The NFC is quite stacked with running backs, and even with players like Kenneth Walker III and David Montgomery heading to the AFC this offseason, that's still the case. It's also not much of a shock to see efficient offenses across the league also having efficient run games.
Gone are the days of ultra-pass-happy units. The run game has become more important in recent years, and as long as there's this much running back talent available, teams will continue to tote the rock. We also might be seeing instances of teams fielding more of a committee approach as well.
Given how much more important the run game has become, teams want more than just a bell-cow back. As we have done much of the offseason, we have a fresh power rankings ready. Let's power-rank the best running backs in the NFC for the 2026 season. As we did for the AFC, we'll look at 2025 production but also consider the players' skillsets overall.
Power-ranking the best NFC running backs for 2026 as the offseason rolls on
10. Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Despite not playing much in the 2025 NFL Season, Bucky Irving comes in at No. 10 in our running back power rankings for the NFC. Irving did breakout as a rookie back in 2024, racking up 1,122 yards and averaging a solid 5.4 yards per carry.
In 2025, Irving managed 588 yards in 10 games, but he only averaged 3.4 yards per tote. Despite 2025 being a down year, Irving is still averaging just under 1,100 yards across a 17-game season, and his 4.5 yards per carry is still quite good.
Irving is only set to play in his age-24 season, and if he can put the 2025 season behind him and stay healthy, he's someone who would threaten to lead the conference in rushing. There may even be a slight advantage here with Irving having experienced a down year in the NFL, as he knows what it's like at this point and can use that as extra motivation for 2026.
9. Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers
Josh Jacobs is one of the best pure runners in the NFL, but he does have some seasons averaging below 4.0 yards per carry. In 2020 and 2023, Jacobs dipped below that mark, and in 15 games with the Green Bay Packers in 2025, Jacobs ran for 939 yards and averaged a serviceable 4.0 yards per tote.
Not offering a heck of a lot as a receiver, Jacobs has made his mark on the ground and has averaged nearly 300 carries across a 17-game season, and he's been one of the more productive running backs of this generation.
8. D'Andre Swift, Chicago Bears
Only having turned 27 years old this year, D'Andre Swift is coming off a solid year with the Chicago Bears, having rushed for 1,087 yards and nine touchdowns, while also hauling in 34 passes for 299 yards. In all but two years, Swift has eclipsed 1,000 scrimmage yards, and he did tie a career-high with 10 touchdowns this year.
With 4,775 rushing yards through six seasons in his career, including bringing a 'high-floor' level of production to the backfield, Swift is a rock-solid player and lands at No. 8 in our rankings.
7. Javonte Williams, Dallas Cowboys
Javonte Williams profiles as a legitimate bell-cow running back in the NFL, but he wasn't able to find his footing with the Denver Broncos. However, he ran for his first 1,000-yard season with the Dallas Cowboys in 2025, also earning a three-year extension.
Williams is another exceptional pure runner. He's got adequate speed, but he also brings an elite pass-protection ability as well, making him a legitimate three-down threat.
He's not the most explosive player and isn't necessarily someone who can take over a game, but he's a steady runner and showed his ability in a stable offensive situation with the Cowboys in 2025.
6. Travis Etienne, New Orleans Saints
Travis Etienne actually missed his entire rookie season, but in the four years since, he's missed just two games and has three 1,000-yard seasons during that stretch, while also adding 1,338 receiving yards. Etienne suddenly has 5,136 scrimmage yards and 32 touchdowns in four seasons, with a career-high 13 touchdowns in 2025 when he was with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Now with the New Orleans Saints, the offense figures to go through him. He's a steady, reliable runner and has averaged 6.0 yards per touch in his four healthy seasons in the league, including a solid 5.6 in 2025 with the Jags.
5. Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
Back in 2022 a rookie, Kyren Williams played in just 10 games and had just 139 yards. In the next three seasons, he's since racked up over 3,000 yards and now has 36 career rushing scores. He finished with 1,299 rushing yards in 2024 and 1,252 in 2025.
Williams is turning into one of the best running backs in the NFL and actually led the league in rushing yards per game back in 2023. His success rate of 62.9 percent in 2025 was truly off the charts. All in all, Williams settles into No. 5 in our rankings.
4. Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
Having a bit of a down year, Saquon Barkley still lands in the No. 4 spot in our power rankings. Struggling with injuries earlier in his career, Barkley signed with the Philadelphia Eagles two offseasons ago and ran for over 2,000 yards in 2025.
Finishing with nearly 900 fewer yards in 2025, Barkley still managed to average over 70 yards per game and got into the endzone seven times.
3. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
The four-time Pro Bowler had quite the season in 2025. Christian McCaffrey ran for 1,202 yards and had 10 rushing scores, but he averaged just 3.9 yards per carry. On the other hand, he hauled in 102 receptions for 924 yards, which doesn't feel like a real statistic.
McCaffrey finished with 2,126 yards and 17 touchdowns in one of the best season of his career, while also leading the league with 413 touches.
You get the sense that a decline could be coming, but McCaffrey's production in 2025 was out of this world.
2. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
You could have Jahmyr Gibbs as the best running back in the NFC, and I would not argue with you. Both Gibbs and Bijan Robinson, who are No. 2 and 1 in our rankings, are both on an early Hall of Fame pace.
Gibbs has a whopping 5,029 scrimmage yards and 49 touchdowns in three years in the league, hitting the 20-touchdown mark back in 2024 and having 18 in 2025. He's averaged 6.4 yards per touch this past season, and it really looks like he's playing a different game at times.
Sure, he's a bit undersized, but he's one of the more explosive players in the NFL and is an elite weapon, period.
1. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Robinson doesn't have as many touchdowns as Gibbs, as Robinson is at 34, but the Atlanta Falcons running back has 5,648 yards through three seasons in the NFL, including a league-leading 2,298 yards in 2025.
Robinson has 1,003 touches on offense thus far, and he's averaged 6.7 yards per touch, including 8.0 in 2025. Robinson now has two straight seasons of at least 1,450 rushing yards, and took off as a receiver this past season, hauling in 79 receptions for 820 yards.
Robinson is No. 1 in our running back power rankings for the 2026 season.