2026 NFL Unit Grades for Every Team's Backfield

May 30, 2026

Position grades for every NFL backfield ahead of the 2026 NFL season. Outlooks and analysis for all 32 team's backfield and running back depth chart for 2026.

With the NFL Draft and free agency behind us - and OTAs cranking up - we're looking ahead to the 2026 NFL season!

Below, we're dropping our unit grades for every team's current backfield. Evaluating current rosters, we're taking into account starpower of a team's lead back, as well as the quality of depth down the roster.

Read ahead for our outlooks and analysis for the fast-approaching 2026 regular season, and our unit grades for all 32 NFL backfields.

Arizona Cardinals

Notable RBs on Roster: Jeremiyah Love, James Conner, Tyler Allgeier, Trey Benson

The selection of Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love with the fourth-overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft put the cherry on top of what was already a stout Cardinals backfield. Love - a dual-threat weapon and the draft's top-rated back - will join veteran James Conner and free-agent acquisition Tyler Allgeier in what projects to be one of the league's best (and most crowded) backfields.

𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: Cardinals pick RB Jeremiyah Love with No. 3 overall selection in 2026 NFL Drafthttps://t.co/foOPOe1qCS pic.twitter.com/Ykqkx3q0Cq

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) April 24, 2026

Grade: A+

Atlanta Falcons

Notable RBs on Roster: Bijan Robinson, Brian Robinson Jr., Tyler Goodson, Nathan Carter

Bijan Robinson solidified himself as one of the NFL's best running backs in his third pro season, proving to be an elite dual-threat weapon. Owning one of the league's best 1-2 combos in 2025, Atlanta elected to let Tyler Allgeier walk in free agency, though they did bring in veteran Brian Robinson Jr. to add depth behind Bijan. Allgeier's departure is far from insignificant, but any backfield with Bijan can be considered excellent.

Grade: A

Baltimore Ravens

Notable RBs on Roster: Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Adam Randall, Rasheen Ali

Derrick Henry has been the perfect fit for Baltimore since signing with the Ravens two years ago. The 32-year-old averaged 5.2 yards per carry and totaled 16 TDs last year. He's shown few signs of slowing down. Hill is the perfect compliment to Henry and he'll continue to primarily contribute in passing-down situations.

Grade: A-

Buffalo Bills

Notable RBs on Roster: James Cook, Ray Davis, Ty Johnson

Buffalo possesses a young backfield, spearheaded by Cook, who only seems to get better every year he's in the league. The Bills recently rewarded him with a new contract extension. Depth pieces Johnson and Davis have proven themselves to be quality complimentary backs behind Cook.

Grade: B

Carolina Panthers

Notable RBs on Roster: Chuba Hubbard, Trevor Etienne, Jonathan Brooks

Rico Dowdle was an injection of energy into the Carolina run game in 2025, but the combination of the organization's long-term commitment to Chuba Hubbard and Dowdle's desire to be more of a featured back, led to his offseason departure to the Steelers.

Banged-up for much of 2025, Hubbard's production tumbled from his career-best 2024 campaign, but he'll once again be the clear leader of this backfield for a Panthers offense that's run heavy. The talented, but often-injured Brooks will look to get back in action, and is a true wild card/question mark.

Grade: D+

Chicago Bears

Notable RBs on Roster: D'Andre Swift, Kyle Monangai, Roschon Johnson, 

Unsurprisingly, new Bears head coach Ben Johnson deployed a tandem attack to the running game in his first season in Chicago. Johnson utilized a "thunder and lightning" pairing with D'Andre Swift and impressive rookie Kyle Monangai. There's little reason to think much changes in 2026, as the successful duo combined for 2,333 all-purpose yards in 2025.

Grade: B+

Cincinnati Bengals

Notable RBs on Roster: Chase Brown, Samaje Perine, Tahj Brooks

Following a breakout 2024 campaign, Brown remained Cincy's clear bell-cow back in 2025, totaling 1,456 all-purpose yards and 11 TDs on high-volume usage. Firmly in his prime, Brown will continue to be the star of the show in this backfield in 2026. A dependable option, veteran Samaje Perine will continue to mix in and spell Brown.

Grade: B

Cleveland Browns

Notable RBs on Roster: Quinshon Judkins, Dylan Sampson, Raheim Sanders

The youth movement got underway in the Cleveland backfield last season with the rookie duo of Judkins and Sampson providing some hope for the future. Judkins looked to be a game-changer before injuries - and horrific offensive line play - derailed his first pro season. If he can stay healthy in 2026, he could be in for a monster workload. University of Tennessee product, Sampson, has the potential to provide serious spark as a pass catcher. There's upside to outperform this grade for the young Browns backfield.

Grade: C

Dallas Cowboys

Notable RBs on Roster: Javonte Williams, Malik Davis, Jaydon Blue, Phil Mafa

Former Denver Bronco Javonte Williams surprised everyone with a spectacular 1,200-yard rushing season in his first year in Dallas. The Cowboys rewarded Williams with a new three-year contract extension this offseason and he'll enter 2026 as the 'Boys clear-cut alpha.

Breaking: The Dallas Cowboys and free-agent-to-be RB Javonte Williams reached an agreement on a three-year contract that includes $16 million in guaranteed money, per @AdamSchefter. pic.twitter.com/ilEgCNAI4v

— ESPN (@espn) February 21, 2026

However, the depth chart drops off quickly once we get past Williams with Malik Davis likely the next man up following a very disappointing rookie campaign from Jaydon Blue.

Grade: D+

Denver Broncos

Notable RBs on Roster: JK Dobbins, R.J. Harvey, Jaleel McLaughlin, Jonah Coleman, Tyler Badie

Denver's decision to draft running back Jonah Coleman throws yet another variable into an already-jumbled backfield situation. Veteran JK Dobbins is set to return to Mile High - presumably to be the RB1 - though we know the injury history there. Second-round rookie Harvey was a mixed bag in his first pro campaign, and didn't do enough with his opportunities down the stretch last season to make the job clearly his in 2026.

Grade: C+

Detroit Lions

Notable RBs on the Roster: Jahmyr Gibbs, Isiah Pacheco, Sione Vaki, Jacob Saylors

Detroit elected to move on from one of the NFL's most potent backfield duos by trading David Montgomery to the Texans this offseason. The Lions will make the electric Gibbs the focal point of this dynamic rushing attack. The addition of Pacheco doesn't fully replace Montgomery, but the hard-running former Chief should be a very nice compliment to Gibbs.

Grade: A

Green Bay Packers

Notable RBs on Roster: Josh Jacobs, MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks

2024 free-agent signing Josh Jacobs has been worth every penny since joining the Packers, though he was limited down the stretch last season. Jacobs once again profiles as the clear bell-cow back for Green Bay.

After a complaint on May 23 and a subsequent investigation, Packers RB Josh Jacobs was arrested this morning and booked into Brown County Jail on five charges: battery/domestic abuse, criminal damage to property/domestic abuse, disorderly conduct/domestic abuse, strangulation and… pic.twitter.com/J8AORPMGC6

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 26, 2026

The departure of Emmanuel Wilson will create competition for the back-up role between Chris Brooks and MarShawn Lloyd, the latter of whom disappointed in what was an injury-plagued rookie campaign.

Update: Green Bay's grade would drop significantly if Josh Jacobs were to miss time due to recent legal issues.

Grade: B-

Houston Texans

Notable RBs on Roster: David Montgomery, Woody Marks, Jawhar Jordan

The Texans have moved on from both Joe Mixon and Nick Chubb. Houston will put their backfield in the hands of another veteran back in 2026, as they acquired David Montgomery from the Lions following the 2025 campaign. While Montgomery is 29, there should be some tread left on the tires following his workload-sharing split with Gibbs in Detroit.

Advanced metrics will tell you that Marks was bad in his rookie campaign, but he'll spell Montgomery and, hopefully, provide the Texans with a pass-catcher out of the backfield.

Grade: C-

Indianapolis Colts

Notable RBs on Roster: Jonathan Taylor, D.J. Giddens

The good news? Jonathan Taylor remains one of the NFL's most elite running backs. The bad news? Taylor's participation in 17 games last year has been the exception rather than the rule so far in his career, and the Indy backfield is paper-thin behind him. Second-year pro Giddens would be the next man up, but I'd expect the Colts to try to add some veteran depth before the 2026 season. All-in, this grade is almost entirely based on Taylor's superstar ability.

Grade: B-

Jacksonville Jaguars

Notable RBs on Roster: Bhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez, LeQuint Allen, DeeJay Dallas

We expected new head coach Liam Coen to shake things up in the Jaguars backfield eventually, and the 2026 version of the Jacksonville RB room will look very different than what we saw last season. Both Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby are gone, leaving the lead duties to second-year pro Bhayshul Tuten - a player who flashed off-the-charts athleticism and legit pass-catching ability in his rookie season.

Jacksonville brought in grinder Chris Rodriguez from Washington to handle some between-the-tackles dirty work, while LeQuint Allen will see some action in the passing game.

Grade: D+

Kansas City Chiefs

Notable RBs on Roster: Kenneth Walker III, Brashard Smith, Emari Demercado, Emmett Johnson

Following a relatively-disastrous 2025 season, the Chiefs opted to tear their backfield down to the studs and rebuild ahead of 2026. The key factor in KC's new-look ground attack is former Seahawk Kenneth Walker III, whose three-year, $43 million contract with the Chiefs indicates their intention to make him a true workhorse.

Kenneth Walker set to become just the fourth player to sign with a new team the following season after winning Super Bowl MVPhttps://t.co/suiUVH38Lh pic.twitter.com/MfpkXTc4vP

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) March 9, 2026

Walker is undoubtedly talented, but battled frequent injuries in Seattle while often sharing the load with Zach Charbonnet. Assuming he stays healthy, his explosiveness adds a dimension the Chiefs' backfield has been missing in recent years.

Grade: B-

Las Vegas Raiders

Notable RBs on Roster: Ashton Jeanty, Mike Washington Jr., Dylan Laube, 

The sixth-overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, Jeanty was trapped behind one of the league's worst offensive lines during his rookie season. Multiple offseason upgrades - including the hiring of head coach Klint Kubiak - should result in a better overall outlook for Jeanty and this Raiders backfield in 2026.

The Las Vegas backfield undoubtedly belongs to Jeanty, and is pretty barren aside from fourth-round rookie Mike Washington Jr., a player who averaged 6.4 yards per carry at Arkansas last year.

Grade: B

Los Angeles Chargers

Notable RBs on Roster: Omarion Hampton, Keaton Mitchell, Kimani Vidal

L.A.'s Najee Harris experiment was over before it started, as Harris suffered a season-ending injury at the outset of 2025. Rookie running back Omarion Hampton looked like the total package in relief of Harris, but his first pro campaign was derailed by a serious ankle sprain.

This will be Hampton's backfield in 2026 with former Ravens burner Keaton Mitchell and 2025-Chargers-contributor Kimani Vidal getting what work is leftover.

Grade: B

Los Angeles Rams

Notable RBs on Roster: Kyren Williams, Blake Corum, Ronnie Rivers, Jarquez Hunter

After handling a borderline-ridiculous workload in 2023 and 2024, Kyren Williams did see a dip in volume last season - although he's still clearly the apple of Sean McVay's eye in this L.A. backfield. We know what Williams is at this point... a player who doesn't wow us with dynamic athleticism but who consistently produces at a high level in this offense thanks to his still-elite usage.

Second-year pro Blake Corum did enough last season - 746 rushing yards on 145 carries - to let us know that the Rams' rushing production is in good hands should Williams suffer an injury.

Grade: A-

Miami Dolphins

Notable RBs on Roster: De'Von Achane, Jaylen Wright, Ollie Gordon II

Undergoing a full-blown rebuild, the Dolphins are expected to be one of the NFL's worst teams in 2026, though Miami's backfield is top heavy with the talented Achane at the helm. The speedster remained ruthlessly efficient in his third NFL season, averaging 6.0 yards per touch, while rushing for 1,350 yards and adding 488 yards through the air.

Jaylen Wright still hasn't been the X-Factor that many predicted, while the rookie Gordon played a change-of-pace, grinder role in his first pro season. Achane's star-power raises the grade here.

Grade: A-

Minnesota Vikings

Notable RBs on Roster: Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, Zavier Scott, Demond Claiborne

Veteran Aaron Jones remains atop the Minnesota backfield depth chart, but he was limited to 12 games in 2025. The team's acquisition of former 49er Jordan Mason proved to be a nice insurance policy for the 31-year-old Jones, as Mason actually logged more rushing attempts (159) and yards per carry (4.8) than Jones last season.

These two experienced vets will continue to form a two-headed monster atop a solid, if unspectacular, Vikings backfield.

Grade: C-

New England Patriots

Notable RBs on Roster: Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson, Terrell Jennings, Jam Miller

Henderson showcased mouth-watering home run capabilities during his up-and-down rookie campaign, but the New England coaching staff clearly has some trust issues with putting him on the field in a full-time role when Rhamondre Stevenson is available. Stevenson's fumbling issue reached critical levels early in the season, but he battled through those concerns, as well as injuries, to be New England's clearly-preferred option in the postseason.

Despite Henderson's obvious talent and big-play potential, Stevenson will likely remain a very serious part of this backfield in 2026 after quietly averaging 5.9 yards per touch last year.

Grade: B-

New Orleans Saints

Notable RBs on Roster: Travis Etienne, Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller, Devin Neal

The offseason acquisition of former Jaguars running back Travis Etienne would seem to signal the end of Alvin Kamara's role as New Orleans' full-time RB1. Nearly 31, Kamara was limited to 11 games last season in what was the least productive season of his illustrious career.

With the Saints reaching agreement today with RB Travis Etienne, there now are questions around the league about whether RB Alvin Kamara will be moving on from New Orleans and whether the Saints would be willing trade him. Teams are tracking and wondering about it. pic.twitter.com/2U5Q6FFkvZ

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 10, 2026

Conversely, Etienne logged his best season in recent years in 2025, rushing for over 1,100 yards with 13 total TDs. That output led the Saints to commit an eye-opening $24 million in guaranteed money to the former Jacksonville back. New Orleans' backfield depth chart will be supplemented by the mercurial duo of Kendre Miller and Devin Neal. There's lots of talent in the Big Easy backfield, but also plenty of injury concerns.

Grade: B

New York Giants

Notable RBs on Roster: Tyrone Tracy Jr., Cam Skattebo, Devin Singletary

Following a 2024 rookie season where he showed plenty of promise by racking up over 1,000 all-purpose yards and appeared to solidify himself as New York's running back of the future, Tyrone Tracy Jr. largely took a back seat to rookie dynamo Cam Skattebo in 2025. Before a season-ending injury, Skattebo had provided the G-Men offense with an infusion of toughness and excitement.

Assuming he's fully recovered by training camp, he should enter 2026 atop the NY backfield depth chart with Tracy in a complimentary role and veteran Devin Singletary in reserve.

Grade: B-

New York Jets

Notable RBs on Roster: Breece Hall, Braelon Allen, Isaiah Davis

While the Jets hope to have a new-look offense with quarterback Geno Smith now back in the Big Apple, the running back room will largely be unchanged in 2026. Breece Hall signed a new three-year extension with the Jets on the heels of the first 1,000-yard rushing season of his career. He remains a high-level dual-threat and will lead the Gang Green attack with Allen and Davis serving as committee back-ups.

Grade: B

Philadelphia Eagles

Notable RBs on Roster: Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby, Will Shipley, Dameon Pierce

There was naturally going to be some regression for Barkley after a dream 2024 campaign that included 2,000-yards rushing and a Super Bowl title. His production did indeed drop last season behind an Eagles offensive line that wasn't as good as expected, but Barkley remains at the top of the "NFL's best running back" conversation.

He'll be supported by Tank Bigsby - a 2025 mid-season acquisition who averaged 5.7 YPC in limited playing time - and third-year pro Will Shipley. This is undoubtedly one of the strongest RB groups in the league.

Grade: A+

Pittsburgh Steelers

Notable RBs on Roster: Jaylen Warren, Rico Dowdle, Kaleb Johnson, Travis Homer

The addition of Rico Dowdle - a player who was one of the NFL's most productive backs in the first half of the 2025 season - must be viewed as an overall positive for the Steelers backfield, though it certainly does muddy the waters as far as usage. Dowdle has history with new Pittsburgh head coach Mike McCarthy from their time together in Dallas, so he'll likely get the first shot at the lead-back role.

Coach McCarthy on RB Rico Dowdle: pic.twitter.com/nGgiWeIv4K

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) April 21, 2026

That said, incumbent Jaylen Warren is coming off a career-best year in 2025, so chances are we see a true 1A, 1B situation between the two. Rookie bust Kaleb Johnson will look to get a fresh start outside of Mike Tomlin's doghouse and will enter training camp a clear third on the Pittsburgh depth chart.

Grade: B-

San Francisco 49ers

Notable RBs on Roster: Christian McCaffrey, Jordan James, Isaac Guerendo, Kaelon Black

After an injury-plagued 2024 campaign, Christian McCaffrey returned to play in 17 games last season. While we want to be optimistic, a second consecutive fully-healthy season is a lot to hope for in 2026. The Niners nabbed Indiana's Kaelon Black in third round of the draft, and he'll battle with Jordan James and Isaac Guerendo for the very valuable role of being CMC's backup.

Grade: A

Seattle Seahawks

Notable RBs on Roster: Zach Charbonnet (IR), Jadarian Price, Emanuel Wilson, George Holani

The defending Super Bowl champs are facing a very real shake-up to their backfield ahead of 2026 with Kenneth Walker III off the Kansas City in free agency and Zach Charbonnet recovering from an ACL injury that will most likely keep him sidelined until at least December.

Seattle snagged Notre Dame's Jadarian Price at the end of the first round in the 2026 NFL Draft, and the rookie will likely be thrown into the deep end quickly with former Packer Emanuel Wilson pitching in.

Grade: C-

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Notable RBs on Roster: Bucky Irving, Kenneth Gainwell, Sean Tucker

After missing the playoffs in disappointing fashion, the Bucs essentially swapped Rachaad White for Kenneth Gainwell this offseason. The veteran Gainwell will step into White's role immediately, and will serve as a spell option for Bucky Irving, who was limited to 10 games in 2025 thanks to injuries.

Irving is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, and the timing of his return could impact how we see this backfield deployed in early 2026. Tampa re-signed restricted free-agent Tucker on a one-year, $3.5 million deal, so he'll remained involved to an extent behind Irving and Gainwell, primarily in short-yardage situations.

Grade: B

Tennessee Titans

Notable RBs on Roster: Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, Nicholas Singleton, Kalel Mullings

Despite playing behind a scattershot offensive line, Tony Pollard topped 1,000 rushing yards in each of his two seasons with the Titans, which makes him an underrated asset that's still hard to get excited about. The heavily-predicted "leap year" from Tyjae Spears has never materialized, as the dynamic-but-often-injured Spears was limited to a career-low 72 rushing attempts last season in support of Pollard. We shouldn't expect much to change in 2026.

Grade: D+

Washington Commanders

Notable RBs on Roster: Rachaad White, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Jerome Ford, Kaytron Allen

Following a disappointing 2025 campaign, the Commanders attempted a soft reboot of their backfield this offseason, bringing in former Buc Rachaad White and former Brown Jerome Ford, while bidding farewell to Austin Ekeler and Chris Rodriguez.

Commanders signing RB Rachaad White. (via @MikeGarafolo) pic.twitter.com/CVcGMaPMrD

— NFL (@NFL) March 12, 2026

Seventh-round rookie Croskey-Merritt played a larger role than most expected in his first pro season, but failed to solidify himself as Washington's clear lead back going forward. Enter White, an all-purpose back who steadily lost work to Bucky Irving in Tampa Bay. The Commanders RB1 job is likely his to lose going into training camp.

Grade: D+

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