The NFL may be a pass-happy league now, but you still need a productive rushing game to get by. Ask any recent Super Bowl champion, and they’ll happily explain that you can’t win with a one-dimensional offense. With that said, let’s dive into our annual rankings for all 32 NFL teams’ No. 1 running backs from WORST to FIRST.
Who are the top running backs in the NFL today?
32. Ezekiel Elliott (Dallas Cowboys)
Gotta love Jerry Jones’ idea of going “all-in.” His biggest move in free agency was bringing back Ezekiel Elliott following his one-year stint in New England.
As the Patriots RB2, ‘Zeke’ had 642 rushing yards and three TDS — averaging a career-low 3.5 yards per carry. Don’t forget the year before in Dallas, he set a career-low with 3.8 yards per carry.
Elliott is well past his best-before-date but is getting the nod as the Cowboys’ RB1. Make it make sense.
31. Chuba Hubbard (Carolina Panthers)
Hubbard’s a tough one to rank because there’s a good chance that promising rookie Jonathan Brooks will unseat him as the RB1 or at least create an RB-by-committee situation.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
Hubbard replaced a struggling Miles Sanders as Carolina’s lead RB last year and finished with 902 yards and five touchdowns. If new head coach Dave Canales makes him the undisputed RB1, Hubbard could emerge as a top 15 or 20 RB by the midway point of the season.
30. Brian Robinson Jr. (Washington Commanders)
We’d like to have Robinson Jr. higher, but you just know that free-agent pickup Austin Ekeler is going to get plenty of touches as well. There’s also a good possibility that Ekeler regains his elite form and takes over as the RB1 in DC.
But for now, the job belongs to Robinson Jr., who has exceeded 700 yards rushing in each of his first two years. B-Rob had 1,101 total yards of offense and nine TDs on a lousy Commanders team, so let’s see what he can do with a promising QB like Jayden Daniels leading the way.
29. Devin Singletary (New York Giants)
The G-Men let Saquon Barkley walk to free agency and replaced him with a good-but-not-great RB in Devin Singletary.
Singletary has exceeded 700 yards rushing in four of his five NFL seasons. He’s coming off a career-best 898 rushing yards with the Houston Texans and recorded 1,000 yards of offense for the third straight year.
He’s nothing close to All-Pro, but Singletary is at least consistent with his production.
28. Javonte Williams (Denver Broncos)
Williams rushed for 903 yards and four TDs as a rookie in 2021, but his rookie campaign was limited to four games because of injury. Then, in 2023, he semi-bounced back with 774 rushing yards in 16 games.
Williams has averaged 50.8 rushing yards per game over his first three seasons — which would amount to 863.6 yards over a 17-game season. Solid, but not spectacular.
Gotta think the Broncos will run the ball more with rookie Bo Nix taking over as the starting QB, so the opportunity is there for Williams to break out and cash in during free agency next year.
27. Tony Pollard (Tennessee Titans)
If Pollard were coming back to Dallas, he’d be higher on this list. But we’re skeptical that the two-time 1,000-yard rusher will retain his star-like form on a rebuilding Tennessee team with question marks all over the offensive line.
Pollard goes from Dak Prescott to an unproven Will Levis, meaning defenses can focus more on stopping the pass. That doesn’t exactly bode well for Tony P.
26. Zack Moss (Cincinnati Bengals)
Moss had a career year for the Indianapolis Colts in 2023, with Jonathan Taylor missing significant time. Moss rushed for 794 yards and five touchdowns in just 14 games, turning that into a two-year deal with the Bengals worth $8 million.
We don’t doubt that Moss can rush for 1K in the Joe Burrow-led offense, but as a career backup RB up to this point, we can’t justify placing him any higher.
Also Read: All-Pro Running Back Shocks Everyone By Announcing His Retirement From The NFL At The Age Of 29
25. Zamir White (Las Vegas Raiders)
White slots in as the new Raiders’ RB1 following Josh Jacobs’ departure for Green Bay. White only had 121 carries over his first two years, so it’s hard to evaluate what the Raiders have in him.
What we do know is that Antonio Pierce will need to run the ball a lot, given the uncertainty at QB. With a heavy workload behind a stout offensive line, White is in a good spot to break out in Sin City this year.
24. Rhamondre Stevenson (New England Patriots)
After surpassing 1K rushing in his sophomore year, Stevenson was limited to five games and finished with only 619 yards and four TDS. The Pats handed him a four-year extension worth $36 million, all but ensuring that Stevenson remains the RB1 in 2024.
Given New England’s question mark at QB – Drake Maye or Jacoby Brissett – it’s a safe bet that Jerod Mayo will want to run the ball aplenty. That bodes well for Stevenson and his fantasy football owners.
23. Joe Mixon (Houston Texans)
Mixon’s career body of work suggests he deserves a higher placement than this. But it’s tough to project how the four-time Pro Bowler will fare with his new team, considering that the Texans also added All-Pro receiver Stefon Diggs to their offense.
CJ Stroud has Diggs, Nico Collins, AND Tank Dell as his top three receivers, to say nothing of stud tight end Dalton Schultz. Mixon’s skill set tells us he’s capable of over 1K rushing and 1,500 yards of offense, but it all comes down to how many touches he’ll get.
22. D’Andre Swift (Chicago Bears)
After a career year in Philly, Swift signed a three-year deal with the Bears worth $24 million. He immediately steps in as the new lead back over Khalil Herbert.
Still, Herbert is going to get his carries. And Caleb Williams had a prolific 3-headed receiving monster in DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze…so who knows how much action Swift is going to get this year?
21. Isiah Pacheco (Kansas City Chiefs)
Hard to believe this kid was a seventh-round pick back in 2022.
Fast forward two years later, and Pacheco is a two-time Super Bowl champion with 1,765 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns over his first two seasons. His numbers won’t be eye-popping since Patrick Mahomes runs a pass-heavy offense, but Pacheco is more than reliable and has cut it nicely as an RB1 in KC.
20. James Conner (Arizona Cardinals)
Because the Cardinals were irrelevant last year, you probably didn’t notice that Conner produced a career-high 1,040 yards in 2023.
The explosive and shifty Conner perfectly complements Kyler Murray’s dual-threat style of play. With three straight seasons of over 1,000 yards from scrimmage, Conner is the opposite of a box of chocolates: You DO know what you’re gonna get.
19. Najee Harris (Pittsburgh Steelers)
Harris hit 1,000 yards rushing for the third straight year and tallied a career-high eight rushing scores. But his role is sure to reduce this year, given a) the emergence of Jaylen Warren and b) the fact Pittsburgh will be better at QB this year with Russell Wilson or Justin Fields.
Harris won’t compete for the rushing title given those two factors, but he’ll always be a threat for 1K yards on the ground. That’s good enough for the Steelers and Harris’ fantasy owners.
18. Gus Edwards (Los Angeles Chargers)
Edwards exceeded 700 yards rushing in each of his four healthy seasons in Baltimore despite never being a true RB1. He had a career year in 2023, recording 810 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.
You know the Bolts will be running the ball aplenty under new head coach Jim Harbaugh, so this should be the year Edwards hits 1K rushing for the first time. Of course, you also can’t rule out JK Dobbins challenging Edwards for the RB1 role here…
17. Aaron Jones (Minnesota Vikings)
The Packers’ signing of Josh Jacobs pushed Aaron Jones out of Titletown and into the waiting arms of the NFC North rival Vikings.
Jones averaged 59.6 rushing yards per game in the 11 contests he played last year — putting him on a 1,000-yard pace. But we’re having a tough time projecting Jones’ workload here since the Vikings have Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and TJ Hockenson in the passing game but also an uncertain QB situation.
At any rate, he’s always a threat for 1,000 yards…so somewhere in the mushy middle here is a good placement for him.
16. Alvin Kamara (New Orleans Saints)
Kamara missed four games last year but still exceeded 1,100 yards from scrimmage for the seventh straight year.
He doesn’t belong in the discussion of elite running backs anymore, but Kamara is a safe-and-steady producer in New Orleans and remains a must-have in your NFL fantasy leagues.
15. James Cook (Buffalo Bills)
Cook became the first Buffalo to hit 1,000 yards rushing in six years, racking up 1,122 in his sophomore season. Only Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry, and Kyren Williams had more.
14. Rachaad White (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
After a meh rookie year, White broke out with 990 rushing yards and 1,539 total yards of offense.
It remains to be seen how Baker Mayfield will operate without OC Dave Canales, but you know the Bucs will keep pounding the rock under Todd Bowles. No reason to think White’s workload or production will stop.
13. Kenneth Walker III (Seattle Seahawks)
If Walker didn’t miss two games, he would have hit 1,000 yards for the second time in as many years. At any rate, the young Seahawks star has all the tools to be an All-Pro running back in this league, and you know new head coach Mike Macdonald will want to pound the ball aplenty with the Walker-Zach Charbonnet duo.
12. Travis Etienne Jr. (Jacksonville Jaguars)
After missing his entire rookie 2021 season to injury, Etienne has tallied two tidy 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
Etienne Jr. has been everything the Jaguars could have wanted. The only reason he won’t compete for a rushing title is that Trevor Lawrence has too many other weapons in the passing game.
11. Raheem Mostert (Miami Dolphins)
We’d love to place Mostert higher, but you just know that De’Von Achane is going to get plenty of carries. Achane might even take over as the RB1, not to mention that Tyreek Hill remains the focal point of this offense.
But in terms of production and skill set, Mostert belongs near the top-10 here.
10. Jonathan Taylor (Indianapolis Colts)
Taylor would be in the top five if injuries weren’t a concern, but he’s missed 13 games over the last two years. So we have to take that into account for the 2021 rushing champion.
But we all know what Taylor can do when he’s at full strength. Here’s hoping his body holds up.
9. Nick Chubb (Cleveland Browns)
It’s risky putting Nick Chubb here since he’s coming back from a horrific knee injury that ended his season after just two games. But a healthy Chubb was a consistent top-five RB, so we’ll take the risk and keep him in the top 10 here.
Despite missing almost all of last season, Chubb is third in rushing behind only Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs since 2019. If he stays healthy and retains his all-world form, Chubb will again be in the running for the rushing crown.
8. Josh Jacobs (Green Bay Packers)
The 2022 rushing champion signed with the Packers in free agency following a five-year run with the Raiders. No reason to think Jacobs’ production will slow down here.
The Packers always have stud running backs, and Jacobs gets to run behind one of the NFL’s best o-lines — and AJ Dillon is there to absorb the big blows in short-yardage situations. Another big year awaits Jacobs.
7. Breece Hall (New York Jets)
Hall’s promising 2022 rookie year was cut short by injury. He stayed healthy in 2023 and tallied 990 rushing yards and five touchdowns to go along with 76 receptions for 591 receiving yards and four receiving scores.
Now that opposing defenses must focus on stopping Aaron Rodgers, Hall is bound to go off and build off last year’s tremendous sophomore year.
6. Kyren Williams (Los Angeles Rams)
Kyren Williams was third in rushing with 1,144 yards, which is awfully impressive considering that he missed five games. He’s got future superstar written all over him, and 1,500-plus yards is very much in play for the new lead RB in Sean McVay’s offense.
5. Saquon Barkley (Philadelphia Eagles)
A healthy Barkley was a top-five NFL running back during his tenure on a lousy Giants team. Now he gets to run behind a top-tier offensive line in an offense with Jalen Hurts, AJ Brown, and DeVonta Smith?
If he avoids the injury bug, Barkley will contend for the rushing title. Do not be surprised if he sets career highs across the board.
4. Jahmyr Gibbs (Detroit Lions)
Remember when the Lions caught heat for using a first-round pick on Gibbs last year?
How about 945 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns, a Pro Bowl nod, and a trip to the NFC Championship Game as a rookie? And to think he’s only going to get more carries as the RB1 over David Montgomery.
Gibbs was REALLY good as a rookie. Now, it’s time to hit elite status in 2024.
3. Bijan Robinson (Atlanta Falcons)
Arthur Smith didn’t properly utilize Robinson, yet the rookie still finished with 1,463 yards of offense and eight touchdowns.
Now that Atlanta has a Pro Bowl quarterback in Kirk Cousins, opposing defenses must respect the passing game and not zero in on Robinson. A monster sophomore year is in store for B-Rob, who should be a darkhorse contender for Offensive Player of the Year honors.
2. Derrick Henry (Baltimore Ravens)
Well, this is unfair. The best running back of the past five years joins the NFL’s best-rushing offense, led by the league’s reigning MVP and top dual-threat QB, Lamar Jackson.
Age has not hit King Henry, who finished second in rushing last year with 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’ll fit like a glove in Baltimore and should easily contend for the rushing crown, provided the Ravens give him the necessary amount of touches.
1. Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco 49ers)
Like there was any doubt…
Run CMC finished 2023 as the NFL’s rushing leader with 1,459 yards, which is awfully impressive when you consider how much work he does in the passing game as well. His 2,023 yards from scrimmage and 21 total TDs were tops in the NFL last year.
A healthy McCaffrey is unquestionably the No. 1 running back in the NFL. Nothing more to see here…
Also Read: Former NFL Running Back Sentenced To Life In Prison For Murdering 5-Year-Old Girl
