There are a ton of high-end running backs in the NFL. Let's power rank the 10 best as the 2025 NFL Offseason rolls on. With a bit of a resurgence in the run game over the last couple of seasons, the running back position has become more valuable and is now something we see teams prioritize more than ever.
Now yes, teams do not necessarily need an elite running back to win a Super Bowl, but teams still do need a strong run game. Well, the good news for these teams is that they've got some of the best backs in the NFL.
We ranked the top-10 here.
NFL Power Rankings: Who are the 10 best running backs in the league?
10. Joe Mixon, Houston Texans
Kicking off this list is Joe Mixon, one of the more consistently above-average players in the NFL. While Mixon has never truly emerged as an elite running back, he has still rushed for at least 1,000 yards in five of his eight NFL seasons, which is insane production over a long stretch of time.
The coveted 10,000 career rushing yards is also within striking distance for Mixon, who could probably hit it during the 2027 NFL Season.
9. Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings
Approaching 10,000 offensive yards, Aaron Jones is a lot like Joe Mixon in that he also has been a consistently above-average player for years. In 2024 for the Minnesota Vikings, Jones rushed for 1,138 yards and caught 51 receptions for 408 yards.
One of the better dual-threat backs in the NFL, Jones earned another payday from the Vikings this offseason and should have another solid year of high-end production.
8. Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
No. 8 in our power rankings, Kyren Williams has rushed for 26 touchdowns over the last two seasons and has also added 2,443 yards since the start of the 2023 NFL Season. Williams isn't the most explosive running back and isn't going to outrun many, but he's simply so good at pretty much everything else and is absolutely among the best backs in the league.
7. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
Jonathan Taylor is among the best pure runners in the NFL, but between college and the NFL, he has carried the ball a ton and might be starting to feel that, as he's played in just 35 games over the last three seasons and has played just one full season in the NFL through the first five years of his NFL career.
With 6,013 yards since entering the NFL, Taylor averages a stellar 1,526 yards per 17-game season, so the production is truly elite.
6. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
Playing in just four games in 2024, Christian McCaffrey has battled injuries for the majority of his NFL career, and it's truly a shame, as he's a generational, all-time type of talent. McCaffrey has been able to play in 95 regular season games, and he's rushed for 6,387 yards and has caught another 524 passes for 4,466 yards.
He's got 10,853 yards on offense across his career and has made three Pro Bowls. Even with the injury season in 2024, it just did not feel right to leave him off this list.
5. Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers
With four 1,000-yard seasons in six years in the NFL, one of the best pure runners in the NFL is Josh Jacobs. He just turned 27 years old and added another 1,329 yards with the Green Bay Packers in the 2024 NFL Season. Jacobs has struggled at times to stay on the field, but he did play in all 17 games.
Jacobs is the fifth-best running back in our power rankings.
4. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
Just shy of 2,000 offensive yards in 2024 with the Detroit Lions, Jahmyr Gibbs comes in at no. 4 in our running back power rankings. Gibbs and the Lions are an offensive juggernaut, and there really isn't a lot to like with him as a player.
He's still just 23 years old and is honestly on pace to be an all-time great player.
3. Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens
Just 79 yards short of his second 2,000-yard season, Derrick Henry is a future HOFer at the position and is still among the elite running backs in the NFL. He signed with the Baltimore Ravens last offseason, which ended up being the perfect fit for him.
Still also one of the best offensive players in the NFL, you truly have to wonder when the wheels will begin to fall off.
2. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Coming in at no. 2 in our power rankings, Bijan Robinson is among the elite players in the NFL and is among the best dual-threat backs in the NFL, having accumulated 1,887 yards on offense in 2024. Robinson and the Atlanta Falcons are entering a huge third year together, as Michael Penix Jr is now the guy for them.
1. Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
Eclipsing the 2,000-yard mark in the 2024 NFL Season, Saquon Barkley is the only logical choice here and is no. 1 in our power rankings. Barkley may have also just put himself in the driver's seat for a future Hall of Fame bid.
Barkley will likely need a few more personal accolades and will absolutely need to cross the 10,000-yard mark for this to happen, though.