2025 Fantasy Football RB Rookie Rankings (Pre-NFL Draft) - Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton, TreVeyon Henderson and more

February 25, 2025

RotoBaller's 2025 fantasy football RB rookie rankings for 2025 NFL rookies by Matt Donnelly. These early RB rookie rankings are from before the NFL Draft.

Fantasy football enthusiasts, it is time to get excited. Draft season is officially upon us. New mock drafts are dropping daily, the NFL Combine will soon be underway, and the draft will be here before we know it.

Another reason to get excited is the 2025 rookie running back class. If your fantasy roster lacks depth at the running back position, this is the draft to reinvest in the position. Why rebuild when you can reload?

While we are talking running backs, let's break it down with RotoBaller's top 10 fantasy backs for the 2025 NFL Draft.

NFL Rookie Rankings for Fantasy Football (Pre-Draft)

Rookie rankings are from before the NFL Scouting Combine and before the NFL Draft

Pre-Draft Top 10 Fantasy Football RB Picks

10. Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech

With more than 4,500 rushing yards, Tahj Brooks leaves Texas Tech as the all-time leading rusher. In his final two collegiate seasons, Brooks carried the ball 576 times for 3,032 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns on the ground.

For those keeping track at home, that's back-to-back 1,500-yard seasons to close out his tenure. Brooks finished eighth in the nation in rushing yards, and in a deep running back class, it feels like we don't hear his name enough.

You NEED to be Targeting Tahj Brooks in 2025 Dynasty Rookie Drafts:

- Workhorse size
- Elusive/patient runner
- Two seasons with 1,500+ yards
- 96 forced missed tackles in 2023
- 100+ rush yards in 19/24 games 2023/2024

He's going to be a 4th round rookie pick STEAL. pic.twitter.com/53TO1c2Z7m

— Snoog's Fantasy HQ (@FFSnoog) February 7, 2025

In a deep class, Brooks has the potential to be a real value, not only for the team that selects him but for the fantasy managers willing to invest. When a position is as deep as the running back position is this season, talent gets pushed down the board.

Brooks proved to be a workhorse in college and, at 220 pounds, certainly can handle the load. He is a patient runner who produced 100 or more rushing yards in 19 of 24 contests and forced 154 missed tackles in those final two seasons.

9. Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State

If Ollie Gordon II had declared after the 2023 season, we would be talking about him as a first-round talent. In 2023, Gordon averaged 123.7 rushing yards per game and added 21 rushing touchdowns on 285 carries -- Gordon's 1,732 rushing yards and 2,062 scrimmage yards that season led the nation.

Fast forward one year, and Gordon churned out 880 yards on the ground on 190 attempts. 

While Gordon saw his value take a hit from one season to the next, he still averaged 4.6 yards per carry in a disappointing campaign. He did manage to recover some of that value with an impressive showing at the Senior Bowl.

Ollie Gordon at RB49 is one of the best values in early @Underdog__NFL ADP on the entire board.

He could rise up 20 spots in the positional rankings after the NFL Draft.

Gordon had a terrific week in Mobile at the @seniorbowl

pic.twitter.com/jEbFKRuJV4

— TheOGfantasyfootball (@TheOGfantasy) February 3, 2025

Gordon has all the physical tools needed to be successful in the NFL. With a thick base and a wonderful blend of size and speed, Gordon could be the steal of the 2025 draft in an interior zone or gap scheme.

8. Dylan Sampson, Tennessee

No back on this list had a higher success rate inside the 10-yard line last season than Dylan Sampson, whose 82.1 percent success rate was seven full percentage points ahead of Cam Skattebo.

That success inside the 10-yard line can be attributed to Sampson's patience and burst. Watching his film, you see an instinctual runner who can make chicken soup from chicken, well, you know.

Dylan Sampson with the best 5 yard run you might see during the draft process. pic.twitter.com/JOXivJLOxD

— Marcus Johnson (@TheMarcJohnNFL) February 18, 2025

In 2024, Sampson saw his rushing attempts jump from 106 the previous season to 258. With that increase in opportunity, the Volunteer back would find the end zone 22 times, or 8.5 percent of his carries, while producing 1,491 yards on the ground, ninth most in FBS.

If Sampson is in the back half of this top-10 rankings, plenty of veteran backs will be unemployed come the start of the season.

7. Devin Neal, Kansas

If you are looking for consistency, then Devin Neal may be the back for you. Neal has seen at least 180 carries and produced at least 1,000 rushing yards in each of the last three seasons for Kansas. Neal's scrimmage yards have increased from 1,273 in 2022 to 1,497 in 2023 to 1,520 in his senior season.

As consistent as Neal was on the ground, he was as reliable in the passing game as he caught 21, 25, and 24 passes in each of those seasons. If you look at the last two seasons, in particular, Neal has accounted for 2,452 rushing yards, 34 touchdowns, and forced 126 missed tackles.

In his 421 carries over that period, Neal's only turned the ball over twice, which bodes well for his ability to be trusted and stay on the field, even as a rookie.

Devin Neal’s feet are elite

pic.twitter.com/CV1DmalggO

— Thor Nystrom (@thorku) January 30, 2025

6. Cam Skattebo, Arizona State

It doesn't matter what Cam Skattebo runs at the combine, scouts already know the former Sun Devil is plenty fast enough.

In 2024, only Ashton Jeanty finished with more rushing yards than Skattebo's 1,711. He produced that yardage on 293 attempts, which equals 5.8 yards per attempt. It's hard to find a running back in this draft who plays with a bigger chip on their shoulder. 

Right now, Skattebo's ADP in fantasy football rookie drafts has him coming off the board with the 21st pick. That still feels criminally low considering his rushing production, the fact he had 45 receptions and more than 600 receiving yards, forced over 100 missed tackles, had a success rate of greater than 75 percent inside the 10-yard line, and projects to be an NFL bell cow in the mold of James Conner and David Montgomery.

babe wake up Cam Skattebo just broke five tackles on a 47-yard rush 😤#Big12FB | 📺 ABC pic.twitter.com/HA759U7gpK

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) December 7, 2024

Wherever Skattebo comes in on your rankings, it's probably too low, present company included.

5. Kaleb Johnson, Iowa

With 1,537 rushing yards in 2024, Kaleb Johnson was the seventh-leading rusher in FBS. Johnson demonstrated excellent vision, burst, and power, which has put him near the top of many draft boards ahead of the NFL Draft.

The only real concern heading into the combine and pro days was his ability to remain on the field in third-down situations due to perceived protection concerns.

Johnson's style is deceptive. At 6 feet and 225 pounds, you'd expect Johnson to be a ball of hate behind a mauling offensive line. That's not the case. Johnson is more of a finesse runner who changes his tempo and uses his size to break tackles rather than run through them.

If Johnson lands in a zone-based scheme, his patience and decisiveness could lead your squad to a future fantasy football championship.

Kaleb Johnson is an NFL All-Pro RB. pic.twitter.com/LZy8b5E1Tb

— Colton Edwards (@coltonedwardsFB) February 17, 2025

4. TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State

Another running back who broke out as a freshman was TreVeyon Henderson. Henderson would rush for 1,248 yards in 2021, the 23rd most in the FBS that season. Henderson's 15 touchdowns that season were the 13th most, tying him with current NFL backs Sincere McCormick and Rachaad White.

Last season, while splitting touches with Quinshon Judkins, Henderson averaged 7.1 yards per rushing attempt and compiled 1,016 yards on the ground. Henderson also proved that he could be a factor in the passing game, as he would add 284 receiving yards on 27 receptions.

TREVEYON HENDERSON 75 YARDS TO THE HOUSE, WOW‼️

Ohio State immediately answers after Texas' TD. pic.twitter.com/a0OdS0eORK

— ESPN (@espn) January 11, 2025

Henderson is the only back in the 2025 draft class who produced more than 100 yards on the ground, averaged more than 7.0 yards per carry, and finished with more than 200 receiving yards. 

3. Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State

From Mississippi to Ohio State, all Quinshon Judkins has done is produce. Judkins has three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons on his resume in a career that has seen him average 5.1 yards per carry and score 14 or more rushing touchdowns in each season.

After back-to-back 270-plus carry seasons, Judkins was able to preserve some of that tread on the tires by splitting rushing attempts with TreVeyon Henderson last season.

Judkins broke out as a freshman, finishing with the seventh-most rushing yards in 2022 with 1,567. He would also finish that season with 16 rushing touchdowns. For perspective, Bijan Robinson finished with 1,580 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns that same season.

Many have Quinshon Judkins ranked outside their top 3-4

He's one of few that fits any run scheme:

2022 - 1,567 yards / 17 TD
2023 - 1,158 yards / 17 TD
2024 - 1,060 yards / 16 TD

Am I missing something here?

If you want a guy who can do it all, that’s him.

Workhorse. pic.twitter.com/XlSOyXSdeD

— Snoog's Fantasy HQ (@FFSnoog) February 6, 2025

In the national championship game against Notre Dame, all Judkins did was total 121 yards, score three touchdowns, and average 9.1 yards per carry. 

2. Omarion Hampton, North Carolina

Omarion Hampton finished 2025 as the third-leading rusher in FBS, as his 1,669 rushing yards trailed only Ashton Jeanty and Cam Skattebo. Hampton knows what it is like to carry the full weight of an entire offense on your shoulders. 

At 6 feet and 220 pounds, Hampton displays elite contact balance. We are talking 4.3 yards after contact per attempt, which puts him in the 97th percentile. 

Over his final two seasons at Chapel Hill, Hampton carried the ball 534 times for 3,164 yards and 30 touchdowns. That works out to 24 touches per game, 150.4 yards per game, and 1.32 touchdowns per contest.

He has also shown he can be a threat in the passing game, with 67 receptions and 595 receiving yards over that same period. NFL projection: a workhorse every-down back. 

Do you want a player comparison? How about David Johnson? He's that good.

Omarion Hampton is yet another reason why you don’t need to draft a RB inside the damn Top-15 (Yes Even Ashton Jeanty)

6’1” 220+ with hands and wheels. Hampton is a certified stud. David Johnson 2.0 in the making. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/NzXKvFMvgX

— Ray G (@RayGQue) December 1, 2024

1. Ashton Jeanty, Boise State

Not many out there will argue against Ashton Jeanty going off the board as the 1.01 in upcoming fantasy drafts. There is a good chance the Boise State product sees a team use a top-10 selection to secure his future services in this year's draft.

Jeanty went from 1,900 yards as a sophomore last year to more than 2,700 total this season. Of those 2,700 yards, 1,970 of his rushing yards came after contact. Jeanty possesses elite-level contact balance and can make defenders miss, as evidenced by his 151 forced missed tackles.

Remember in "Rocky" when Rocky Balboa is learning to "eat lightning and crap thunder?" There is a part in that montage where Rocky is trying to catch a chicken that was defenders at the FBS level trying to bring Jeanty down. Eventually, it happened, but there were plenty of failed attempts to catch one chicken. One time.

ASHTON JEANTY IS UNSTOPPABLE ⚡️@BroncoSportsFB scores a third TD before the half 😤 pic.twitter.com/2Xek565tR5

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 7, 2024

Jeanty will step in on Day 1 and be a three-down back. As good a runner as he is, he may be an even greater receiving threat. If you could take some of Saquon Barkley's DNA and splice it with Christian McCaffrey's, then you would have Jeanty. That may be a little extreme, but you get the picture.

Just Missing: LeQuint Allen, RJ Harvey, Trevor Etienne, Jordan James, and Brashard Smith

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