Colts won 27-17. However, Singletary still profiles as the lead back heading into next season. 5. Barkleys rookie season in 2018 showed a glimpse of what the Giants thought they were getting when they drafted him second overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. The Lions surrendered fewer passing yards to RBs (331) and . Edwards missed the first six weeks of the season while recovering from the previous year's torn ACL. 95. Sanders is an interesting evaluation from a numbers standpoint because he ranks well in metrics such as EPA per rush and rushing yards over expected, but his PFF grading profile isnt nearly as impressive. The injury history is a big concern. Swift has some good Kamara-like assets and is now helped by strong blocking and a better complementary passing game. Relocating from San Francisco to Miami alongside Mike McDaniel, Mostert eclipsed 1,000 scrimmage yards for the first time in his career. Cook has all the talent to be No. Plus, see which team now has TWO players in MJD's top 15 RB rankings. Lost in all the noise and hype surrounding the quarterback and wide receiver position is running back. The veteran logged the sixth-most rushing yards (759) in the league from Week 8 (his first start in 2022) through the end of the regular season. The former third-round pick not only dealt with injury in 2021 but also with a. . Sermon has the promise to be a workhorse but just couldnt crack the playing rotation. The 2022 NFL season is now in the rearview mirror after the Chiefs celebrated another Super Bowl following a 38-35 win over the Eagles in Glendale, Arizona. 2022 stats:13 games | 69 att | 287 rush yds | 4.2 ypc | 2 rush TDs | 14 rec | 101 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 0 fumbles lost. Feb 6, 2022; Paradise, Nevada, USA; AFC running back Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts (28) runs with the ball against the NFC during the third quarter during the Pro Bowl football game at Allegiant Stadium. Next year, the final of his rookie deal, will be a make-or-break season in Detroit. He led the league in yards per rushing attempt and will start off leading what will be a much run-heavier attack without Russell Wilson. Harris ranked third at the position in PFF WAR and forced more combined missed tackles as a rusher and receiver (92) than any other player in the NFL. Unfortunately, he couldn't sustain that success down the stretch. Over the last four seasons, Chubb ranks first among all qualifying running backs in PFF rushing grade (93.1), yards after contact per rushing attempt (4.1) and missed tackles forced per rushing attempt (0.25). He can be an older Dillon to Williams' younger Jones. Buy Steelers Tickets. San Francisco 49ers (Elijah Mitchell, Jeff Wilson, Trey Sermon), 3. The rushing and scrimmage yardage leader from 2021 is a few notches above the field at only 23. That's the lowest in the league, eight fewer than the New York Giants have faced. 2022 stats:17 games | 204 att | 915 rush yds | 4.5 ypc | 13 rush TD | 107 rec | 722 rec yds | 5 rec TDs | 3 fumbles lost. But . NFL coaches, general managers, agents, media members, and of course fans, will be congregating in Indianapolis this week for the league's annual scouting combine. Tuesday, February 28, 2023. 2022 stats:15 game | 188 att | 786 rush yds | 4.2 ypc | 7 rush TDs | 13 rec | 117 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 2 fumbles lost. 1 on this list and he should be headed to his biggest all-around season yet with his expanded role in a Kevin O'Connell offensive scheme tailored to his rushing and receiving strengths. He also expanded his game in Year 2 as a reliable pass catcher. 2022 stats:15 games | 149 att | 546 rush yds | 3.7 ypc | 3 rush TDs | 46 rec | 353 rec yds | 2 rec TDs | 0 fumbles lost. HIs major foot injury cost him nine games and the Titans need to be wary about overworking him. Wilson had a strange foot injury last offseason but has shown he can have big games. After playing on one-year contracts in 2020 and 2021, Leonard Fournette agreed to a three-year contract worth $7 million per year ahead of the 2022 season. Henderson was solid for a Rams offense that took a step back in 2022, but his lack of opportunities and the re-emergence of Cam Akers after the trade deadline led to Henderson's release in November. The 2022 Broncos' offense underwhelmed in a major way. Beyond being dynamos in the rushing attack, the most talented players at the position are also key contributors as receivers and pass blockers. @Jason_Sarney. Derrick Henry (TBA) | Tennessee Titans vs. TBD 2. Colts won 27-17. Per Sports Info Solutions data via The 33rd Team opposing offenses have thrown 60 passes targeting running backs in the Lions' first 16 games. The upside is there to become a top-10 back. The 2022 season saw the focal point of the Bears' rushing attack pivot from Montgomery to dual-threat quarterback Justin Fields, who had a team-high 1,143 rush yards. 2022 stats:16 games | 24 att | 33 rush yds | 1.4 ypc | 1 rush TD | 30 rec | 241 rec yds | 1 rec TD | 0 fumbles lost. Though he averaged only five carries per game this season, Edmonds posted nearly 2 yards more per tote in Denver. Some think he's prime to return to some early-career form playing off a more explosive passing game with the blocking also reset to be more in his favor. Hell look to turn that around in 2022. name season tm gp rush yds att ypc rush yds/g rush td rec yds rec trg avg rec yds/g rec td; kyle juszczyk: 2022 Conner posted 1,000 scrimmage yards for the second straight year in the midst of an up-and-down season for the Cardinals' offense. I considered leaving Carson off this list completely given the uncertainty surrounding his injury status and 2022 return. 2022 stats: 13 games | 171 att | 760 rush yds | 4.4 ypc | 6 rush TDs | 27 rec | 132 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 0 fumbles lost. 2022 stats:15 games | 25 att | 93 rush yds | 3.7 ypc | 0 rush TDs | 11 rec | 57 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 0 fumbles lost. Only projected starters were considered for the rankings while the most notable backup omissions given an honorable mention at the end. Mixons first season following his four-year, $48 million extension from Cincinnati in 2020 could be classified as a disappointment. It is worth noting that while Ekeler enjoyed the highest PFF rushing grade of his career in 2021 (79.9), he did fall below 80.0 in PFF receiving grade for the first time in his career (62.6). Making his first start in Week 7, Pacheco led the team in carries, rush yards and rush TDs this season, and has come through in big spots for the Chiefs in their run to Super Bowl LVII, including this 39-yard romp against the Jaguars in the wild-card win. Top 150 Players for PPR Leagues. Fast forward to his rookie season in 2021, and Williams once again led his peers in missed tackles forced per rushing attempt with 63 broken tackles on 203 carries (0.31 per carry). His improvement as a runner and receiver should position him to become the Patriots' full-time starter in 2023 -- especially with Damien Harris being a free agent this offseason. Williams might be the No. With Taylor recently undergoing ankle surgery, I'm hopeful he'll return to his 2021 form next season. Jones has been one of the most productive runners in the NFL since Green Bay took him in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He played for Houston and New Orleans in limited action over the final six weeks of the season. You won't want to miss a moment of the 2022 season! Swift, like Chubb and others, keeps the pipeline strong for Georgia running backs in the NFL. at campaign marked three straight seasons with at least 800 snaps played and a PFF receiving grade north of 84.0 to begin his NFL career. He ranks in the 76th percentile of all qualifying backs in missed tackles forced per rushing attempt and the 85th percentile in missed tackles forced per reception across his first three NFL seasons. Now the Chiefs are caught between featuring and fading him into a complementary role. There is promise for Walker, a rookie this season, but with the uncertainty of Carson and only Pennys flash late last season, Seattle cant be any higher than the bottom right now. His lone start came in a wacky Week 15 loss to the Raiders when Harris had just five carries for 19 yards. Considering those results came at 22 years old with plenty of offensive line shuffling in front of him, theres little reason to expect Taylor to slow down in 2022. With some help from Michael Thomas and others to take pressure off him in the passing game again, he should see some familiar favorable running lanes. His 0.2 PFF WAR finish last season was tied with Jonathan Taylor for the highest in the NFL, driven by a significant role in a Cincinnati offense that made it to the Super Bowl. Kevin Patra of NFL.com recently reviewed every team's running back situation and said the following regarding the Commanders: Top RBs under contract for 2023: Brian Robinson, Antonio Gibson, J.D. Robinson was one of the best stories of the 2022 season, overcoming multiple gunshot wounds not only to . , who can use all the help he can get on a barren offense entering his second season. Singletary may not be a threat to break off many 50-yard runs or hurt a defense as a receiver out of the backfield which is why they added Cook but he is more than capable of moving the chains on the ground. 2021 stats:202 carries, 929 rushing yards, 4.6 yards per carry, 18 receptions on 21 targets, 132 receiving yards, 15 total TDs. Part of that can be attributed to an offensive line that Philadelphia has invested heavily in making life easier on the ground for Sanders. Kelley is a great complement to elusive playmaker Austin Ekeler, seeing how the third-year pro excels as a physical downhill runner for the Chargers. Zeke averaged under 4.0 yards per carry in a season the first time in his career. He is smart and. In a crowded backfield that featured Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Ronald Jones II and Jerick McKinnon, the seventh-round rookie emerged as a reliable playmaker in the rushing attack. 2022 stats:7 games | 80 att | 463 rush yds | 5.8 ypc | 4 rush TDs | 19 rec | 218 rec yds | 1 rec TD | 1 fumble lost. He does a little of everything well and gives them what's needed in the rushing and receiving game. His 0.2 PFF WAR finish last season was tied with. Three different running backs have recorded at least 75 conversions first downs and touchdowns as a rusher and receiver over the last three seasons: Ekeler, McCaffrey and Kamara. He also recorded career highs in targets and receptions, taking on a significant role in the aerial attack with Davante Adams no longer in Green Bay. The Alabama product has been one of the most elusive backs on the ground since entering the NFL three seasons ago, recording 177 forced missed tackles as a runner since 2019. Las Vegas decision not to pick up Jacobs fifth-year option is more an indictment of the process that went into making him a first-round selection in 2019 rather than Jacobs' on-field performance. 2022 stats:1 game | 2 att | 2 rush yds | 1.0 ypc | 0 rush TDs | 0 rec | 0 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 0 fumbles lost. While there are plenty of valid arguments pointing to the idea that. Expect Jones' receiving prowess to take on critical importance given the remixed wideout corps around Aaron Rodgers. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts. The Kenneth Walker III addition early in the draft and re-signing Rashaad Penny only further fuels speculation that Carson returning from neck surgery is no sure thing. 2022 stats: 13 games | 220 att | 939 rush yds | 4.3 ypc | 4 rush TDs | 30 rec | 165 rec yds | 1 rec TD | 2 fumbles lost. Bell cow running backs are few and far between, but there are a few running backs ready to step up and have a breakout 2022 NFL season. Finishing with the second-most ground yards among first-year players (behind only Kenneth Walker III), Allgeier has carved out an important role in Arthur Smith's offense. career workload and effectiveness coming off injury are only amplified when looking at Elliott. Thats not something any defensive back wants to see in the open field. 2022 stats: 15 games | 228 att | 1,050 rush yds | 4.6 ypc | 9 rush TDs | 27 rec | 165 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 0 fumbles lost. 2022 stats:7 games | 85 att | 300 rush yds | 3.5 ypc | 1 rush TD | 13 rec | 100 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 0 fumbles lost. is currently the more effective back and should be the starter, a healthy Elliott performing like he was at the start of last season is still a valuable piece of an offense, but it just remains to be seen if he can get back to that point. Stafford to Kupp for a huge gain to move the Rams into the red zone. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports. Which player earns the No. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers head into the 2022 NFL season with sky-high expectations for the third straight year, following back-to-back playoff appearances, their first NFC South title in more than a decade, and their second Super Bowl victory. Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson return to form a convoluted backfield pairing after Sony Michel left in free agency, with Akers likely to serve as the 1A to Henderson's 1B. These are my rankings for the top-5 running backs in the NFC South as we head towards the 2022 season. Penny averages a robust 5.7 yards a pop in his career, but he's yet to play a full regular-season slate in five seasons. 5-ranked rushing attack? Chubb is coming off a career-worst 80.6 PFF rushing grade in a 2021 season was marred by injuries, but theres little reason to expect he wont return as one of the NFLs most difficult tackling assignments in 2022. 1. July 16, 2022 12:52 pm ET. He was certainly the best of the bunch in 2022. 2022 stats:12 games | 22 att | 145 rush yds | 6.6 ypc | 0 rush TDs | 21 rec | 177 rec yds | 4 rec TDs | 0 fumbles lost. Finishing as a top-five rusher this season, Barkley's clearly still a premier back when his body cooperates. He operated as a change-of-pace back alongside David Montgomery and dual-threat quarterback Justin Fields in Chicago's top-ranked rushing attack. An undersized back, the 5-foot-6, 203-pounder chipped in sparingly for the Eagles' top-five rushing attack. He also could handle a bigger role in the passing game if needed, which might be the case if the team moves Kareem Hunt. Though he didn't post career bests in carries or rush yards, he was efficient in 2022 with a career-high yards-per-carry average (4.2). Stevenson made a huge leap in his second season with the Patriots, recording his first 1,000-yard rushing campaign and amassing 1,461 scrimmage yards, ninth-most among running backs this season. Here is my pecking order, 1 to 75. Running Back - Miles Sanders is solid when on the field, but he isn't anything special and is also set to hit free agency this off-season. He had nine carries or more in two games -- in a Week 2 blowout loss to Buffalo and a Week 17 defeat to Dallas, when he got the start with Derrick Henry (hip) and Dontrell Hilliard (neck) out. 2022 stats:15 games | 54 att | 217 rush yds | 4.0 ypc | 3 rush TDs | 5 rec | 15 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 0 fumbles lost. He should get another opportunity -- either from New England or another squad. At full strength, Cook is one of the best zone runners in the NFL. Like McCaffrey, Barkley's early career boom has been derailed by injury woes, but he also never reached the same level of all-purpose dominance. 2022 stats:16 games | 177 att | 819 rush yds | 4.6 ypc | 5 rush TDs | 38 rec | 280 rec yds | 1 rec TD | 3 fumbles lost. In the shadows of Ezekiel Elliott during his first three seasons, Pollard joined the 1,000-yard rushing club and was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time. Pierce was one of the biggest surprises of the 2022 campaign, solidifying himself as an Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate before missing the final month of the season with an ankle injury. 35 carries). Ekeler had been under-appreciated for his unique receiving-forward role for Philip Rivers and Justin Herbert. July 25, 2022 1:46 pm ET. Hes been particularly effective in the gap rushing schemes that the Patriots favor, grading out in the 82nd percentile of all qualifying running backs in rushing grade in those schemes. and his accurate deliveries to Kamara underneath arent coming back, but the Saints need to find a way to keep Kamara involved as a receiving weapon in a receiving corps that has added some talent this offseason. Can Akers pick up his promise as a rookie following a season mostly lost to suffering a torn Achilles' last summer? 2022 stats:11 games | 110 att | 425 rush yds | 3.9 ypc | 3 rush TDs | 11 rec | 51 rec yds | 2 rec TDs | 0 fumbles lost. He should be in for a big Year 2 to put an offense in transition on his back. It was great watching Pollard in the spotlight in 2022. Three different running backs have recorded at least 75 conversions first downs and touchdowns as a rusher and receiver over the last three seasons: Ekeler, McCaffrey and Kamara. If this were simply a list of the top running backs in the NFL over the last three seasons, Henry would find himself at the top. Thats a lot of wear and tear, but the 26-year-old Elliott actually looked spry early in the 2021 season before a knee injury in Week 4 against the Panthers slowed his hot start. Fresh off a career year at age 26, Foreman's hitting free agency at the right time. 2022 stats:16 game | 181 att | 891 rush yds | 4.9 ypc | 3 rush TDs | 31 rec | 202 rec yds | 2 rec TDs | 1 fumble lost. He earned a sub-70.0 PFF rushing grade for the first time in his NFL career last year, and his 22% of carries that resulted in first downs or touchdowns was nearly seven percentage points lower than his career-best 29% in 2020. Drake made three of his five total starts during Baltimore's four-game midseason win streak. Hall isn't . The, addition early in the draft and re-signing. Stevenson was touted as a power back out of Oklahoma but showed he could be complete as a rookie, to the point he may pick up injured James White's key receiving snaps in 2022 to split more of the work with Harris. That makes this list of the top-20 running backs entering the 2022 season an interesting mix of the few remaining three-down backs and players who have been efficient in more balanced committees. 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