Justin DiLoro. He earned 83.0-plus PFF rushing and receiving grades en route to an 85.2 overall grade that ranked first among all running backs who played at least 500 offensive snaps. 2020 stats: 145 carries, 625 rushing yards, 4.3 yards per carry, 11 receptions on 14 targets,123 receiving yards, 3 total TDs. The Saints' offense took us on a roller-coaster ride this season with quarterback changes and injuries to many of its best playmakers. Now with James Robinson recovering from a torn Achilles', Etienne is flashing all his explosive college skills again to vie for key work to support long-time teammate Trevor Lawrence. Then the injury bug struck. 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. 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. 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. Brown? 2021 stats: 203 carries, 918 rushing yards, 4.5 yards per carry, 28 receptions on 38 targets, 213 receiving yards, 10 total TDs. The bell cow running back is on the way out. He is one of just two running backs who have 75.0-plus PFF rushing grades on at least 50 attempts in each of the last five seasons. 2021 stats: 219carries, 937 rushing yards, 4.3 yards per carry, 18 receptions on 20 targets, 154 receiving yards, 10 total TDs. Without McDaniels, Harris' role shouldn't change much in a run-heavy attack, even if Rhamondre Stevenson cuts more into the overall backfield work. Taylors 87.0 PFF grade led all players at the position, and he finished the year tied for the most wins above a replacement-level running back despite Indianapolis missing the playoffs. 2022 stats:17 games | 54 att | 220 rush yds | 4.1 ypc | 1 rush TDs | 20 rec | 118 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 0 fumbles lost. promoting him in-house from his 2022 job as a special assistant on McCarthy's staff, to replace the departed Kellen Moore. 2022 stats:17 games | 259 att | 1,269 rush yds | 4.9 ypc | 11 rush TDs | 20 rec | 78 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 2 fumbles lost. With Jones being the versatile, elusive playmaker in space, Dillon is a bruiser at the line of scrimmage with the ability to gain chunk yards every time he gets the rock. Second, he hasn't build on being a top-flight receiving back at LSU, which what he was expected to do in the Chiefs' pass-first offense. 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. He's always been efficient, but this year, Dallas finally gave him more opportunity to shine. You won't want to miss a moment of the 2022 season! Seattle Seahawks (Charis Carson, Rashaad Penny, Kenneth Walker), Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. While rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett acclimated to the NFL game, Harris was the steady presence Mike Tomlin's group needed. Stafford to Kupp for a huge gain to move the Rams into the red zone. Hes been the most valuable running back in the league according to PFFs wins above replacement (WAR) metric, and his 4,503 rushing yards are over 600 more than the next closest back despite him missing roughly half of the 2021 season. From getting top-10 efficiency play out of backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett, to Nick Chubb being listed as the most valuable running . er out of the backfield. 2022 stats:13 games | 37 att | 152 rush yds | 4.1 ypc | 0 rush TDs | 7 rec | 40 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 0 fumbles lost. McKissic. Compiling five 100-yard rushing games on the way to a 1,000-yard campaign in Year 1, Walker has laid the groundwork for a successful career in Seattle's backfield. At full strength, Cook is one of the best zone runners in the NFL. Jonathan Taylor, Colts (5-10, 226 pounds) Taylor has parlayed his prolific play at Wisconsin into the complete durable package in the NFL. Only three of the 30 running backs who had at least 150 regular season carries last year were in their seventh season or higher: . the running back known in the . 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. It's clear the Commanders see Gibson as the No. 2021 stats: 225 carries, 849 rushing yards, 3.8 yards per carry, 42 receptions on 51 targets, 301 receiving yards, 7 total TDs, Vinnie Iyer is an NFL writer at The Sporting News. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. The Bengals were far more reliant on their pass catchers and it showed in the veteran back's production. February 18, 2023 7:48 am ET The Indianapolis Colts are expected to hire New York Giants running backs coach DeAndre Smith to the coaching staff under Shane Steichen. 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. 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. He made quite a splash for the RedHawks by notching a school-record six sacks in a win over Akron as a true freshman. He is a different runner, based more on speed and quickness for the open field to live up to his last name. 1. He had the second-highest per-carry average behind Breece Hall. 2021 stats: 119 carries, 517 rushing yards, 4.3 yards per carry, 19 receptions on 23 targets, 129 receiving yards, 6 total TDs. Carson would likely find himself in Tier 3 if he didnt have the injury concerns. A do-it-all playmaker for the Chargers, Ekeler's 2022 campaign was one for the ages. Buy Vikings Tickets. Derrick Henrys midseason injury paved the way for Taylor to stake his claim as the NFLs most valuable running back last season. McCaffrey was everything and then some for the 49ers after arriving in mid-October via trade. Murray proved to be a solid midseason pickup for the Broncos after starter Javonte Williams sustained a season-ending injury, averaging 5.1 yards per carry in his seven starts. He should pair well with a healthy Javonte Williams in this offense next season. The rookie was third in. 2021 stats: 206 carries, 911 rushing yards, 4.4 yards per carry, 70 receptions on 94 targets, 647 receiving yards, 20 total TDs. 2022 stats:15 games | 223 att | 897 rush yds | 4.0 ypc | 2 rush TDs | 57 rec | 490 rec yds | 2 rec TDs | 4 fumbles lost. With camp just around the corner, Bills Wire will examine the Bills roster position-by-position. The fifth-year back out of Pittsburgh earned 84.0-plus PFF receiving and pass-blocking grades, flashing soft hands throughout the year for Arizona. Will the Cowboys or Packers tandem earn the No. However, Singletary still profiles as the lead back heading into next season. 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. 2022 stats:17 games | 210 att | 1,040 rush yds | 5.0 ypc | 5 rush TDs | 69 rec | 421 rec yds | 1 rec TD | 1 fumble lost. He ranked eighth in PFF rushing grade from 2018 to 2020, and his average of 3.4 rushing yards after contact per attempt since 2017 ranks fourth among running backs with at least 500 carries over that five-year stretch. 2022 stats:5 games | 57 att | 346 rush yds | 6.1 ypc | 2 rush TDs | 4 rec | 16 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 0 fumbles lost. Johnson was one of four running backs who started a game for the Jets in 2022. 1 / 15 28 RB Jonathan Taylor Indianapolis Colts 2 / 15. They could choose to re-sign him for more than he's probably worth, or they could use one of their many draft picks to grab someone who will play on a . 2021 stats: 203carries, 903 rushing yards, 4.4 yards per carry, 43 receptions on 53 targets, 316 receiving yards, 7 total TDs. . Freeman was elevated from the practice squad after Pierce's injury. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports By Ben Linsey May 17, 2022 Mixons 886 offensive snaps (postseason included) were second most at the position, and his 82.1 PFF rushing grade in that time on the field marked a career high. 5. The first player mentioned was center Corey Linsley, who checked in at No. It was telling when a seventh-round rookie (Isiah Pacheco) took over as the starter seven weeks into the season. The journeyman running back saw a majority of his 2022 action in the final month. We have already ranked the quarterbacks, running backs and receivers. Pace started his collegiate career at Miami OH after a great high school career in Cincinnati as both a running back and linebacker. 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. The Chargers had a few key contributors on both sides of the ball this past season. Conner should be treated as more of a workhorse with Chase Edmonds now playing for the Dolphins. 2022 stats:13 games | 129 att | 731 rush yds | 5.7 ypc | 4 rush TDs | 9 rec | 57 rec yds | 1 rec TDs | 0 fumbles lost. Neither injury kept him out for an extended period of time, but their impact shows in Cooks 2021 rushing numbers. Stop A.J. 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. Teams are looking for complementary skill sets and running backs that can split the workload at a position that has tended to have a short shelf life. Penny got out to a booming start as Seattle's RB1, averaging over 6 yards per carry, but a fractured fibula ended his season in early October. 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. This leaves Philadelphia with a couple of options. Which player earns the No. He operated as a change-of-pace back alongside David Montgomery and dual-threat quarterback Justin Fields in Chicago's top-ranked rushing attack. I considered leaving Carson off this list completely given the uncertainty surrounding his injury status and 2022 return. Plus, check out his updated ranking of the top 15 RBs right now. Carter will likely occupy a complementary role behind Hall in 2023. Next year, the final of his rookie deal, will be a make-or-break season in Detroit. Robinson was one of the best stories of the 2022 season, overcoming multiple gunshot wounds not only to . However, Singletary still profiles as the lead back heading into next season. 22 in this list because of his efficiency. Kevin Stefanski-led offense racked up a low number of three-and-outs in 2022. It helped that the pending free agent was finally healthy for a full season. Playing primarily on special teams in 2022, Williams made a pair of starts to close out the regular season for Washington, averaging less than 3.0 yards per carry in those games. The Jets shuffled through running backs like nobody's business after Breece Hall went down for the season. Sanders was an interesting case this season. Finishing as a top-five rusher this season, Barkley's clearly still a premier back when his body cooperates. 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. The NFC West holds some of the most intriguing teams in football. Plus, just how far did Pollard climb in MJD's RB rankings after his big Week 11 outing? San Francisco just used a third-round pick on Davis-Price (RB69 ADP), and his value will skyrocket if anything happens . Hall rushed for 3.941 yards and 50 touchdowns in three seasons at Iowa State. Pennys career has been inconsistent and injury-filled. Fournette, who battled a foot injury in the second half of the season, failed to recreate the magic he brought to the Bucs' offense in each of the previous two years. Looking ahead to 2023, Williams should be back in a feature role for a much more dynamic offense under Sean Payton. The former third-round pick not only dealt with injury in 2021 but also with a. . It might have been a blessing for him not to be misused in that mess of an Urban Meyer-Darrell Bevell offense. 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