Even though the AFC might have a bigger number of top-end teams and better quarterbacks at the top heading into 2025, there is one clear area where the NFC has an advantage: The running back position.
The NFC is absolutely loaded at running back heading into the 2025 season, and that’s what we’re going to try to sort out as we jump into our newest NFL Power Rankings.
As loaded as this conference is at the running back position, it’s difficult to sort all these players and differentiate them. Who are the best running backs in the NFC heading into the 2025 season? As the NFL emphasizes running the ball more and more, these guys will be under tremendous pressure to carry the load for their offenses.
NFL Power Rankings: Ranking every NFC RB worst to best in 2025
17. Javonte Williams, Dallas Cowboys
To say the last couple of years have been rough for Javonte Williams in Denver would be an understatement. Williams has been their team leader in carries the past two seasons, but he’s not really been able to get anything going. And that’s with the Broncos being among the best in the NFL in run block win rate. Williams once looked like one of the most promising young backs in the NFL, but a knee injury early in the 2022 season has made him a different player. We’ll see if he can rekindle anything in Dallas.
16. Austin Ekeler/Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Washington Commanders
Regardless of who you put in there for the Washington Commanders, that’s a team right now that is taking a pretty big leap of faith at the running back position. The trade sending Brian Robinson Jr. to the San Francisco 49ers was a big leap of faith by Dan Quinn, Kliff Kingsbury, and GM Adam Peters. Austin Ekeler is still effective as a pass-catching option, but who is going to carry the load in the running game? Right now, all of the focus is on the seventh-round rookie Croskey-Merritt, whose last meaningful stretch of games played was at New Mexico.
15. Kenneth Walker/Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks are going to be an interesting team to watch this year in terms of their backfield timeshare. While Kenneth Walker has been a stud at times when healthy, his lack of availability has also been extremely concerning. He is still effective at breaking tackles and creating yards after contact, but does he have what it takes to fend off Zach Charbonnet in 2025? The Seahawks have maybe a little bit of a controversy on their hands after both these guys posted nearly identical numbers last year.
14. D’Andre Swift, Chicago Bears
It’s going to be fun to see how quickly Kyle Monangai becomes part of this conversation for the Chicago Bears, or if he becomes part of the conversation at all. Something that may get talked about more among the Bears’ fan base than nationally is the fact that D’Andre Swift was a castoff of the Detroit Lions when Ben Johnson was still there, and now he’s got him again. Obviously, Johnson didn’t want him before, but now he’s basically got no choice. Swift posted a career-high 1,345 yards from scrimmage last year, so perhaps the arrow is pointing up.
13. Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings
Over the last seven or eight years, few backs in the NFL have been as consistent as Aaron Jones. The former Green Bay Packers star played in his first year with the Minnesota Vikings last year, and once again averaged over five yards per touch with 1,546 yards from scrimmage, the second-most of his NFL career. Jones was very good for the Vikings, but is also getting older and the team brought in Jordan Mason via trade this offseason for some depth. We’ll see if Jones takes a step back in terms of overall usage this offseason, but he’s still a very solid player with a high floor.