Home | Ranking The NFC South: Running Backs. Top 32 running backs for the 2021 NFL season | 1-10, Top 32 running backs for the 2021 NFL season | 11-32. They finished RB39 and RB15, respectively, last year. The latter question aside, there are plenty of valuable assets in the backfield of every NFL team. His importance to the Panthers' offense can't be overstated. They also add an underrated balance to their lethal offense with an effective running game that keeps defenses off balance. Nelson might miss the start of the 2021 regular season as he recovers from foot surgery, but that doesn't change the fact that he's a three-time first-team All-Pro. Chase Edmonds, Arizona Cardinals Whether in the backfield or lining up in the slot. Expect him to be an even bigger part of Tampa Bay's . Although the running back position has become a bit marginalized in recent seasons, the NFC South boasts some of the league's top young backs. Devontae Booker had a decent year as the backup in Las Vegas last season, but the fact of the matter is Barkleys ability to stay on the field will determine how successful their run game is. Brown is a solid short-yardage back to have on the roster. Mike Davis Drake has yet to put together a great full season, but will get his chance as the Cardinals No. It's that time of year again, when NFL players cast their votes to identify the best in the league heading into the 2022 NFL season. (via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/hIRCqWUuda. The team could be hoping for a breakout year with Jones, but the combination of him and Barber isn't too frightening. Tampa Bay may not have a star in their room, but theyve been the smartest team in the South for allocating less resources to the least valuable position on the field. Brad Hoover, Carolina. The crazy thing is, it feels as if Mahomes is just getting started. Hoover's not quite as dominant a blocker as Mughelli, but he's been very solid and dependable for a long time. Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. He's a fullback, but he belongs on this list. Washington pairs Gibson with JD McKissic, one of the better backup running backs in the league. Kamara was able to produce nearly 800 rushing yards despite missing three games but his touchdowns and receiving yardage both fell off from the previous two years because he was hampered by knee and ankle injuries. Despite having a solid season on the ground, Sanders receiving totals did drop drastically. Reggie Bush, New Orleans. I rank him above Carlos Hyde simply because he is trending up, while Hydes career is on the back end and he will be a backup to Chris Carson. The sixth-year running back has already recorded 5,860 rushing yards and 55 touchdowns, having produced at least 1,500 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns in each of the last two seasons. Sign up for the Cards Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Vaughn played just 39 special teams snaps last season. Even with an injury-shortened season, McCaffrey has recorded 3,145 rushing yards, 29 rushing touchdowns, 2,672 receiving yards, and 16 receiving touchdowns in just four years. The Cowboys may wind up losing two key defenders this offseason. They have CMC and then a bunch of question marks. His PFF rushing grade improved dramatically from his rookie year, jumping from a 59.1 all the way up to a 75.3. Running Back Rankings: The 32 best NFL running backs heading into 2021 Freeman should be back healthy for 2019, and the Falcons are a better team with him on the field. The Bucs would love to get him a hat on game days, but right now it feels unlikely to happen on a weekly basis. He has terrific vision, amazing balance, incredible speed, and plenty of elusiveness. 1 running back in 2020. Which NFC South team has the best running game heading into the 2020 NFL season? Before we get into the full list of which players are making the change, let's take a quick look at what numbers are now available to specific positions. Sanders got off to a slow start, but still finished with some decent numbers. NFC North Starters: Dalvin Cook ( Vikings ), Aaron Jones (. 9. Alvin Kamara and Christian McCaffrey have been stars . Raheem Mostert, San Francisco 49ers Prosise Falcons GM takes AtlantaFalcons.com behind the scenes of one of the most important moments for draft prospects at the combine: The formal interview. Also, I watched a good amount of Hawkins at Louisville and I think hes a very capable back that could eat into Davis carries. It's that time of year again, when NFL players cast their votes to identify the best in the league heading into the 2022 NFL season. Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles Ronald Jones, the Buccaneers' second-round draft pick in 2018, had a disappointing rookie season and gained just 44 yards and scored one touchdown on 23 carries. Cowboys draft 2023: Bijan Robinson should be an exception to not drafting a RB in the first round. In his first two seasons, he's recorded 2,518 receiving yards and 20 receiving touchdowns (including the playoffs), evidence that he deserves to be considered among the game's elite, thanks to a combination of his size (6-foot-4, 229 pounds), near-Olympic-caliber speed and confidence. A: . 28. Giovani Bernard The running back appears to be in great shape, revealing during the Hall of Fame Game last week that he has lost 10lbs in preparation for the upcoming season. He also provides an excellent floor because even if the game script isnt favoring the run game, CMC will get plenty of targets through the air. Pro Football Network strives to passionately deliver purposeful, captivating, and exceptional football content. Its taken him a couple seasons, but hes our best pure runner. It would not be the same as drafting a RB with the fourth overall pick. The Buccaneers had the worst rushing attack in the division last year, averaging 95.2 yards per game, which were the fourth-fewest among all NFL teams. McCaffrey is the only running back in NFL history to record back-to-back seasons with at least 100 catches from 2018 to 2019. Michael Carter led film session with running backs as RB coach Taylor DeAngelo Williams, Carolina. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports, https://cardswire.usatoday.com/gallery/ranking-the-nfc-west-running-backs/, Cardinals given terrible marks by players on team report card, 4 of 101 best nicknames in NFL history belong to former Cardinals players, One free agent each NFL team should re-sign in 2023, GM, HC searches affected by Cardinals' reputation on compensation, DeAndre Hopkins trade could come before start of free agency, Eagles player takes shot at Jonathan Gannon on social media, Jonathan Gannon 'not sure' if DeAndre Hopkins will play for Cardinals in 2023, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. He has speed and power, just needs to keep working to find his role. The Cowboys head coach made some comments about the offense that deserve a closer look as they seemed to have been misinterpreted. The top running backs in the NFL are big names, those that you must watch on Sunday. 14. With the start of the 2021 NFL regular season less than a month away, we take a stab at ranking the NFC East position groups. 1 in Green Bay. Derrick Henry is the undisputed workout king as well as the leagues top stiff-arm threat entering 2021. Its an embarrassment of riches, and thats not ideal for fantasy. He was a very good back at Florida State, producing when he was the only real offensive threat. Although the running back position has become a bit marginalized in recent seasons, the NFC South boasts some of the league's top young backs. With coaching staff in place, what's next for Carolina Panthers? Ronald Jones II Where do the two Arizona Cardinals lead backs in James Conner and Chase Edmonds rank? The WFT's running back group is led by the versatile 23-year-old Antonio Gibson. Hes recorded 16 total touchdowns on receptions in four seasons and has proven to be an incredibly difficult task to bring down in space. 2. John Raine, Falcons RB Mike Davis Photo by: USA Today. Devin Singletary, Buffalo Bills But that's not going to last much longer. Josh Jacobs has eclipsed the 1,000-yard plateau in each of his first two seasons with the Raiders. Buccaneers; . Episode 7 of the "Top 100 Players of 2022" airs on Sunday, revealing two productive QB-pass catcher combos in the players' list between Nos. 2. Allen made huge jumps in his on-field production, confidence and command of the offense last season. In terms of the entire units right now, I take theRead more . Unthinkable! He threatens opposing defenses not only out of the backfield but also when lining up both from the slot and outside as a receiver. His second . Elliott has now hauled in multiple receiving touchdowns and at least 300 receiving yards in four of his five seasons. Carolina Panthers. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Ive already ranked the top 100 fantasy running backs in the NFL, but why not break this down by division? He's 37-8 since becoming the Chiefs' starting quarterback in 2018 (most wins by a QB in the NFL over that span), and he ranks first in many passing metrics among QBs with a minimum of 100 pass attempts since '18. The third-round pick had a very productive rookie year in 2020, rushing for 795 yards and scoring an extremely impressive 11 touchdowns. Chase Edmonds . Which team has the most wins as home dogs since 2016? Lets take a look at CMCs stats for his last healthy season: ~1400 yards rushing, 15TDs, 1000+ yards receiving 4TDs. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. As long as Jackson is on the field, Baltimore will have a chance. An elusive rusher, Hunt is perhaps even better through the air and after the catch. If folks watch the game, theyd see that RoJo has some real skills running the ball inside and out with power, cutting and balance. Im higher on Rojo than most but much will depend on what version of Fournette the Bucs get. Everyone will remember his 29-carry, 220-yard performance in the playoffs, but he will still be a member of the running back committee in Kyle Shanahans offense. He looked way more confident andRead more , I might give you the Saints as having a better deeper RB room but not the Panthers. Are we talking the entire unit as a whole and comparing the sum of their parts? With big additions to the defensive front, including Jadeveon Clowney, don't be surprised if Garrett comes close to or breaks Michael Strahan's single-season sack record in 2021. The Panthers' crown jewel. Nov 22, 2018; New Orleans, LA, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Ito Smith (25) is tackled by New Orleans Saints strong safety Kurt Coleman (29) in the second half at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Today we compare the running games of each team in the NFC South, with the opening of training camp right around the corner. But Im thinking 4th or 5th round at best. Though they do it in different ways, one thing is for sure about these top 10 theyre a threat to take it to the house on every play. 13. Davis finished the year with career highs in snaps, carries (165), yards (642), touchdowns (six) catches (59), receiving yards (373) and receiving touchdowns (two). Nonetheless, the running game is important to every teams offense. The 2 rookies to keep am eye on are Javian Hawkins-Atlanta and Chuba Hubbard-Carolina. Hes totaled 2,692 yards and a whopping 29 touchdowns over the past two seasons while also chipping in with 880 yards out of the backfield. Carolina's main loss behind McCaffrey was veteran back C.J. But I think he's going to be the primary ball carrier in an offense that runs often. Elliott spoke back in July about how not fumbling is his No. At 28 years old, Davis will be entering an NFL season as a teams feature back for the first time in his career. Akers almost enters the NFL in these rankings above Coleman but not quite. It seems like Tony Pollard will be with the Cowboys at least through 2023. If Zeke wants to regain his All-Pro form, his number one priority must be protecting the football. 4 spot on this list, but his career is currently in limbo. However, in 13 games he only managed to get 39 carries. The former fourth-round pick showed some really good signs last season, rushing for 435 yards and scoring four touchdowns. The NFC West has a number of talented running backs. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify. Chubb has been an instrumental part of the Browns' new winning culture as a focal point in Kevin Stefanski's offense. follow. Episode 8 of the "Top 100 Players of 2022" airs on Sunday, revealing notable NFL siblings in the players' list between Nos. Today, we start by taking a look at the running backs. Aside from the addition of Andre Ellington and the loss of JacQuizz Rodgers this offseason, Tampa Bay has pretty much stood pat at the position. Scott has been around the league since 2018 and has had some production, five rushing TDs in 2019 and 374 rushing yards in 2020, but isnt going to scare a defense. Fresh off signing a new contract, Allen will be well on his way to becoming one of the great quarterbacks of his era if he continues on this trajectory. This touchdown run gave Tony Pollard 69 rushing yards on the day. To qualify, a player will. NFC West. Jamaal Williams, Detroit Lions Ranking 2021 NFC North Running Backs - Sports Illustrated 2020 NFC South Running Backs Preview - Sports Illustrated New Orleans Atlanta has been held to less than 100 yards rushing in 22 of their last 32 games, including 12 games last season. He's down 10 pounds. The 2019 NFL MVP is a nightmare for defenses as a phenomenal rusher and improving passer, and we should see him make a leap in the passing game with more weapons around him in 2021. 1. To qualify, a player will have to be 25 or younger as of Sept. 9, when the 2021 season is scheduled to kick off. Then there are RB-friendly systems that will likely see Trey Sermon, Michael Carter, and Kylin Hill as names to know. Which 10 players make up Nos. Gibson also caught 36 passes for 247 yards, bringing his total yards to 1,042 in just 14 games. Has shown flashes in a limited role, but you get the feeling the Falcons are going to watch Turner's carries closely this year and that could mean more for Norwood. bucs Nick Chubb is arguably the NFLs most elusive ball carrier. With an added dynamic out of the backfield, the trend of top backs being well-rounded continues. Im anticipating a negative game script with the running game, considering theyll be down in plenty of 4th quarters. Kenyan Drake, Las Vegas Raiders Henry will not go down on first contact and routinely churns out first down after first down if hes not scoring touchdowns. Damien Harris, New England Patriots 1. This is it. Ive projected a little regression in that stat, but Im expecting more all-purpose yards for Kamara this year. Theyll hope Trenton Cannon, Rodney Smith, Reggie Bonnafon and Chuba Hubbard are able to step up. Hes coming off one of the worst injuries in sports, so well just have to wait if the star running back will be able to stay on the field in 2021. What everybody is missing from Mike McCarthys recent comments about the Cowboys offense, Kellen Moore. Alvin Kamara While Mike Davis played well in McCaffrey's absence last season, no one can really replace CMC. bulldozer with underrated open field agility. Though he took a step backward in terms of average yards per carry in Year 2, Jacobs added more dynamics to his game in 2020. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Akers will likely become the Rams top running back as a rookie. Stevie Scott, Saints RB Alvin Kamara Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR. 4 on this list. What Kamara gives the Saints as a receiver is very difficult to replace. His 643 rushing yards in eight games put him on a pace for nearly 1,300 yards. They also look for improved play from their young offensive line to establish their running game and have a more balanced offensive attack. 2022 NFL offseason: All 32 teams' RB situations ahead of free agency, draft 10. Ranking the NFC South's running back groups: All-purpose stars lead the way Bernard is easily the most reliable back on the roster thanks to his sure hands and pass protection skills, which should be a huge boost to the Bucs in passing situations. For him to step up like that at just 23 years old is a testament . Since entering the league in 2018, Chubb has forced 168 missed tackles, second-most in the NFL behind only Derrick Henry, according to Pro Football Focus. 12:07 left in this one. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. 6. And you nailed it, RoJo comes back every year improved. 2 back is. Pollard is only going to get better as his role in the offense expands. Dominating the game's top defensive backs with ease week in and week out, Metcalf is becoming the gold standard at the receiver position. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts Edmonds will be the unquestioned No. Qadree Ollison If it were purely up to on-field performance, Dalvin Cook would certainly find himself a bit higher than No. I stand by that, but after the CMC gap, Alvin Kamara is in the next tier. Get the comprehensive list of every Running Back for each NFL pro football team. I'm projecting a bit here because we don't truly know Ward's role. Smith had 41 carries and nine catches last season, but didnt really stand out. Selecting Texas RB Bijan Robinson at 26 could be a great pick for the Cowboys. Two running backs who would be starters on their own in at least 20 other backfields. 8. With just 889 career touches, Ekeler does not carry the same risk of slowing down as other similarly-aged running backs. The longtime backfield teammate of Devonta Freeman ran for 800 yards and four touchdowns on 167 carries last season while starting in place of Freeman, who missed all but two games due to injury. Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas We'll continue our NFC South positional rankings today with running backs. Young has the talent to rise to the top of this list one day, but he slots in at No. Caleb Huntley Trenton Cannon Tevin Coleman's departure was one of the few key losses in free agency for the Falcons. Dillon is waiting in the wings in the Green Bay running backs room. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports. You could argue that if you individually compare Saquon Barkley and Ezekiel Elliott, Barkley is the better runner. //]]> Mike Davis was RB18 last year splitting carries with Todd Gurley. Between the Panthers, Falcons, Saints, and the Bucs, the NFC South has a plethora (SAT word for yall) of backfield candidates to use in your lineups. His value to this offense can't be matched. In 2020, it looks a little different as Todd Gurley and David Johnson are no longer in the division. He makes mincemeat of defensive backs in space while possessing plenty of straight-line speed to outrun just about anyone on the field. Not saying it shouldnt be factored in, but both Karama and McCaffrey are valued more for their pass receiving prowess than their still good running accomplishments. bulldozer with underrated open field agility. He hauled in 33 receptions out of the backfield and scored 5 more touchdowns on the ground than his rookie season. For a reminder of what I look for in each category, click here. The NFL voted this offseason to relax its restrictions on what number positional players can wear and folks are wasting no time calling dibs on a new look heading into 2021. This man is the alpha and the omega of fantasy running backs. Though his days as an elite runner may be behind him, Zekes durability and well-rounded ability were on display in 2020. Ranking the running backs in the NFC West | Cards Wire Which team boasts three representatives? Bucs' Brady Was Already Thinking 2021 Hours After Super Bowl LV. With multi-team trades, designated commissioner/league managers, and drag/drop easy click methods, Fantrax is sure to excite the serious fantasy sports fan sign up now for a free year at Fantrax.com. KeShawn Vaughn In my view, CMC should always be the first running back off the board. Kamara gained 1,592 combined yards last season and scored 18 touchdowns. NFL Network's 'Top 100 Players of 2022' has been unveiled. I know everyone is waiting for wide receiver rankings, but well wait to see what happens with Julio Jones first. I expect RB26 and RB28 this year with a full year together. I would take our 3rd guy (Gio) and likely 2nd guy (Fournette or Rojo) over any other teams backups. Needing to replenish depth, the Cowboys should look into free agent defensive lineman Arden Key. (via @Giants) pic.twitter.com/yNFOW1WoZQ. You'll now receive the top Cards Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. If Mostert has his way, he might not even begin the season in the division. Michael Chow/The Arizona Republic via USA TODAY NETWORK, Sign up for the Cards Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. 11. Sony Michel, Los Angeles Rams 10-1? NFC South Bucs Falcons Panthers Saints NFC West Cardinals 49ers Rams Seahawks Colleges ACC Clemson UNC Big Ten Iowa Michigan Michigan St. Nebraska Ohio St. Penn St. Rutgers Wisconsin Big 12. Hes absolutely a first-round draft pick and provided youre not picking one overall, I think you can take him at any pick and nobody will shame you for it. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. Ranking The NFC South: Running Backs - Pewter Report Pretty fair rankings. He barely played in three games a season ago and still scored 6 total touchdowns. But he still can hurt you out of the backfield, at times, as much as any running back in the league. Metcalf has delivered in every aspect since he walked shirtless into a meeting at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine with the team that would later draft him. With such a talented defense and a quarterback prone to turnovers, Washington likely will rely heavily on their running game this year to carry the load for their offense. 287-1,387 yards, (4.8), 15 touchdowns, (6x 100-Yd games), 116 receptions, 1,005 yards, 4 touchdowns, (2x 100-Yd games), 219-1,098, yards (5.0), 7 touchdowns, (4x 100-Yd games), 107 receptions, 867 yards, 6 touchdowns, (2x 100-Yd games), 172-724 yards (4.2) 6 touchdowns (1 100-Yd game), 2 consecutive 1,000-Yd rushing season + 21 touchdowns at Vanderbilt, 223-857 yards (3.8) 12 touchdowns (0s 100-Yd games), 256-1,251 yards (4.9) 17 touchdowns (6x 100-Yd games), 171-797 yards (4.7) 5 touchdowns (0x 100-Yd games), 81 receptions 533 yards 1 touchdown (0x 100-Yd games), 194-883 yards (4.6) 14 touchdowns (1x 100-Yd game), 81 receptions 709 yards 4 touchdowns (2x 100-Yd games), 146-647 yards (4.4) 5 touchdowns (2x 100-Yd games), 140-578 yards (4.1) 6 touchdowns (1x 100-Yd game). @JdMckissic for 6 #SEAvsWAS FOX pic.twitter.com/dVGuOjCtKR. He rushed for 772 yards on a whopping 5.6 yards per attempt last season. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images), Sep 15, 2019; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny (20) runs on a, Sep 15, 2019; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny (20) runs on a thirty seven yard touchdown run against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the third quarter at Heinz Field. Further, Mike Evans, Antonio Brown, and Chris Godwin deserve their fair share of targets too. However, he only had one regular season game last year with more than 14 carries. Earlier in this article, I mentioned that theres not another player that will command the percentage of his offense that CMC does. Top 5 Running Backs Under 25 (2022 Fantasy Football) DAndre Swift, Detroit Lions Atlanta hopes to limit Gurley's touches by finally getting a full season from Ito Smith, a promising power back who has been plagued by injury over his first two seasons. Still, hes certainly proven to be as valuable as any running back in any backfield across the league. The other nine are 25 or younger. The New Orleans Saints have won the last three NFC South titles because they have one of the most talented rosters in the league. Tony Jones South Florida: Johnson, David: New Orleans Saints: Northern Iowa . Folks get hung up on statistics and focus more than they should on the pass catching aspect. While Gurley looks to recapture the form that made him the NFL's most productive RB just a few seasons ago and Jones looks to establish himself, it appears that 2020 will once again be a battle between Alvin Kamara and Christian McCaffrey for running back supremacy in the NFC South. The addition of Cam Akers shows the Rams arent sure they can count on Henderson as more than a committee running back.
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