid off for them at least in the form of Gordon’s statistical production and on-field impact.
Gordon has shown the value of having a veteran runner on a mostly young offense, racking up over 1,100 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns in each of his first two seasons with the Broncos.
He has had some issues with fumbles (seven in two seasons with the Broncos) but Gordon has also been one of the only consistent sources of offense in Denver over the last two seasons with 20 total touchdowns.
He returns in 2022 to pair up with Javonte Williams again. Even if Gordon’s role is a bit more limited this season, he should be a big impact on the Broncos’ offense with Russell Wilson at the quarterback position.
22. JK Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens
2020 stats (missed all of 2021 with injury):
- 925 yards from scrimmage
- 9 total touchdowns
- 18 receptions
The last time we saw a healthy JK Dobbins was also the last time the Baltimore Ravens’ offense actually looked good.
The Ravens cycled through so many running backs last season, and fantasy football players who won their leagues in 2016 couldn’t believe all the superstars Baltimore was able to collect on one roster.
Players like Le’Veon Bell, Devonta Freeman, and Latavius Murray have all been part of the Ravens’ backfield recently, but none of them was able to provide the same kind of impact we saw from former Ohio State star JK Dobbins when he was last the featured back in the Baltimore offense.
Coming back from injury in 2022, the Ravens are obviously hoping that Dobbins can return to his pre-injury form and even take the next step forward.
I don’t think it’s out of the question that we could see at least 1,500 yards from scrimmage for Dobbins this year, provided he can stay on the field.
21. Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles
2021 stats:
- 912 yards from scrimmage
- 0 TD
- 26 receptions
Given the emphasis the Philadelphia Eagles placed on running the ball last season, I think maybe the most shocking statistic of anyone on this list is the fact that Miles Sanders didn’t have a single touchdown — rushing or receiving — in 2021.
Sanders is still one of the better backs in the NFL, and I think his 2022 play is going to confirm that.
Entering a contract year, Sanders has only played 12 games in each of the last two seasons and he’s going to need to prove that he can stay healthy if he’s going to get a new deal from the Eagles.
Along with that, the production has to be better.
Even though the Eagles give plenty of touches to guys like Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell, Sanders has to do his part to assert his spot on this roster as the RB1.
As the Eagles’ offense continues to make strides, I think Sanders is going to find himself in more and more favorable situations.
He should be poised for his best year as a pro in 2022.
20. James Conner, Arizona Cardinals
2021 stats
- 1,127 yards from scrimmage
- 18 total touchdowns
- 37 receptions
The Arizona Cardinals took a shot on James Conner in free agency last year, and it paid off for them in a big way.
Conner’s 2021 season is probably about as close to a modern-day version of something we might have seen from Jerome Bettis back in 2004 and 2005. Bettis didn’t average four yards per carry but it didn’t matter — he found his way to the end zone 22 times on 360 total carries over that timeframe.
Similarly, James Conner averaged a pretty ugly 3.7 yards per carry for the Cardinals last season but racked up a whopping 18 total touchdowns, 15 of which came as a runner.
Considering he also had a long of just 35 yards, you could say Conner was one of the best red zone weapons in the NFL last year.
The Cardinals decided that was the case by giving him a new deal in free agency.
Although he’s not spectacular as an all-around back, there’s plenty that Conner can do well, especially closing out drives by finding the end zone.
19. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
2021 stats:
- 856 yards from scrimmage
- 4 total touchdowns
- 41 receptions
I think this ranking for Saquon Barkley is going to be viewed as disrespectful based on his talent, but what has the guy done lately?
He’s played just 15 games over the last two seasons and having too much respect for his talent has gotten many fantasy football managers burned in recent years.
I think Barkley needs a change of scenery, but then again, the arrival of Brian Daboll as the head coach in New York could serve as an effective enough “change of scenery” to help the former no. 2 overall pick rebound his career.
Barkley’s talent is tremendous. His work ethic is undeniable.
Unfortunately, the Giants just haven’t been able to get him back to the level we saw in 2018 or even 2019.
At 100 percent health, I think Barkley is a threat to win the rushing crown in the NFL. Especially after the Giants went out this offseason and landed Mark Glowinski and Evan Neal as upgrades to their offensive line, Barkley could be poised for a massive (contract) season.
18. Cordarrelle Patterson, Atlanta Falcons
2021 stats:
- 1,166 yards from scrimmage
- 11 total touchdowns
- 52 receptions
It’s bizarre to even be putting Cordarrelle Patterson on a list like this.
Cordarrelle Patterson — top 20 running back in the NFL.
Who would have thought?
The former jack-of-all-trades at Tennessee has proven his worth as a versatile weapon in the NFL. That’s why so many teams have wanted him despite being somewhat of a “bust” as a former first-round pick.
Has he lived up to the hype as a first-round receiver? No. But Patterson has found any and every way he can to make an impact in the NFL and most recently, he did it as a running back with the Falcons wearing no. 84.
It was odd to watch on a weekly basis, there’s no question.
For the better part of the last decade, Patterson has made his living as one of the best return men in the game. For the first time since being drafted, he eclipsed 1,000 yards from scrimmage as an offensive player, running for 618 yards and six touchdowns for Arthur Smith’s Falcons.
He also caught 52 passes for 548 yards.
Even at the age of 31, you can’t help but feel that some of Patterson’s best days are ahead of him now that the positionless offensive weapon is en vogue.
17. Elijah Mitchell, San Francisco 49ers
2021 stats:
- 1,100 yards from scrimmage
- 6 total touchdowns
- 19 receptions
It wasn’t Raheem Mostert. It wasn’t third-round pick and College Football Playoff star Trey Sermon.
It was Eli Mitchell that made most of the noise in the running game for one of the league’s best running teams last year.
Mitchell, a sixth-round pick out of Louisiana-Lafayette, is the quintessential zone running scheme back and exactly the type of player that used to find consistent success with Kyle Shanahan’s dad Mike when he was coaching 1,000-yard rushers annually for the Denver Broncos.
Mitchell barely missed running for 1,000 himself last season but still topped that mark as an all-purpose back. He was trustworthy for a team that finished in the NFL’s final four last season, averaging a rock-solid 4.7 yards per carry and most importantly, not fumbling the ball a single time.
The 49ers will undoubtedly lean on Mitchell again this season as their featured back.
His combination of speed and vision is deadly in the Shanahan offense.
16. Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders
2021 stats:
- 1,220 yards from scrimmage
- 9 total touchdowns
- 54 receptions
I think in making this list, Josh Jacobs was one of the toughest guys to place.
There are games when he looks like a top-five back in the league, and then there are stretches of games where he looks like he could be benched.
At any rate, Jacobs has topped 1,200 yards from scrimmage in each of his first three NFL seasons and has racked up 28 total touchdowns in that timeframe.
He’s proven himself to be a capable three-down back with a career-best 54 receptions this past season.
Still, you can’t really shake this feeling that both the previous and current regimes in Las Vegas were actively trying to replace him.
The previous regime signed Kenyan Drake to a pretty good-sized contract in free agency, and the new regime brought in Brandon Bolden as well as two picks in the 2022 NFL Draft — including Georgia’s Zamir White — to add depth and competition.
The Raiders did decline Jacobs’ fifth-year option, so who knows how high this new staff is on him? He’s got one year to prove himself to them.
15. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers
2021 stats
- 1,190 yards from scrimmage
- 10 total touchdowns
- 52 receptions
With Davante Adams being shipped off to the Las Vegas Raiders, it’s about to be the Aaron Jones show in Green Bay.
Jones has been a featured runner for the Packers already, but without Adams, I think he’s going to have an absolutely massive role in this offense which could include 80 or more targets in the passing game.
With 40 total touchdowns over the last three seasons, Jones has already proven himself as a dynamic all-around back, and that’s going to a whole new level in 2022.
He’ll split plenty of time with AJ Dillon for the Packers as well, but Jones is poised to be the featured back in one of the most productive offenses in the league.
Jones is one of the more underrated big-play threats in the game today. He has runs of at least 57 yards or longer in each of the last four seasons and can give the Packers that home run ability from anywhere on the field.
I think we’re going to see him easily eclipse 300 total touches in 2022, something he has yet to do in the NFL.
14. David Montgomery, Chicago Bears
2021 stats:
- 1,150 yards from scrimmage
- 7 total touchdowns
- 42 receptions
Help us David Montgomery, you’re our only hope.
The Chicago Bears have never needed David Montgomery to step up as much as they need him to step up in the 2022 season.
The fate of Justin Fields could be riding on how much they can rely on this guy for offensive stability and balance.
Although he had just 1,150 yards from scrimmage last year, we have seen over the past couple of seasons the type of all-around back Montgomery is capable of being.
The biggest questions right now with the Chicago Bears rest with the new offensive scheme, the offensive line play, and of course Justin Fields.
Montgomery can’t be dragging this offense and the line has to be better in front of him, but the potential is there for him to not only have an outstanding contract year with the Bears but also to help Fields’ development in a significant way.
I think Montgomery is going to see a significant uptick in total usage this year.
13. Antonio Gibson, Washington Commanders
2021 stats:
- 1,331 yards from scrimmage
- 10 total touchdowns
- 42 receptions
Even though Gibson was more productive statistically in year two than in his rookie season, it still felt like a lot of tough sledding for him in 2021.
He averaged just 4.0 yards per carry and Washington certainly gave him more opportunities in the 16 games he played.
He had just 170 carries in 2020 as a rookie but that number got boosted by nearly 100 in his second season, and more carries does not always equate to more productivity or efficiency.
Gibson is getting some more help this year in the form of Alabama running back Brian Robinson Jr., and while that addition may terrify fantasy football people, I think it’s going to help Gibson become the most effective version of himself that he can be for the Commanders’ offense.
For some guys, less is more, and less of a workload as a running back could open opportunities for more targets in the passing game for Gibson to get involved there.
Gibson also has to cut down on the fumbles (6 in 2021) but I think the potential is there for him to ascend over 1,500 yards from scrimmage and 15 total touchdowns if utilized properly.
12. Leonard Fournette, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2021 stats:
- 1,266 yards from scrimmage
- 10 total touchdowns
- 69 receptions
Believe it or not, only two running backs have more receptions since 2019 than Leonard Fournette.
The Buccaneers and specifically Tom Brady ask for and expect a lot out of Fournette, but I think he understood that when he signed up to play for this team back in 2020.
The former fourth overall pick out of LSU averaged a career-best 4.5 yards per carry last season for the Buccaneers and matched his career-high with 10 total touchdowns.
The Buccaneers obviously brought him back for a third season with the team and they did so after saying goodbye to Ronald Jones, the former second-round pick out of USC.
Fournette will still split plenty of time with Giovani Bernard as well as rookie Rachaad White coming in this year, but I think as an all-around back, he’s been very good for the Buccaneers who have needed him to step up in some big spots.
He was instrumental in their Super Bowl run a couple of years ago and they will lean on him again this year as they attempt to take back their crown as the NFL’s best in 2022.
Fournette may not have as many 80-yard runs as he did when he was with the Jaguars, but that big-play ability is still in him as well.
11. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers
2021 stats (7 games):
- 785 yards from scrimmage
- 2 total touchdowns
- 37 receptions
Yes, this ranking is going to be hotly contested, and I get it.
I put Saquon Barkley at no. 19 on this list, asking what have you done for me lately, but put Christian McCaffrey just on the periphery of the top 10 overall.
It seems hypocritical, and you can call it that if you want. I feel like McCaffrey is simply one of the most impactful players in the NFL and has proven it more so than Barkley or other guys who have struggled badly with injuries the past couple of seasons.
McCaffrey has multiple seasons with 100-plus receptions and over 1,000 yards rushing. How many guys have done that in league history?
He’s so dynamic when he’s playing at full strength, and he’s one of the best all-purpose threats in the entire NFL.
Heck, even playing with and through an injury in seven games during the 2021 season, he still managed to average more than 100 yards from scrimmage per game.
I think we’re going to see a fully healthy McCaffrey in 2022 and a very motivated McCaffrey to carry this sorry Panthers offense back to relevance.
10. Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos
2021 stats:
- 1,219 yards from scrimmage
- 7 total touchdowns
- 43 receptions
I think many people loved Javonte Williams coming out of North Carolina. I don’t know that everyone legitimately expected a sequel to the destructive running style we saw from him in 2020 at Chapel Hill in his first season in the NFL.
Javonte Williams was a weekly candidate for Angry Runs and deservedly so. His ability to carry defenders (see: Baltimore Ravens game, Dallas Cowboys game) for 10 or more yards is astounding to witness.
As great as Williams is at creating yardage after contact, he needs to be more elusive in the open field as well.
That’s the next progression in his game, because we already know that arm tackling from three, four, or even five guys at a time isn’t going to bring this dude down.
The Broncos brought back Melvin Gordon but Williams should still be in for a very healthy workload under new head coach Nathaniel Hackett.
How will his fit be in the wide zone offense? If Williams can have better vision as a runner, the sky is the limit for the kind of production we might see out of him.
9. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals
2021 stats:
- 1,519 yards from scrimmage
- 16 total touchdowns
- 42 receptions
The Cincinnati Bengals have one of the most dynamic offenses in the NFL.
Led by MVP candidate Joe Burrow, they have one of the most explosive passing attacks in pro football, and Burrow has the ability to spread the ball to a trio of outstanding receivers in Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd.
Not to be forgotten, however, is Joe Mixon, who racked up 16 total touchdowns and over 1,500 yards from scrimmage this past season.
The Bengals leaned heavily on Mixon down the stretch and in the playoffs last year. He had 85 touches in the postseason alone and set a career mark with 334 touches in the regular season as well.
Mixon has been nothing if not dependable over the last few years for the Bengals, and even though his career average of 4.1 yards per carry is nothing to write home about, he’s still one of the most effective backs in the league.
8. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
2021 stats
- 1,289 yards from scrimmage
- 12 total touchdowns
- 47 receptions
One thing you can say about Ezekiel Elliott that you simply can’t say about every running back in the NFL — this guy is durable.
He missed six games in his second NFL season, but since that time, he’s played all but two games at one of the toughest positions in the NFL to find longevity and consistent availability.
That stands for something, no doubt.
Early on in his career, it looked like you could book Zeke Elliott for around 1,800-2,000 yards from scrimmage per season. That simply hasn’t been the case in the last three years.
Yes, his touches and usage have gone down, but his production has also diminished quite a bit since his rookie contract.
That’s just being hard on a great player, though. Elliott bounced back this past season with 12 total touchdowns, but believe it or not, he only has four games with 100 or more rushing yards in 2020 and 2021 combined.
Are the days of feeding Zeke well behind us at this point?
The reality is, when the Cowboys do feed him, they win ballgames. They are 4-0 in those games where he runs for over 100 yards and 8-1 over the last two seasons when he has at least 80 rushing yards.
7. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings
2021 stats (13 games):
- 1,383 yards from scrimmage
- 6 total touchdowns
- 34 receptions
The Minnesota Vikings absolutely need Dalvin Cook to stay healthy.
In five NFL seasons, Cook has never played all 16 (or 17) games and that’s pretty reasonable when you consider the position he plays.
I don’t know that anyone expects running backs to play all 17 games these days but if Cook could play 15, he might wind up leading the NFL in yards from scrimmage and total touchdowns.
From 2019-20, Cook had 30 touchdowns in just 28 games played.
This past season, the touchdown numbers were down but Cook’s effectiveness remains.
He is able to average 100 yards from scrimmage easily each game he plays in and has tremendous value on all three downs with the speed to score from 75 yards out just as easily as he can do it from 10 and in.
As a matter of fact, Cook has runs of 66 yards or longer in each of the last four seasons.
He’s simply one of the best, most dynamic running backs in the league right now, and if he’s fully healthy, he is a superstar at the position.
6. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers
2021 stats:
- 1,667 yards from scrimmage
- 10 total touchdowns
- 74 receptions
Was there any doubt that Najee Harris would get a massive workload immediately last season from the Pittsburgh Steelers?
First of all, the Steelers took him in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. There’s no point in taking a running back in round one if you aren’t going to get an immediate return on investment.
For Harris, there’s no question about his three-down abilities but seeing him this heavily featured in an offense was new, even though he was the RB1 for Alabama.
As a rookie, Harris touched the ball a whopping 381 times. Even Le’Veon Bell in his hayday with the Steelers only topped that number once.
With either Mitchell Trubisky or a rookie quarterback on tap for the Steelers in 2022, could we see Najee Harris top 400 touches?
It’s not out of the realm of possibility.
Don’t be shocked if this guy leads the league in all-purpose yards this season.
5. Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers
2021 stats:
- 1,558 yards from scrimmage
- 20 total touchdowns
- 70 receptions
Truth be told, Austin Ekeler could probably be higher on this list.
Although there are backs with a better body of work, recency bias says he should probably be right behind Jonathan Taylor as the top overall running backs in the league right now.
Spoiler alert.
Ekeler has never been a “featured” runner in the NFL, but since he has really started getting extended playing time for the Chargers, he’s become arguably the best pass-catching back in the league.
With 70 receptions this past season, Ekeler proved he’s one of the most valuable offensive weapons in the league overall.
His 20 total touchdowns in 2021 almost matched his previous four seasons combined (25 total TDs).
Although the Los Angeles Chargers have a variety of players that receive more publicity than Ekeler, he’s become one of the toughest players at his position in the NFL to defend.
4. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
2021 stats (13 games):
- 1,337 yards from scrimmage
- 9 total touchdowns
- 47 receptions
Incredibly, Alvin Kamara has never rushed for 1,000 yards in the NFL.
That didn’t stop the New Orleans Saints from paying him $75 million on a five-year contract.
Kamara is highly paid not because he’s just a workhorse back like the top three guys on this list, but because he is arguably the best all-around back in the game when it comes to running and catching passes.
This past season, Kamara hit a career-low with 3.7 yards per carry. That doesn’t mean you should sell your stock in this guy.
Since he came into the NFL five years ago, Kamara has almost managed to average a touchdown per game.
He is so dynamic as a receiver and in the open field, and in 2020 it reached a peak for him with 21 total touchdowns.
There are moments where Kamara is truly unstoppable when he gets the ball and the Saints need him to return to that 2020 form this coming season with Jameis Winston back in the fold and healthy.
3. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
2021 stats (14 games):
- 1,433 yards from scrimmage
- 9 total touchdowns
- 20 receptions
Nick Chubb’s production as a RB1 for the Cleveland Browns is even more impressive when you consider the fact that he splits so much time in the backfield with Kareem Hunt.
Over four years and 58 games, Chubb averages 5.3 yards per carry. In many ways, the arrival of Hunt has allowed Chubb to maximize his efficiency as he averages only 15.7 carries per game over the course of his four year NFL career.
Chubb is one of the best running backs in the NFL after contact. He’s a tackle-breaking machine.
He’s a truly special three-down back and seeing videos like this, it’s no wonder he’s able to shrug off tacklers so easily.
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1523701586446405639
As big and strong as Chubb is, he’s not missing dynamic long speed. He’s a complete running back who is capable of absolutely taking over games.
There’s nothing he can’t do well and if he were given the same treatment in terms of carries and touches per game as Derrick Henry or Jonathan Taylor, his production would be bananas.
2. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
2021 stats (8 games)
- 1,091 yards from scrimmage
- 10 total touchdowns
- 18 receptions
Does any non-quarterback mean more to their team’s offense than Derrick Henry for the Tennessee Titans?
The winds of change are blowing for this team offensively.
Obviously, it was just 2020 when Ryan Tannehill signed a pretty big contract as this team’s franchise quarterback, but the Draft night trade of AJ Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles certainly indicated that something is going on behind the scenes for the Titans.
Then, on day two, the team drafted Liberty quarterback Malik Willis, a projected first-round pick by most who lasted way longer than he probably should have, even as raw as he might be.
With Willis now in the fold, Tannehill’s future in Tennessee is officially on notice.
Could the Titans move forward with Malik Willis sooner than later?
If that happens, and even if it doesn’t, the pressure is going to be on Derrick Henry yet again to provide sustained offense.
Over the last three years, even considering he suffered an injury in 2021, Henry is averaging a whopping 115 rushing yards per game and almost 320 touches per season.
How long can his body handle that? We’re fixing to find out. He’s too difficult for defenses to stop even when they know he’s getting the ball.
1. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
2021 stats:
- 2,171 yards from scrimmage
- 20 total touchdowns
- 40 receptions
Could number one on this list be anyone else after the 2021 NFL season?
Jonathan Taylor is fresh off of a truly MVP-caliber season which isn’t easy for running backs in today’s game to do.
He racked up over 2,100 yards from scrimmage with 20 total touchdowns, establishing himself as the likely number one overall pick in fantasy football ahead of the 2022 season.
It’s one thing to rack up scrimmage yards, it’s another to do it as efficiently as Taylor does it.
In his sophomore NFL season, he averaged 5.5 yards per carry and 106.5 yards per game in total.
In his first 32 NFL games, Taylor has 32 total touchdowns.
With his combination of size, speed, vision, power, and playmaking ability, there’s not much that can stand in this guy’s way.
The Colts have some reshuffling going on with their offensive line this year but with Matt Ryan as the starting quarterback, there could be even better balance for this team offensively in 2022.
The production we saw in 2021 will be hard to repeat for Jonathan Taylor, but he’s a true workhorse capable of consistent dominance.