The soon-to-be 26-year-old, who requested a trade earlier this offseason, is at Texans camp -- practicing sparingly -- while allegations of sexual assault and harassment made in the 22 lawsuits filed against the quarterback remain under investigation. An incredibly important aspect of Minnesotas offensive game plan, as Cook goes, so will the Vikings in 2021. No, he's not a true running back. GO HEAD, @saquon!159 Total Yards, 2 Touchdowns, and a souvenir for a fan in the 1st half! Now entering the final year of his contract, Kamara is expected to command somewhere between McCaffrey's deal and the 4-Yr $50M deal signed by RB Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans this week. At just 24 years old, Barkley is just getting started. In advance of the finale, Adam Schein provides his own personal top-10 list. 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. Which 10 players make up Nos. Peyton Barber will return after leading the team with 234 carries for 871 yards and five touchdowns. 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. NFC North Starters: Dalvin Cook ( Vikings ), Aaron Jones (. His value to this offense can't be matched. Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers Spencer Brown Stevie Scott, Saints RB Alvin Kamara Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR. He tallied 7.5 sacks, 12 QB hits, 10 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles for Washington's top-five unit last season. The Bucs would love to get him a hat on game days, but right now it feels unlikely to happen on a weekly basis. 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. Drake has yet to put together a great full season, but will get his chance as the Cardinals No. He now will share carries with Carlos Hyde but should still be the Seahawks main runner and biggest producer. When you carry the ball, you kind of carry the whole hope of the whole team, organization and fan base. Prosise Cowboys rumors: No progress towards Leighton Vander Esch deal, Donovan Wilson deal unlikely. Covers the New Orleans Saints as contributing writer for Saints News Network. He threatens opposing defenses not only out of the backfield but also when lining up both from the slot and outside as a receiver. An injury decreased his role late in the season and in the postseason but he still averaged 4.0 yards per carry and rushed for 544 yards. The addition of Cam Akers shows the Rams arent sure they can count on Henderson as more than a committee running back. Ashton answer's your questions in this Friday mailbag. Hes 28 years old, and getting his first real shot at being a starting running back for the entire season. The 27-year-old Fournette is a 6-foot and 228-Lb. 20 and 11. An elusive rusher, Hunt is perhaps even better through the air and after the catch. With coaching staff in place, what's next for Carolina Panthers? The crazy thing is, it feels as if Mahomes is just getting started. He might not lead the division in rushing because of the addition of Hyde, but he enters the season as the best of the West. He was a very good back at Florida State, producing when he was the only real offensive threat. 1 running back in 2020. With Tom Brady back, can the Tampa Bay Buccaneers make another Super Bowl run? For his career, the bruising back out of Ohio State now has 6,384 rushing yards and another 1,957 receiving yards with 56 total touchdowns. 18. Carolina's main loss behind McCaffrey was veteran back C.J. Atlanta also drafted Qadree Ollison and Marcus Green, further bolstering their depth. They also add an underrated balance to their lethal offense with an effective running game that keeps defenses off balance. But that's not going to last much longer. The Falcons general manager said the organization would not close any doors when working to fill out the quarterback position. Mason Stokke. Expect more usage from the powerful Latavius Murray after his second offseason in the team's system along with a big rebound in performance from Alvin Kamara. Hes recorded 43 scores on the ground and another 15 through the air, proving to be a touchdown machine in the Saints offense. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. July 23, 2021 4:45 pm MT. FILE - Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette sprints to the end zone to score on a 27-yard touchdown run during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 55 football game against. Selecting Texas RB Bijan Robinson at 26 could be a great pick for the Cowboys. Last year, Kamara rushed for under 1000 yards with under 800 yards receiving. Love they guys commitment and work ethic. 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. He's still something of a secret to a lot of people. It is important to note that Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers will not be on the list, as he tore his Achilles and will not play this coming season. This is it. The 27-year-old had the most productive season of his career in 2020 with the WFT, rushing for 365 yards and hauling in an impressive 80 catches for 589 yards and two touchdowns. 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 had six 100-yard games last season. Can he be a regular special teamer? DeAngelo Williams, Carolina. Matt Brown. The team could be hoping for a breakout year with Jones, but the combination of him and Barber isn't too frightening. Falcons ask Richardson who's faster, him or Kyle Pitts. Wayne Gallman, a 27-year-old running back, was waived by the NFC South franchise on Saturday afternoon, according to reports. Though his days as an elite runner may be behind him, Zekes durability and well-rounded ability were on display in 2020. Kenyan Drake, Cardinals. Still, hes certainly proven to be as valuable as any running back in any backfield across the league. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports. 50-41? (Note: This list only reflects players taking advantage of the new rule change and not a number swap that would have previously been permitted). 23. I'm projecting a bit here because we don't truly know Ward's role. The latter question aside, there are plenty of valuable assets in the backfield of every NFL team. Brown is a solid short-yardage back to have on the roster. He has requested a trade as he, who signed a three-year contract last offseason, would like to be paid more like his fellow running backs on the team. This isnt old by any stretch, but its old enough to make me think that if you were truly a starting running back, youd have got your chance to start before this point. Alvin Kamara has gotten plenty of attention during his first two seasons with the Saints, but Christian McCaffrey has been every bit as impressive in his first two years in Carolina. He's coming off a season in which he had 12 sacks, 18 QB hits and four forced fumbles while notching seven turnovers caused by pressure (most in the NFL), according to Next Gen Stats. I don't think the Seahawks get close to the playoff team they've been the past two seasons without him. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Jackson is the most electrifying player in the league. Akers almost enters the NFL in these rankings above Coleman but not quite. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, at 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. Those people should review Fournettes passing stats with the Jags. McCaffrey was both the Panthers' leading rusher and receiver in 2018, gaining 1,965 total offensive yards and scoring 13 combined touchdowns. Jones is set to be the bell cow in the Green Bay backfield for what seems like the first time in his career. 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. LB Von Miller, . Gibson also caught 36 passes for 247 yards, bringing his total yards to 1,042 in just 14 games. Hell consistently break through arm tackles the same as hell run around defenders with impressive elusiveness. 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. (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. The Panthers' overall rushing production dropped in 2019 because of the loss of QB Cam Newton and an offensive line that struggled. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! At 28 years old, Davis will be entering an NFL season as a teams feature back for the first time in his career. 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. Follow Ledyard on Twitter at @LedyardNFLDraft. He has terrific vision, amazing balance, incredible speed, and plenty of elusiveness. And you nailed it, RoJo comes back every year improved. He's down 10 pounds. 2. Mike Davis TEMPE, ARIZONA - JUNE 02: Runningback James Conner #6 of the Arizona Cardinals participates in an, TEMPE, ARIZONA - JUNE 02: Runningback James Conner #6 of the Arizona Cardinals participates in an off-season workout at Dignity Health Arizona Cardinals Training Center on June 02, 2021 in Tempe, Arizona. 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. The combination of Kamara, Murray and Washington gives New Orleans a pretty complete backfield trio. 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. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account. The sky is the limit for Jones as the clear No. He also has quads you should google right at this moment. As long as Jackson is on the field, Baltimore will have a chance. To qualify, a player will. While the Saints' two-headed monster at running back gives them the advantage over most teams, Kamara may not even be the most dangerous back in his own division. Carolina claims the top spot in the division at running back, provided Christian McCaffrey stays healthy this season. So far, there are has been a wide array of veterans (and rookies) electing to take advantage of this new rule. 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). John Raine, Falcons RB Mike Davis Photo by: USA Today. The players have spoken. 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. 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. Ekeler is tied to Justin Herbert for what should be the remainder of his career. Akers will likely become the Rams top running back as a rookie. In terms of the entire units right now, I take theRead more . Odds & lines subject to change. Considering that new head coach Arthur Smith hails from Tennessee, where he had Derrick Henry, Leonard Fournette Episode 8 of the "Top 100 Players of 2022" airs on Sunday, revealing notable NFL siblings in the players' list between Nos. Falcons GM takes AtlantaFalcons.com behind the scenes of one of the most important moments for draft prospects at the combine: The formal interview. Chase Edmonds . He may never reach the level of success he saw in his rookie season, but Elliott proves that his place on the roster matters. Josh Jacobs has eclipsed the 1,000-yard plateau in each of his first two seasons with the Raiders. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts 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. 10. 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. Behind Freeman the Falcons have a lot of different options to work with. He looked way more confident andRead more , I might give you the Saints as having a better deeper RB room but not the Panthers. McCaffrey only played three games last season, and his loss was felt more acutely in the pass game than the run game. Expect him to be an even bigger part of Tampa Bay's offense in 2022. He would have ranked second on this list. 50 percent of the Panthers offensive plays went through him the prior season and when a player starts getting injuries from overuse, they generally don stop or go away. Who is a 27 year old running back in the nfc? Caleb Huntley Cowboys draft 2023: Bijan Robinson should be an exception to not drafting a RB in the first round. NFL Network's "Top 100 Players of 2021" continues Sunday, Aug. 22. Carolina was held below 100 yards rushing seven times last season and went 2-5 in those contests. If Mostert has his way, he might not even begin the season in the division. NFL Network's "Top 100 Players of 2022" -- voted on by the players themselves -- comes to a conclusion on Sunday night. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports. Bucky Brooks has Northwestern OT Peter Skoronski linked to the Falcons in first round, Van Ness and Murphy said they'd be thrilled to play in Atlanta, Wilson vows to make big impact, We also talk about which position the Falcons should take in the first round, Atlanta has tons of salary-cap space and No. The third-round pick had a very productive rookie year in 2020, rushing for 795 yards and scoring an extremely . 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. A year without Drew Brees will ultimately be the telling chapter of Kamaras career. Damien Harris, New England Patriots 6. 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. The drop in the team's rushing production led the Falcons to part ways with Devonta Freeman this offseason and bring in Gurley, whose own production has slipped because of various injuries, leaving a doubt to how much left he has in the tank. With just 889 career touches, Ekeler does not carry the same risk of slowing down as other similarly-aged running backs. He is great in short-yardage situations and can break away. But he still can hurt you out of the backfield, at times, as much as any running back in the league. Saints won, 31-17. Simply put, the NFC South is an absolute terror at the running back position, as any opposing defense can readily attest. 4. He still finished RB2 for the year because he had 21 total TDs. Pro Football Network, LLC. Let's face it: it is easier to trust a star running back on the upswing of his career than one on his last legs. He had just under 700 yards rushing and just under 400 yards receiving. With Tom Brady's retirement, what's next for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at quarterback? The competition with Fournette should produce a formidable tandem and best in our division. It seems like Tony Pollard will be with the Cowboys at least through 2023. bulldozer with underrated open field agility. Despite having the seventh-worst rushing offense in football last season, according to Pro Football Focus, Eagles running back Miles Sanders had a solid season. Buccaneers; . 25. Here is my top 10: 1. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! 9. 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. 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. 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. Between the Panthers, Falcons, Saints, and the Bucs, the NFC South has a plethora (SAT word for y'all) of backfield candidates to use in your lineups. Sign up for the 2 back is. Something went wrong. ALVIN KAMARA, SAINTS. The guy was a totally different player. Tony Jones Ill be honest. 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. Also, I watched a good amount of Hawkins at Louisville and I think hes a very capable back that could eat into Davis carries. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. Carolina Panthers Christian McCaffrey Chuba Hubbard Trenton Cannon Reggie Bonnafon Spencer Brown Rodney Smith Mikey Daniel Darius Clark Mason Stokke This is it. Jerious Norwood, Atlanta. But, when you compare the teams running back groups altogether, theres no question the Cowboys have the best group in the division. falcons. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. 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? A surprisingly large player for his size at 59, 208, Jones lowers the boom just the same as hell skirt by second-level defenders with speed. 15. Were anxiously awaiting multiple returns to the field for some of the leagues top running backs, none more so than Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey has averaged 135.2 scrimmage yards per game since 2018 (most in the NFL over that span), and I don't see that figure dropping when he takes the field in September. 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. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nfl | pageType: stories | 1 in Green Bay. Kamara had his stats hindered when Taysom Hill was QB, as he would vulture TDs and take carries away from Alvin. Armah comes over from Carolina to be the next Payton fullback and add to New Orleans outstanding special teams. Lets take a look at CMCs stats for his last healthy season: ~1400 yards rushing, 15TDs, 1000+ yards receiving 4TDs. Ovie Mughelli, Atlanta. 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. 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. Javian Hawkins Mike James. Alex Armah Trenton Cannon Nick Chubb is arguably the NFLs most elusive ball carrier. Which 10 players make up Nos. 2. They also look for improved play from their young offensive line to establish their running game and have a more balanced offensive attack. Hes somehow managed to record at least 81 receptions in each of his first four seasons with the Saints while also rushing for 3,340 yards on the ground. Dec 29, 2019; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey (22) runs after a reception in the third quarter. Chuba Hubbard Seven players 25 years old and younger make an appearance in the list, which is voted on by the players themselves, between Nos. I tend to avoid taking either of them, but you cant deny there will be weeks that one of them will win you matchups. 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. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. Anderson. The WFT's running back group is led by the versatile 23-year-old Antonio Gibson. The Panthers crown jewel. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs Say what?! Expect him to be an even bigger part of Tampa Bay's . Its taken him a couple seasons, but hes our best pure runner. bulldozer with underrated open field agility.