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Running backs in the NFL possess an almost unrivaled blend of speed and power. Despite these amazing physical skills, the RB position continues to plummet in perceived value around the NFL, which has been a serious talking point around the football world recently, as players such as Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs struggle with contract negotiations.
It's rare, but there are still some X-factors at the position who have willed teams to victory or carried offenses in recent memory, and now that the bulk of free agency and the 2023 NFL Draft have concluded, it's time to evaluate the pecking order of starting running backs in the league. Some people will argue against subpar pass-catching RBs being near the top of the list, but there are still a few dominant pure rushers who have to be included at the top.
This list won't simply rely on last year's stats, as it is not a recap of who the best RBs were last season. Instead, we'll dive into the top 32 starting running backs heading into the 2023 campaign. With NFL training camps opening soon, some of these RB depth charts could see changes before the season begins, but we'll go with the projected primary back for each team as of now.
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The Top Tier
1. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
McCaffrey continues to be the premier running back in the NFL thanks to his historic pass-catching skill set. He's also a better pure rusher than given credit for, averaging 4.7 yards per carry last season.
Christian McCaffrey was born to play in a Kyle Shanahan offense 😂 pic.twitter.com/R9Zq2Ja7SP
— PFF (@PFF) August 2, 2023
Last year was his third season of at least 1,800 yards from scrimmage. Not much needs to be said.
2. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
Chubb is tied with the late great Jim Brown for the second-most yards per carry in NFL history with 5.2 yards per tote (minimum 1,000 attempts). He has surpassed Derrick Henry as the best pure rusher in the league and will be viewed as one of the best historically when it's all said and done. With Kareem Hunt out of the picture, he may see more pass-catching work, too.
3. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
Barkley overcame his injury struggles in 2022, posting 1,650 yards from scrimmage. He carried the Giants' offense when needed and is one of the best size-adjusted athletes in the NFL. At full strength, he can make the case for being the top RB in the league.
4. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
Henry posted a mediocre (by his standards) 4.4 yards per carry in 2022, but considering he rushed for 1,538 yards and 13 touchdowns in the lifeless Titans' offense, he keeps a spot in the top-five heading into 2023.
Derrick Henry had the most rushing attempts over the last five weeks of the season 🛎️🐮pic.twitter.com/6gBpC9eiBC
— Legit Football (@_legitfootball) August 3, 2023
All of Tennessee's opponents know exactly what its game plan is, but it simply doesn't matter. Henry may not be as efficient as he once was, but he still had plenty of big-time runs in his age-28 season. Henry tied Travis Etienne and Justin Fields for the most 40-plus yard runs.
5. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
Taylor struggled mightily last season behind a washed-up Matt Ryan and an injury-riddled offensive line, but we can't overreact to one down season. The third-year RB dealt with injury issues of his own, but still flashed his elite open-field speed on occasion. The 2021 rushing champion should be in line for a bounce-back season.
6. Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers
Ekeler is another elite receiving running back and posted 107 receptions in 2022. No player has more trips to the end zone than Ekeler over the last two seasons, as the former undrafted free agent has reached paydirt 38 times in his last 33 games. He may not be an elite rusher, but he's an adequate one -- averaging no fewer than 4.2 yards per carry in any of his first six seasons with the Bolts.
Great Running Back Options
7. Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders
Jacobs was arguably the best running back in the NFL last year, rushing for a league-leading 1,653 yards and 12 touchdowns in his fourth season with the Raiders. He also caught 53 passes for 400 yards en route to a first-team All-Pro selection. If he picks up where he left off the next time he steps on the field, he'll cement himself as a top-five running back.
8. Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys
Football fans waited a long time to see Pollard in the starting running back role for Dallas. Ezekiel Elliott was banged up for much of the year, springing Pollard into action -- and boy did he deliver. Pollard posted 1,007 rushing yards on just 193 attempts and posted seven games of at least 100 scrimmage yards. His marquee performance came against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 11. The Memphis product rushed 15 times for 80 yards and caught six passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns.
Tony Pollard's top 10 plays of 2022pic.twitter.com/OWLDb20inQ
— America’s Team (@RoadToSix) August 1, 2023
With Elliott gone, he'll finally enter a season as the workhorse running back. He has the chance to be the league's best RB in 2023.
9. Breece Hall, New York Jets
Hall played in just over six full games before suffering a torn ACL, but he made his mark right away. The rookie rushed for 463 yards on just 80 attempts (5.8 YPC) and caught 19 passes for 218 yards -- totaling five touchdowns. Some might believe this ranking is bullish based on a small sample size, but what we saw from him is enough given the other RBs that are regressing.
10. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers
Jones quietly had a spectacular season in 2022, averaging more yards per carry (5.3) than Tony Pollard and posting more receiving yards (395) than Saquon Barkley. The Packers' offense was the worst unit we've seen under Aaron Rodgers in years, but Jones maintained his efficiency. He might be the most underrated running back in football.
11. Kenneth Walker, Seattle Seahawks
Walker started his rookie season behind Rashaad Penny, but when he got the starting role, he delivered the explosive runs we saw him flash at Michigan State the year prior. The speedster posted the second-most 20-plus yard runs (10) and 40-plus yard runs (3) and caught 27 passes. His pass-catching skills were a major question mark as he entered the NFL, and he answered those concerns in year one.
He now has Zach Charbonnet to compete with, but he'll still be an explosive-play machine in the well-oiled Seattle offense.
Ascending/Regressing RBs
12. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Robinson has sky-high expectations after being selected No. 8 overall, so if he's not a top-12 running back in 2023, it'll be a major letdown.
Not for nothing, but Bijan Robinson looks like a wide receiver running his route herepic.twitter.com/sY4seYnuou
— Sam Wagman (@swagman95) August 2, 2023
He's a prime candidate to make the Pro Bowl as a rookie.
13. Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots
Stevenson was only out-targeted by Christian McCaffrey and Austin Ekeler last season and averaged 5.0 yards per carry. It was an impressive year for the first-year workhorse and he'll have a chance to surpass some of the aging running backs with another stellar season.
14. Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars
Etienne missed his entire rookie season with a foot injury but rebounded with 1,125 yards (5.1 YPC) and five rushing touchdowns in 2022. It was disappointing to see him catch just 35 passes given his receiving resume at Clemson, but he played well enough to warrant a top-15 ranking.
15. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
Kamara could face a suspension in the early part of the 2023 season, but for now, he's the team's projected starter ahead of Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller. The Saints' offense was putrid last year, yet he still racked up 1,387 yards from scrimmage. Over his six-year career, he's never posted fewer than 1,330 yards of offense in a season.
16. Alexander Mattison, Minnesota Vikings
With Dalvin Cook officially out of Minnesota, Mattison inherits the Vikings backfield ahead of 2023. Relegated to backing up Cook for most of 2022, Mattison has shined when stepping into the lead RB role for Minnesota in the past, which likely made it easier for the organization to cut ties with Cook.
Are you in or out on Alexander Mattison in 2023?pic.twitter.com/gY8zR6toH1
— Moody (@EricNMoody) August 2, 2023
17. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers
Harris was awesome as a rookie in 2021, catching 74 passes and racking up 1,667 yards of offense. However, he regressed in 2022 and rushed for fewer than 4.0 yards per carry for the second season in a row. All of a sudden, it looks like Harris' raw yardage figures are inflated by volume since he's been one of the least efficient ball carriers since entering the league. Balancing his flashes of upside and major concerns, a middle-of-the-pack ranking is appropriate.
18. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals
Mixon had a monster five-touchdown game last season but was largely unspectacular otherwise. Samaje Perine was the more efficient runner and receiver among the Bengals' RBs, but like Cook, Mixon is still at least serviceable.
Untapped Potential RBs
19. J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens
Dobbins is far removed from his rookie season when he rushed 6.0 yards per carry on 134 attempts and continues to struggle coming back from his major knee injury. However, he flashed excellence even while hobbled in 2022, so 2023 is a make-or-break year for the Ohio State alum.
20. Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos
Williams also fell victim to a torn ACL, but his rookie season and early 2022 pass-catching upside gives us reason to believe in him.
21. Miles Sanders, Carolina Panthers
Sanders had a strong year with the Eagles last season, but he's set to play behind a much worst offensive line in a far inferior offense. He's a good but not great running back who has flashed excellence throughout his career.
22. D'Andre Swift/Rashaad Penny, Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles' backfield touch distribution is impossible to evaluate, but Swift and Penny have been two of the most efficient rushers and receivers respectively among RBs in recent seasons
Nick Sirianni said the best “WORD” to describe newly acquired D’Andre Swift is “PLAYMAKER” #Eagles pic.twitter.com/wLZ6S52MZD
— Philly Talk Podcast (@Philly_Mike25) August 3, 2023
Unfortunately, neither has stayed healthy enough to command a full workload, but the one-two punch could be dominant behind an elite Philly offensive line.
23. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
Gibbs' pass-catching upside is not to be denied, but it's too early to move him any higher in the RB power rankings. Expect very little rushing volume from him in his rookie campaign.
24.)Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans
Pierce was on track for 1,000 rushing yards in one of the worst offenses in the NFL before suffering an injury and is one of the "angriest" runners among all backs. He's tough to rank given his brief flash of upside, but he could ascend big time in next year's ranking with a strong season.
25. James Cook, Buffalo Bills
Cook posted an efficient 5.7 yards per carry on 87 rushing attempts, but given his limited sample of touches, I'm not too bullish on him yet.
“James Cook is destined for at least half the offensive snaps”
Last season, Devin Singletary averaged nearly 14 PPR fantasy points per game in 11 games he played over 50% of the snaps
14 fantasy points per game was good for a high-end RB2 in 2022 https://t.co/ObWmJYTiQy
— Adam Koffler (@AdamKoffler) August 2, 2023
He has a great pass-catching skill set, but Josh Allen isn't a check-down quarterback, so it might not be on full display in 2023.
26. Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
White rushed for fewer than 4.0 yards per carry in his rookie season but posted 50 receptions from Tom Brady. He has pass-catching upside fit for fantasy football, but it's tough to know if he'll be a great "real-life" running back just yet.
27. Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams
Akers had a disastrous start to 2022 and was rumored to be traded from the Rams. He rebounded big-time late in the year but was still one of the league's worst rushers overall. The team didn't add much to the position this offseason, so he'll get one last chance to show he's THE man for Sean McVay.
28. Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs
Pacheco has an awesome story as a seventh-round pick turned starter for Kansas City, but is he just a mere product of the offense? Let's see a bigger sample size before we rank him higher.
29. James Conner, Arizona Cardinals
Conner has been a serviceable do-it-all back since entering the league but looks to be on his way down as he passes the running back age apex.
30. Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears
Herbert could be higher on the list if we knew he was the team's starter in 2023, but he'll likely see a split workload with one or two of Roschon Johnson and D'Onta Foreman.
Khalil Herbert to the house. Herbert has been the best RB out here. Smooth running and receiving. #DaBears pic.twitter.com/R3l9HMpx3N
— Ben Devine (@Chicago_NFL) July 27, 2023
31. Raheem Mostert, Miami Dolphins
Mostert still has plenty of explosiveness left, but he's a one-dimensional running back who will share much of the backfield work with Jeff Wilson Jr. and Devon Achane. He's been a pure committee back for the majority of his career.
32. Brian Robinson Jr., Washington Commanders
Per Playerprofiler.com data, Robinson ranked outside the top 45 running backs in true yards per carry, yards per touch, yards created per touch, and breakaway run rate in 2022. He has a fantastic story after overcoming a gunshot wound, but for now, he sits as my worst starting running back heading into 2023.
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