40-31? The 2 rookies to keep am eye on are Javian Hawkins-Atlanta and Chuba Hubbard-Carolina. If you cough it up and give it to the other team, youre letting everyone down so I mean thats the No. The Saints possess a luxury none of their other division rivals to have in the way of a powerful offensive line that takes over games. He hauled in 33 receptions out of the backfield and scored 5 more touchdowns on the ground than his rookie season. A daily roundup of all your Dallas Cowboys news from Blogging The Boys, By submitting your email, you agree to our, Blogging The Boys, a Dallas Cowboys fan community, Ranking the NFC East position groups: Running backs, Report: Cowboys prepared to place franchise tag on Tony Pollard if no deal reached by Tuesday. In his first two seasons, he's recorded 2,518 receiving yards and 20 receiving touchdowns (including the playoffs), evidence that he deserves to be considered among the game's elite, thanks to a combination of his size (6-foot-4, 229 pounds), near-Olympic-caliber speed and confidence. 1. A quality running back is a scarce fantasy asset. It would not be the same as drafting a RB with the fourth overall pick. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). [CDATA[ Jonathan Stewart, Carolina. In my view, CMC should always be the first running back off the board. 24. 20. The 27-year-old had the most productive season of his career in 2020 with the WFT, rushing for 365 yards and hauling in an impressive 80 catches for 589 yards and two touchdowns. Garrett is a big reason why the Cleveland Browns' defense has improved in each of the last two seasons, jumping from 30th in total defense in 2018 to 22nd in 2019 to 17th in 2020. Despite splitting carries in the Packers backfield, Aaron Jones easily lands on any list of top running backs in the NFL. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Bruce Arians has already said that Fournette and Jones will battle it out for the starting job in camp, but both will play a lot when the season begins. The team could be hoping for a breakout year with Jones, but the combination of him and Barber isn't too frightening. Top 125 Starting Pitcher Rankings for 2023 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Dynasty League Strategy for 2023, NL Spring Training Battles with Fantasy Relevance, 10 Players Most Likely to See Their ADP Change Based on Spring Training Performance, FantraxHQ 2023 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit, Top 300 Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Rankings, Compete for Cash Prizes in a Fantrax Classic Draft Contest, Get ready for the season with a mock draft on Fantrax.com, Create your own league or join an existing league with Fantrax Commissioner. 4 spot on this list, but his career is currently in limbo. The Panthers crown jewel. Im anticipating a negative game script with the running game, considering theyll be down in plenty of 4th quarters. (via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/hIRCqWUuda. . Who has the most career 200 receiving yard games? A quality running back is a scarce fantasy asset. His production has resulted in two Super Bowl appearances (one win), a league MVP award in 2018 and a contract extension worth nearly half a billion dollars. We should expect him to build off his rookie production, given what we've already seen this preseason. Alex Armah It feels wrong to rank a 27-year-old running back this high, but Austin Ekeler is not your typical older RB. Matt Brown. I would take our 3rd guy (Gio) and likely 2nd guy (Fournette or Rojo) over any other teams backups. Washington pairs Gibson with JD McKissic, one of the better backup running backs in the league. Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks 12. 1 running back in 2020. Between his durability and the Cardinals running scheme that gives him open spaces to run, he might end up leading the NFC West in rushing. Hes recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and combined for 25 rushing touchdowns the past two seasons. The New Orleans Saints have won the last three NFC South titles because they have one of the most talented rosters in the league. The addition of Cam Akers shows the Rams arent sure they can count on Henderson as more than a committee running back. ESPN.com NFC North reporter, 2008-2013 . Although the running back position has become a bit marginalized in recent seasons, the NFC South boasts some of the league's top young backs. He was a very good back at Florida State, producing when he was the only real offensive threat. The drop in the team's rushing production led the Falcons to part ways with Devonta Freeman this offseason and bring in Gurley, whose own production has slipped because of various injuries, leaving a doubt to how much left he has in the tank. ALVIN KAMARA, SAINTS. We are looking at overall depth right not starters? An incredibly important aspect of Minnesotas offensive game plan, as Cook goes, so will the Vikings in 2021. In advance of the finale, Adam Schein provides his own personal top-10 list. Further, the Falcons are going to be bad this year. Its usually the hot hand that will get a majority of the carries in a specific game, so its hard to project their totals. Today, we start by taking a look at the running backs. With big additions to the defensive front, including Jadeveon Clowney, don't be surprised if Garrett comes close to or breaks Michael Strahan's single-season sack record in 2021. As a team, the Giants scored 17 points or fewer in half of their games. . If Mostert has his way, he might not even begin the season in the division. New Orleans has had just three seasons with a 1,000-Yd back during Payton's 14-Yr tenure with the team, yet are still perennially in the top half of the league in rushing. Now what did they get wrong? Jackson is a proven winner, too. The NFC West has a number of talented running backs. They were held below 100 yards rushing in just four games last season, losing 2, and compliment their 1-2 running back punch with the versatility and unpredictability of backup quarterback Taysom Hill. Nelson might miss the start of the 2021 regular season as he recovers from foot surgery, but that doesn't change the fact that he's a three-time first-team All-Pro. However, he only had one regular season game last year with more than 14 carries. Since 2019, he's posted a 24-6 regular-season record as a starter and helped the Ravens to three straight postseasons, including his first playoff victory last January. Falcons just have to be careful not to overuse him this year. The New Orleans Saints have won the last three NFC South titles because they have one of the most talented rosters in the league. I rank him above Carlos Hyde simply because he is trending up, while Hydes career is on the back end and he will be a backup to Chris Carson. GO HEAD, @saquon!159 Total Yards, 2 Touchdowns, and a souvenir for a fan in the 1st half! Also, I watched a good amount of Hawkins at Louisville and I think hes a very capable back that could eat into Davis carries. Jamaal Williams, Detroit Lions Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! Every Thursday until the season begins, Ill be going through each position group in the NFC South, ranking them by team from fourth to first. In 2019, he had his first 1,000-yard season with the Houston Texans but will be second-fiddle to Chris Carson in Seattle, although that should still afford him a decent number of carries in 2020. Set it, and forget it. Dominating the game's top defensive backs with ease week in and week out, Metcalf is becoming the gold standard at the receiver position. If folks watch the game, theyd see that RoJo has some real skills running the ball inside and out with power, cutting and balance. If he falls to you, feel free to take him. Montgomery has ideal traits for a Sean Payton offense, while Washington has flashed a few times in his career, and is a key special teamer. The guy was a totally different player. He may never reach the level of success he saw in his rookie season, but Elliott proves that his place on the roster matters. If hes healthy for 16 games, Barkleys a virtual lock for 1,200 or more rushing yards and tons of explosive plays. He's still something of a secret to a lot of people. He also has quads you should google right at this moment. Saints won, 31-17. Theres much to do about the top running backs in the NFL entering the 2021 season. 16. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images), Sep 15, 2019; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny (20) runs on a, Sep 15, 2019; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny (20) runs on a thirty seven yard touchdown run against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the third quarter at Heinz Field. As long as Jackson is on the field, Baltimore will have a chance. 9. Ito Smith carried the ball 90 times for 315 yards and four scores during his rookie season, and Brian Hill ran wild in a Week 16 game against the Panthers, gaining 115 yards on just eight carries. 1 focus is this season. Spencer Brown For his career, the bruising back out of Ohio State now has 6,384 rushing yards and another 1,957 receiving yards with 56 total touchdowns. While the Saints' two-headed monster at running back gives them the advantage over most teams, Kamara may not even be the most dangerous back in his own division. Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas But, when you compare the teams running back groups altogether, theres no question the Cowboys have the best group in the division. Carolina Panthers Christian McCaffrey Chuba Hubbard Trenton Cannon Reggie Bonnafon Spencer Brown Rodney Smith Mikey Daniel Darius Clark Mason Stokke This is it. Josh Jacobs has eclipsed the 1,000-yard plateau in each of his first two seasons with the Raiders. NFL Network's "Top 100 Players of 2021" continues Sunday, Aug. 22. Arizona Cardinals Top RBs under contract for 2022: Eno Benjamin Key free agents: James Conner (UFA), Chase Edmonds (UFA), Jonathan Ward (ERFA) Conner was a revelation in the desert, racking up 18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Give him 325 carries and he'll give you 1,500 yards. Its taken him a couple seasons, but hes our best pure runner. RB1. Please check your email for a confirmation. The sixth-year running back has already recorded 5,860 rushing yards and 55 touchdowns, having produced at least 1,500 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns in each of the last two seasons. Saints Head Coach Sean Payton prefers to use multiple running backs in his offensive system. Which 10 players make up Nos. #WASvsDAL pic.twitter.com/i0xSK7ZDMN. bulldozer with underrated open field agility. Says he's the toughest matchup he had in college. Still, hes certainly proven to be as valuable as any running back in any backfield across the league. His value to this offense can't be matched. Since entering the league in 2018, Chubb has forced 168 missed tackles, second-most in the NFL behind only Derrick Henry, according to Pro Football Focus. It is the quality of the starter that pushes the Bucs ranks down compared to CMC and Kamara. Michael Chow/The Arizona Republic via USA TODAY NETWORK, Sign up for the Cards Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. 29. Davis finished the year with career highs in snaps, carries (165), yards (642), touchdowns (six) catches (59), receiving yards (373) and receiving touchdowns (two). An injury decreased his role late in the season and in the postseason but he still averaged 4.0 yards per carry and rushed for 544 yards. NFC South Bucs Falcons Panthers Saints NFC West Cardinals 49ers Rams Seahawks Colleges ACC Clemson UNC Big Ten Iowa Michigan Michigan St. Nebraska Ohio St. Penn St. Rutgers Wisconsin Big 12. I expect RB26 and RB28 this year with a full year together. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nfl | pageType: stories | Troymaine Pope. 21. An asset in both the run and pass games, Chubb racked up 1,217 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns last season. DAndre Swift, Detroit Lions 27 years old. Hes somehow managed to record at least 81 receptions in each of his first four seasons with the Saints while also rushing for 3,340 yards on the ground. Alvin Kamara has gotten plenty of attention during his first two seasons with the Saints, but Christian McCaffrey has been every bit as impressive in his first two years in Carolina. He might not lead the division in rushing because of the addition of Hyde, but he enters the season as the best of the West. 1. He now will share carries with Carlos Hyde but should still be the Seahawks main runner and biggest producer. The running back appears to be in great shape, revealing during the Hall of Fame Game last week that he has lost 10lbs in preparation for the upcoming season. His work may be diminishing in the passing game with Kareem Hunts emergence, but that may play to his real strength of punishing first and second-level defenders on the ground. You won't want to miss a moment of the 2022 season! The latter question aside, there are plenty of valuable assets in the backfield of every NFL team. When hes on the field, theres no disputing that Saquon Barkley is one of the best five running backs in football. He has terrific vision, amazing balance, incredible speed, and plenty of elusiveness. (Note: This list only reflects players taking advantage of the new rule change and not a number swap that would have previously been permitted). Say what?! Instead its his pass-catching skills, where he consistently creates separation as a route runner, even from a receiver alignment. Devontae Booker had a decent year as the backup in Las Vegas last season, but the fact of the matter is Barkleys ability to stay on the field will determine how successful their run game is. New Orleans Saints. 25. It's that time of year again, when NFL players cast their votes to identify the best in the league heading into the 2022 NFL season. Behind Freeman the Falcons have a lot of different options to work with. The rebuilding of Panthers' offensive success will once again rely on his abilities in 2020. Home | Ranking The NFC South: Running Backs. 24 Year Old Running Backs 2021 In Nfc South | StatMuse Ronald Jones was 24 years old in the NFC South in 2021. Well see if Atlanta adds anyone before the season, but right now Davis leads a backfield with very little experience or success at the pro level. Armah comes over from Carolina to be the next Payton fullback and add to New Orleans outstanding special teams. 1. Elliott spoke back in July about how not fumbling is his No. The Cowboys may wind up losing two key defenders this offseason. Considering that new head coach Arthur Smith hails from Tennessee, where he had Derrick Henry, Leonard Fournette To qualify, a player will. They also look for improved play from their young offensive line to establish their running game and have a more balanced offensive attack. Davis impressed as McCaffreys backup last year, but now there is limited depth in Carolina. Its not far-fetched to think the best two receiving backs in the league reside in the NFC South. 8. Who is the best? follow. Were anxiously awaiting multiple returns to the field for some of the leagues top running backs, none more so than Christian McCaffrey. The 2019 third-round pick was an intriguing player entering the NFL and ideally would have been more impactful, especially when Todd Gurleys knee became an issue. He caught just 28 passes for 197 yards and failed to score a touchdown through the air. Oops. Jul 18, 2020 12:41 PM EDT. His importance to the Panthers' offense can't be overstated. 10 after earning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2020. Its for this reason that my favorite strategy is to draft a running back with my first 4 picksregardless of league style (redraft, dynasty, etc.). 50 percent of the Panthers offensive plays went through him the prior season and when a player starts getting injuries from overuse, they generally don stop or go away. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports. 2021 Fantasy Tight End Depth Charts: NFC South, Free Agent Tight End Predictions for 2023, Superflex Dynasty Rankings: 2023 Offseason Update, Dynasty Football Rankings: 2023 Offseason Update, Free Agent Wide Receiver Predictions for 2023. Nick Chubb is arguably the NFLs most elusive ball carrier. Odds & lines subject to change. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. 20 and 11. 19. We'll continue our NFC South positional rankings today with running backs. The Buccaneers were held below 100 yards rushing in eight games last season but hope for the maturity of former 2nd round pick Jones and this years addition of 3rd round sleeper Vaughan, both power backs with good open-field speed. The WFTs running back group is led by the versatile 23-year-old Antonio Gibson. He's 37-8 since becoming the Chiefs' starting quarterback in 2018 (most wins by a QB in the NFL over that span), and he ranks first in many passing metrics among QBs with a minimum of 100 pass attempts since '18. The competition with Fournette should produce a formidable tandem and best in our division. Hubbard was a solid mid round choice and could prove to be a capable #2but hes just that right now: an unproven mid-round rookiebasically their version of KeShawn Vaughn last season. Privacy Policy. Alvin Kamara and Christian McCaffrey have been stars . Having a player like Chubb in the backfield makes life a lot easier for Baker Mayfield and the rest of the offense. Touchdown Antonio Gibson! Buccaneers; . With that in mind, Michael Robinson provides his ranking of the top 10 active undrafted players heading into the 2022 season. Disagree. It's not far-fetched to think the best two receiving backs in the league reside in the NFC South. 27. A year without Drew Brees will ultimately be the telling chapter of Kamaras career. Roland Frederickson Koy Sayers Anderson Butler Osborn Tucker Willard Kurek Edwards Garrison Grabowski Granger Reeves Reed Harraway Farr Lindsey Baker Cunningham Hull Jones Ellison Shy Explore Who had the best record against the spread last season? Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports, https://cardswire.usatoday.com/gallery/ranking-the-nfc-west-running-backs/, Cardinals given terrible marks by players on team report card, 4 of 101 best nicknames in NFL history belong to former Cardinals players, One free agent each NFL team should re-sign in 2023, GM, HC searches affected by Cardinals' reputation on compensation, DeAndre Hopkins trade could come before start of free agency, Eagles player takes shot at Jonathan Gannon on social media, Jonathan Gannon 'not sure' if DeAndre Hopkins will play for Cardinals in 2023, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Oct 6, 2019; New Orleans, LA, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones (27) runs the ball against New Orleans Saints defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (22) in the second quarter at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. 1 back against the Giants showed he can be good. Michael Smith. panthers Tampa Bays top four running backs are as locked in as any teams, but finding a real role for Vaughn when the season begins remains a mystery. Travis Etienne (JAC): 23 years old, James Robinson (JAC): 23years old. Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles Gonzalez recalls matchup with Drake London during his days with Colorado. He has speed and power, just needs to keep working to find his role. Pierre Thomas, New Orleans. It's that time of year again, when NFL players cast their votes to identify the best in the league heading into the 2022 NFL season. Tony Brooks-James The 24-year-old running back is having one of the most dominant seasons in NFL history, leading the league in rushing yards (988), rushing TDs (13) and rushing yards per game (98.8). Let's face it: it is easier to trust a star running back on the upswing of his career than one on his last legs. To go from barely average regular season play to elite in the playoffs was one of the weirdest things Ive seen in my time watching football. Kamara had his stats hindered when Taysom Hill was QB, as he would vulture TDs and take carries away from Alvin. 3. Derrick Ward, Tampa Bay. The combination of Kamara, Murray and Washington gives New Orleans a pretty complete backfield trio. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Despite having a solid season on the ground, Sanders receiving totals did drop drastically. 40 and 31. If it were purely up to on-field performance, Dalvin Cook would certainly find himself a bit higher than No. Jameis at the helm would provide significant upside in both categories. After rushing for more than 1,100 yards in 2018, he topped that with 1,230 in 2019. Grant Gordon takes a look at the players' list by the numbers. This backfield is chaos and I hate it. Like, in terms of entire unit, I cant in good faith grade the Panthers #1. Carolina was held below 100 yards rushing seven times last season and went 2-5 in those contests. I never like these RB unit rankings because are we weighting the guys in the unit differently? He is good but he might not be the same guy in another offense. The reason I dont have him higher is that I had to discount the fact that we dont know who the starting QB will be. McCaffrey only played three games last season, and his loss was felt more acutely in the pass game than the run game. 6. The WFT's running back group is led by the versatile 23-year-old Antonio Gibson. What Kamara gives the Saints as a receiver is very difficult to replace. Atlanta has been held to less than 100 yards rushing in 22 of their last 32 games, including 12 games last season. . I aim to find value at other positions like WR and QB because if I miss on a bet at those positions, I can always trade one of my RBs for a roster weakness during the season. James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars Sign up for the What separates McCaffrey from the other dual-threat running backs is his possession of elite-level ground skills. He'll be back in 2022, and James Robinson (his only real competition for . On this roster, theyre together, and neither has a defined role. He very well could be the starter in 2021. Bucky Brooks has Northwestern OT Peter Skoronski linked to the Falcons in first round, Van Ness and Murphy said they'd be thrilled to play in Atlanta, Wilson vows to make big impact, We also talk about which position the Falcons should take in the first round, Atlanta has tons of salary-cap space and No. Brad Hoover, Carolina. Mandatory Credit: Derick Hingle-USA TODAY Sports. A leaky offensive line and an abysmal rushing game have left the Buccaneers with a one-dimensional attack over the last two seasons, allowing opponents to pressure now-former QB, Jameis Winston, into additional turnovers. Michael Carter led film session with running backs as RB coach Taylor Embree and wife welcomed baby . 'I know that I can't do that': DJ Moore says unsportsmanlike penalty cost Panthers. Henry will not go down on first contact and routinely churns out first down after first down if hes not scoring touchdowns. 50-41? Allen made huge jumps in his on-field production, confidence and command of the offense last season. It's that time of year again, when NFL players cast their votes to identify the best in the league heading into the 2022 NFL season. Hes absolutely a first-round draft pick and provided youre not picking one overall, I think you can take him at any pick and nobody will shame you for it. Still, this is McCaffrey's show. NFL Network's 'Top 100 Players of 2022' has been unveiled. Antonio Gibson, Washington Football Team His production will depend on his usage this coming season. While Gurley looks to recapture the form that made him the NFL's most productive RB just a few seasons ago and Jones looks to establish himself, it appears that 2020 will once again be a battle between Alvin Kamara and Christian McCaffrey for running back supremacy in the NFC South. Etienne spent all of 2021 on injured reserve. Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas We'll continue our NFC South positional rankings today with running backs. While Mike Davis played well in McCaffrey's absence last season, no one can really replace CMC.