Top 5 NFL Draft Rookie Running Backs to Target in Fantasy Football (2025)

February 26, 2025

Top 5 running back prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft for fantasy football leagues: Ollie Gordon II, Dylan Sampson, Kaleb Johnson, Omarion Hampton, and Ashton Jeanty.

We're just about two months away from the 2025 NFL Draft. Maybe that sounds like a long time, but in the cosmic scheme of things, it's nothing. It'll be here before you even notice.

If you're someone who doesn't spend a lot of time researching college prospects during the season, you might wonder who the top players this year are. Good thing RotoBaller is here, as we can get you caught up on all the top prospects.

Below are the top five running back prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft.

Honorable Mentions

Two teammates probably deserve a spot on this list, but when you're narrowing the field down to just five players, cuts have to be made.

Those two players are Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins. Both should be very good pro players who can make an immediate impact on their new teams.

Another name worth bringing up is Cam Skattebo, who emerged last season as one of the brightest stars in college football for Arizona State. He's tough to evaluate because he came out of nowhere to rush for 1,711 yards and finish fifth in the Heisman voting. Skattebo is a tough runner who could make a surprisingly big impact in the NFL.

5. Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State

We're starting with a hot take here. One year ago, Ollie Gordon II might have topped this list, but a disappointing 2024 season at Oklahoma State has dropped his value big time. You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone listing him among the top five prospects at the position. The Ohio State duo might have both been ahead of him if this was a top-10 list.

But I wanted an excuse to talk about Gordon here, so while he might personally be my No. 7 back (which is still higher than most rankings), the contentious nature of where he ranks among prospects makes him worth discussing.

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 broke into the college football consciousness in 2023 when he led the FBS in rushing yards with 1,732, but he finished with essentially half of that in 2024 as the entire Oklahoma State team fell off a cliff.

It's not a good sign that with defenses focusing on him more in 2024, Gordon's production cratered. Still, his size and his ability to slice through open spaces and get going downhill make him an appealing early down option in the NFL.

Gordon isn't the fastest guy in the world, but his patience out of the backfield should allow him to make positive plays as he finds holes in the defense to exploit. There's something Le'Veon Bell-esque about Gordon.

4. Dylan Sampson, RB, Tennessee

Dylan Sampson might be the most athletic running back in this upcoming class.

The Tennessee product is coming off a huge final season with the Vols, leading the SEC in carries, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns last season. Sampson found the end zone 22 times.

His lack of pass-game usage causes slight concern, but Sampson is an explosive player when the ball is in his hands. If he can fix some drop issues, he can be an every-down NFL back.

Sampson is still a bit raw and only has one year of elite production, but he has all the skills to be an electrifying player at the next level.

3. Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa

Iowa has long been known as a tight-end factory, but this year the school is sending a running back to the league. A very, very talented running back.

Johnson will make his living in the NFL thanks to his straight-line speed. He excels at finding gaps and then powering through those gaps. Johnson is a player who will be hard to take down for negative plays.

He also brings a lot of strength to the table and an ability to break tackles. Johnson might lack the kind of extra gear that helps him run away from defenders in the open field, but he should consistently win at the line of scrimmage and get into the second or third level of the defense, even if that doesn't result in a ton of breakaway runs.

Two of Kaleb Johnson’s best “NFL” traits is his ability to play through contact and keep plays alive.

Not every RB is going to run behind an elite offensive line, turning nothing into something is an elite trait. pic.twitter.com/zeeUKY6QYb

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

Coming from Iowa, there are questions about how Johnson can perform in passing situations because ... well because that's a big weakness with the Hawkeyes program. That's the nicest way I can talk about the Iowa passing game. The team threw for just 10 touchdowns in 2024, although Johnson caught two of them.

If he can refine that part of his game at the next level, Johnson can be a very good running back in the league for a very long time.

2. Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina

As much as I love the depth of this rookie running back class, two names stand out above the rest. Let's start with North Carolina's Omarion Hampton.

In 2024, Hampton carried the ball 281 times for 1,660 yards and 15 touchdowns, leading the ACC in carries and yards for the second year in a row. He also added 38 receptions for 373 yards and two scores.

Hampton has shown that he can be an every-down back in college, something that should translate nicely to the pro game. He's a hard-nosed runner who can go out there and consistently move the chains.

If there's a knock against Hampton, it's that he doesn't necessarily have the top-end speed to force defenders to miss at the third level. If he's going to run through the whole defense, he's going to run through it, using his strength to bully over defenders.

Hampton reminds me a little of a higher-upside version of Isiah Pacheco. They're both runners who just won't quit and who'll take the defense head-on.

1. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

Was there any doubt about who the No. 1 spot would go to? It's Ashton Jeanty, the 2024 Heisman runner-up and one of the most exciting running backs to come out of college in recent memory.

If you were watching Boise State in 2023, you got the sense that Jeanty was a special player as he averaged 112.3 rushing yards per game for the Broncos. If we went back a year and had to name the top draft prospects, he'd still make the top five.

But Jeanty blew up in 2024, leading the FBS in attempts and rushing yards while scoring 29 rushing touchdowns. He was an unstoppable machine when he touched the ball even though the defenses knew what was going to happen.

Ashton Jeanty is incredible at turning negative into positive on his runs, a big reason why he had 2,600 rushing yards in 2024❗️ pic.twitter.com/dgivH7Ir9U

— Andy 🏈 (@CUandyy) February 16, 2025

That's the mark of a great player: when everyone on the field knows you're going to touch the ball and you get six yards anyway.

Jeanty is an explosive and elusive runner who can also break tackles. He's everything you want in a running back from the actual rushing perspective. If he gets a good block, he can spring through a hole and find daylight. If he doesn't, he can lower the shoulders and force his way to positive yards.

Maybe he has some work to do as far as the passing game goes, but he did have 43 catches for 569 yards and five touchdowns in 2023. Last season, Boise State just chose to run Jeanty 374 times, limiting his receiving production.

Jeanty is the best running back in this class. He'll be a first-round pick and a Day 1 starter in the NFL.

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