Washington pairs Gibson with JD McKissic, one of the better backup running backs in the league. Instead its his pass-catching skills, where he consistently creates separation as a route runner, even from a receiver alignment. The Buccaneers were held below 100 yards rushing in eight games last season but hope for the maturity of former 2nd round pick Jones and this years addition of 3rd round sleeper Vaughan, both power backs with good open-field speed. Travis Etienne (JAC): 23 years old, James Robinson (JAC): 23years old. Carolina claims the top spot in the division at running back, provided Christian McCaffrey stays healthy this season. He had a brief fumbling problem but is consistent. Alvin Kamara and Christian McCaffrey have been stars since entering the league in 2017, and Devonta Freeman should be healthy after missing much of the 2018 season. With Tom Brady's retirement, what's next for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at quarterback? Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports. Falcons just have to be careful not to overuse him this year. McKinnon returns for a third season with the 49ers but has yet to play a single snap in the regular season because of injuries. NFC West. Reggie Bonnafon Players ranked 40-11 will be revealed Sunday over the course of three hours -- each one-hour episode unveiling a new set of 10 honorees -- beginning at 4 p.m. Caleb Huntley Kamara, a 3rd-round pick from Tennessee in the 2017 draft, beat out McCaffrey for 2017 Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and is a vital part of the New Orleans offense. Earlier in this article, I mentioned that theres not another player that will command the percentage of his offense that CMC does. The fifth-year back is a very good, not elite pure runner, but an outstanding pass-catcher. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! His PFF rushing grade improved dramatically from his rookie year, jumping from a 59.1 all the way up to a 75.3. Odds & lines subject to change. Akers will likely become the Rams top running back as a rookie. Which 10 players make up Nos. His on-field play has been exceptional throughout his career, which is why he's in the No. With today's high-flying NFL offenses, it's a golden era for pass catchers. He has terrific vision, amazing balance, incredible speed, and plenty of elusiveness. Say what?! In advance of the finale, Adam Schein provides his own personal top-10 list. An elusive rusher, Hunt is perhaps even better through the air and after the catch. Who is the best? As long as Jackson is on the field, Baltimore will have a chance. Please check your email for a confirmation. The guy was a totally different player. He also has quads you should google right at this moment. Stevie Scott, Saints RB Alvin Kamara Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR. Coleman returns to the 49ers as part of their running back committee. They also add an underrated balance to their lethal offense with an effective running game that keeps defenses off balance. 19. The other nine are 25 or younger. Love they guys commitment and work ethic. Alvin Kamara Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! Ashton answer's your questions in this Friday mailbag. Leonard Fournette, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Last year, Kamara rushed for under 1000 yards with under 800 yards receiving. DeAngelo Williams, Carolina. Simply put, the NFC South is an absolute terror at the running back position, as any opposing defense can readily attest. Barkleys first two seasons of full health in New York saw him prove to be a home-run threat at every touch. 10. Jul 18, 2020 12:41 PM EDT. Pollard made some explosive plays just like the one shown below. Shouldnt both be equally important? His work may be diminishing in the passing game with Kareem Hunts emergence, but that may play to his real strength of punishing first and second-level defenders on the ground. Your fantasy football league wasnt hosted on Fantrax last season? 26. The 24-year-old running back is having one of the most dominant seasons in NFL history, leading the league in rushing yards (988), rushing TDs (13) and rushing yards per game (98.8). Nick Chubb is arguably the NFLs most elusive ball carrier. Here is my top 10: 1. Its not far-fetched to think the best two receiving backs in the league reside in the NFC South. Cowboys draft 2023: Bijan Robinson should be an exception to not drafting a RB in the first round. Well see if Atlanta adds anyone before the season, but right now Davis leads a backfield with very little experience or success at the pro level. Pollard is only going to get better as his role in the offense expands. In his last fully healthy season (2019), the Panthers' running back led the league in touches (403) and scrimmage yards (2,392, third-most in NFL history) and tied for first in scrimmage TDs (19). FantraxHQ - The Home of Fantasy Sports Analysis, 2021 Fantasy Running Back Depth Charts: NFC South, Top 500 Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Rankings, Fantasy 101: How to Play Rotisserie Baseball, 2023 Fantasy Baseball Position Eligibility, Fantasy EPL 101 How to Play Draft Premier League, 2023 Fantasy Baseball: Points Leagues Sleepers Hitters, Canadian Baseball Prospects and Team Canada World Baseball Classic Roster. He would have ranked second on this list. Keith Smith Trenton Cannon Allen made huge jumps in his on-field production, confidence and command of the offense last season. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Rodney Smith James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars 1 running back in 2020. I never like these RB unit rankings because are we weighting the guys in the unit differently? To qualify, a player will. Jonathan Stewart, Carolina. Where do the two Arizona Cardinals lead backs in James Conner and Chase Edmonds . When those RB injuries hit during the season (they always do), league-mates will be knocking down your door to get what you already have!!! 9. Mike Davis Chubb has been an instrumental part of the Browns' new winning culture as a focal point in Kevin Stefanski's offense. Darius Clark Chuba Hubbard Behind Freeman the Falcons have a lot of different options to work with. South Florida: Johnson, David: New Orleans Saints: Northern Iowa . He was a mere 4 yards away from 1,000 yards in his rookie season, but more impressively, has averaged 5.2 yards per carry for his entire career. 29. 1 focus is this season. He may never reach the level of success he saw in his rookie season, but Elliott proves that his place on the roster matters. He would have easily been a 1000 yard back if not for CoRead more , Youre seeing our RBs the same way I do Dr.D. Considering that new head coach Arthur Smith hails from Tennessee, where he had Derrick Henry, Leonard Fournette Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports. Nonetheless, the running game is important to every teams offense. New Orleans Saints collapse continues on Thanksgiving with fourth straight loss, Tom Brady gets Rob Gronkowski back, Buccaneers back in win column, Saints' Sean Payton defends 'super aggressive' approach after fans boo clock management, Why Saints quarterback Jameis Winston isn't motivated by revenge vs. 17. Jerious Norwood, Atlanta. 1 back against the Giants showed he can be good. Expect him to be an even bigger part of Tampa Bay's . Can he be a regular special teamer? Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas We'll continue our NFC South positional rankings today with running backs. We are looking at overall depth right not starters? With that in mind, NFL Network analyst Maurice Jones-Drew provides his own ranking of the league's top 10 players 25 and younger heading into the 2021 regular season. Seven players 25 years old and younger make an appearance in the list, which is voted on by the players themselves, between Nos. 24 Year Old Running Backs 2021 In Nfc South | StatMuse Ronald Jones was 24 years old in the NFC South in 2021. 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. Vaughn played just 39 special teams snaps last season. NFL Network's "Top 100 Players of 2022" -- voted on by the players themselves -- comes to a conclusion on Sunday night. Alright, let's get into who is set to sport a new number! Saints won, 31-17. Follow Ledyard on Twitter at @LedyardNFLDraft. Set it, and forget it. Roland Frederickson Koy Sayers Anderson Butler Osborn Tucker Willard Kurek Edwards Garrison Grabowski Granger Reeves Reed Harraway Farr Lindsey Baker Cunningham Hull Jones Ellison Shy Explore Who had the best record against the spread last season? Ive already ranked the top 100 fantasy running backs in the NFL, but why not break this down by division? Hes recorded 16 total touchdowns on receptions in four seasons and has proven to be an incredibly difficult task to bring down in space. 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. Ted Cottrell, Rudy Redmond and Lee Calland talk about their time as professional football players, activism and life after the game ends, The former Falcons linebacker founded the Crockett Foundation in 2002. Mandatory Credit: Derick Hingle-USA TODAY Sports. With Tom Brady back, can the Tampa Bay Buccaneers make another Super Bowl run? New Orleans Saints. He has impressed both coaching staffs he has played for immensely. 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. Where do the two Arizona Cardinals lead backs in James Conner and Chase Edmonds rank? 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. ALVIN KAMARA, SAINTS. 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. New Orleans has had just three seasons with a 1,000-Yd back during Payton's 14-Yr tenure with the team, yet are still perennially in the top half of the league in rushing. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals Which team has the most wins as home dogs since 2016? Antonio Gibson showed tons of promise in his rookie season, and JD McKissic is coming off a career year. Hes recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and combined for 25 rushing touchdowns the past two seasons. 3. 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. The 2 rookies to keep am eye on are Javian Hawkins-Atlanta and Chuba Hubbard-Carolina. Dillon is waiting in the wings in the Green Bay running backs room. Continuing my NFC South position group rankings, I've dug into each team's current crop of running backs to determine how they stack up. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports. The WFTs running back group is led by the versatile 23-year-old Antonio Gibson. While Mike Davis played well in McCaffrey's absence last season, no one can really replace CMC. he's on pace for a career high in rushing yards at an age when most running backs are nearing their final days in the . Pierre Thomas, New Orleans. He hauled in 33 receptions out of the backfield and scored 5 more touchdowns on the ground than his rookie season. 'I know that I can't do that': DJ Moore says unsportsmanlike penalty cost Panthers. He has speed and power, just needs to keep working to find his role. Unthinkable! The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. 6. In 2019, he had his first 1,000-yard season with the Houston Texans but will be second-fiddle to Chris Carson in Seattle, although that should still afford him a decent number of carries in 2020. However, he has yet to play a full 16 games for the Vikings and has missed 23 career games in his first four seasons with a variety of injuries. His performance as the No. Carolina Panthers Christian McCaffrey Chuba Hubbard Trenton Cannon Reggie Bonnafon Spencer Brown Rodney Smith Mikey Daniel Darius Clark Mason Stokke This is it. Top 125 Starting Pitcher Rankings for 2023 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Dynasty League Strategy for 2023, NL Spring Training Battles with Fantasy Relevance, 10 Players Most Likely to See Their ADP Change Based on Spring Training Performance, FantraxHQ 2023 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit, Top 300 Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Rankings, Compete for Cash Prizes in a Fantrax Classic Draft Contest, Get ready for the season with a mock draft on Fantrax.com, Create your own league or join an existing league with Fantrax Commissioner. 2021 Jones 2021 Thompson 2021 Vaughn 2021 Prentice 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 24 24 24 24 Explore Which team has won the most Super Bowls? Folks get hung up on statistics and focus more than they should on the pass catching aspect. 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. 18. He's going to be a dynamo in Matt Rhule's offense, helping Sam Darnold make a leap in 2021. 16. Ranking the top six running backs in the NFC North division, entering the 2021 NFL season. Jackson is a proven winner, too. I stand by that, but after the CMC gap, Alvin Kamara is in the next tier. They also look for improved play from their young offensive line to establish their running game and have a more balanced offensive attack. Arizona Cardinals Top RBs under contract for 2022: Eno Benjamin Key free agents: James Conner (UFA), Chase Edmonds (UFA), Jonathan Ward (ERFA) Conner was a revelation in the desert, racking up 18. The Falcons general manager said the organization would not close any doors when working to fill out the quarterback position. Outside of the QB position (specifically Lamar Jackson), theres not a player in the league that will command a larger percentage of their teams offense than CMC. His second . https://cardswire.usatoday.com/lists/nfl-rb-rankings-nfc-west-chris-carson-raheem-mostert-kenyan-drake/, 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. We'll continue our NFC South positional rankings today with running backs. Michael Turner, Atlanta. 12. Despite splitting carries in the Packers backfield, Aaron Jones easily lands on any list of top running backs in the NFL. GO HEAD, @saquon!159 Total Yards, 2 Touchdowns, and a souvenir for a fan in the 1st half! Between his durability and the Cardinals running scheme that gives him open spaces to run, he might end up leading the NFC West in rushing. If folks watch the game, theyd see that RoJo has some real skills running the ball inside and out with power, cutting and balance. Your email address will not be published. Co-Host of the Bayou Blitz Podcast. Michael Smith. An asset in both the run and pass games, Chubb racked up 1,217 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns last season. Ollison and Brooks-James have combined for 33 career carries, and Hawkins and Huntley are rookies. Check out all the features Fantrax has to offer, and we think youll be singing a different tune for next season. Carolina's main loss behind McCaffrey was veteran back C.J. This backfield is chaos and I hate it. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, at Jamaal Williams, Detroit Lions Davis impressed as McCaffreys backup last year, but now there is limited depth in Carolina. I don't think the Seahawks get close to the playoff team they've been the past two seasons without him. In 2020, it looks a little different as Todd Gurley and David Johnson are no longer in the division.