2022 stats:11 games | 192 att | 861 rush yds | 4.5 ypc | 4 rush TDs | 28 rec | 143 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 3 fumbles lost. July 25, 2021. 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. 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. After making a start in Week 1, Williams was place on IR with a neck injury and never made it back onto the field for the Falcons. Let's cut to the chase: CEH hasn't lived up to his first-round draft pedigree due to inconsistent play and injuries. However, Singletary still profiles as the lead back heading into next season. For the second straight season, Singletary averaged 4.6 yards per carry and fell just short of 1,100 scrimmage yards. Zeke averaged under 4.0 yards per carry in a season the first time in his career. 2022 stats:17 games | 213 att | 1,121 rush yds | 5.3 ypc | 2 rush TDs | 59 rec | 395 rec yds | 5 rec TDs | 3 fumbles lost. After holding off Zack Moss for key touches, he will need to do the same again vs. rookie James Cook. 2022 stats:15 games | 231 att | 876 rush yds | 3.8 ypc | 12 rush TDs | 17 rec | 92 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 0 fumbles lost. Kevin Stefanski-led offense racked up a low number of three-and-outs in 2022. Plus, there's a new No. July 16, 2022 12:52 pm ET. He is a good finisher in the red zone and can take any carry the distance. By Dallas Robinson December 17, 2022 Jump Around This Article Click to show 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. 2022 NFL Running Back Rankings and Tiers Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) runs the ball for a 69 yard touchdown during the second half against the New England Patriots at Lucas Oil Stadium. He's still a talented all-around back but his strength might be as a part-time version of Chubb. 35 carries). 2022 stats:16 games | 68 att | 236 rush yds | 3.5 ypc | 1 rush TD | 30 rec | 209 rec yds | 1 rec TD | 1 fumble lost. Foreman provided the Panthers with a much-needed spark after they traded away Christian McCaffrey at midseason. Hopefully Edwards will stay healthy in 2023 because he's a dynamic player when he is. 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. 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. The second-year running back has recorded 1,000-plus rushing yards in each of his first two seasons. 2022 stats:17 games | 42 att | 123 rush yds | 2.9 ypc | 1 rush TD | 20 rec | 104 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 0 fumbles lost. NFC East: How are the division's running backs compared to rest of NFL Schedule Teams AFC East Bills Dolphins Jets Patriots AFC North Bengals Browns Ravens Steelers AFC South Colts Jaguars. Lost in all the noise and hype surrounding the quarterback and wide receiver position is running back. 1. Conner landed with the right team to return to reliable production after some fading seasons in Pittsburgh. 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. Arizona Cardinals (James Conner, Darrel Williams, Eno Benjamin), 2. 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. The Miami Dolphins have a lot of questions surrounding their backfield heading into the offseason, as the team only has Myles Gaskin and Gerrid Doaks under contract for 2022. We have already ranked the quarterbacks, running backs and receivers. The Seahawks, Dolphins, Patriots, and Ravens are the next best, but all also rely on a combination of several running backs. 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. The Jets shuffled through running backs like nobody's business after Breece Hall went down for the season. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. The offense of the Cleveland Browns was not perfect by any means, but they remained one of the more efficient offenses in the NFL. I've decided to rank every running back who started a game in the 2022 NFL season. Bears: Khalil Herbert and David Montgomery. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. 2021 stats: 151 carries, 541 rushing yards, 4.1 yards per carry, 62 receptions on 78 targets, 452 receiving yards, 7 total TDs. Two moments that immediately come to mind: his 64-yard catch-and-run touchdown in the Vikings' comeback win over the Colts and the career-long 81-yard TD run against the Bills. As in, expect the 601 attempts thrown by quarterback Matthew Stafford in 2021 to serve as a solid baseline for 2022. While Steichen is still. Chubb is known for his chunk running and special burst that comes out of his powerful style. was the only running back who played on over 70% of his teams offensive snaps (83%), and just five running backs cleared the 60% threshold. I want to make it clear that if Carson is healthy and Penny even is close to how he played to finish last season, they have the best running back room in the division by far. He was subsequently traded to a Jets team that had just lost star rookie Breece Hall, but Robinson got lost in the shuffle in New York, playing sparingly in four games the rest of the season. 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. 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. Taylors vision allows him to explode through small creases in the line of scrimmage, and he has legitimate breakaway speed at over 220 pounds. Averaging just under 5.0 yards per carry on the season, Moss will likely serve as a solid backup option to Jonathan Taylor next fall. 2022 stats: 17 games | 264 att | 1,173 rush yds | 4.4 ypc | 8 rush TDs | 39 rec | 295 rec yds | 2 rec TDs | 4 fumbles lost. At 6-foot-3 and 247 pounds, he is actually built different, but his return from injury and historical data pointing to a potential plateau are enough to keep him behind Taylor and Chubb heading into 2022. 1 at the top of his RB rankings. 1 back in Arizona. With Taylor recently undergoing ankle surgery, I'm hopeful he'll return to his 2021 form next season. 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. 2022 stats: 17 games | 203 att | 914 rush yds | 4.5 ypc | 5 rush TDs | 5 rec | 26 rec yds | 0 rec TD | 0 fumbles lost. All off-season, we heard about the signal callers and the wide receivers that changed teams. 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. The 2022 Broncos' offense underwhelmed in a major way. . 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. 1. 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. Showcasing reliable hands and a knack for the end zone, he carved out a nice role as a pass catcher for Tennessee, scoring four touchdowns on 21 receptions. The problem with including McCaffrey in Tier 1 is that we havent seen him fully healthy in two-plus years, as the sixth-year running back has played fewer than 300 offensive snaps in each of the last two seasons. Thats not something any defensive back wants to see in the open field. 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. Only three of the 30 running backs who had at least 150 regular season carries last year were in their seventh season or higher: . Plus, how far did Josh Jacobs climb in MJD's top 15 RB rankings after a huge performance last week? 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. Those days are long gone, as is the notion of running the football as a the. Pace started his collegiate career at Miami OH after a great high school career in Cincinnati as both a running back and linebacker. 2022 stats:12 games | 109 att | 482 rush yds | 4.4 ypc | 4 rush TDs | 17 rec | 89 rec yds | 1 rec TD | 0 fumbles lost. 2023 NFL calendar begins this week, more dates to know. 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. These odds could change during the preseason and assuredly will change in-season. The upside is there to become a top-10 back. Yet even in a loaded Eagles offense, he ended the season as the NFL's fifth-leading rusher. Maurice Jones-Drew ranks each team's primary starting running back for the 2022 NFL season. 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. It is important to note that Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers will not be on the list, as he tore his. 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. San Franciscos Elijah Mitchell is the best back in the division entering the season, but Williams is more accomplished and steady than Jeff Wilson. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. 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. 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. He earned just a 65.3 PFF grade over the first six weeks of the season before a foot injury sidelined him for the rest of the year. There were some games where he went full bell cow and others where he was barely used. Hall rushed for 3.941 yards and 50 touchdowns in three seasons at Iowa State. Including the postseason, Elliott has carried the ball a league-high 1,730 times since he was drafted in 2016. 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. Henry remains one of the most dominant players in the NFL. 2022 stats:17 games | 262 att | 1,066 rush yds | 4.1 ypc | 17 rush TDs | 12 rec | 73 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 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. Unfortunately, he couldn't sustain that success down the stretch. Mitchell became the 49ers' fifth leading rusher in as many seasons under Kyle Shanahan last season, taking advantage of injuries to veterans and the lacking reliability of higher drafted rookie Trey Sermon. A pending free agent, Murray could stay in Denver with new Broncos coach Sean Payton, whom Murray played under for two seasons in New Orleans (2019 and 2020). 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. With rookie Dameon Pierce sidelined by an ankle injury, Ogunbowale logged at least seven carries in each of the last four games of the season. I considered leaving Carson off this list completely given the uncertainty surrounding his injury status and 2022 return. Conner posted 1,000 scrimmage yards for the second straight year in the midst of an up-and-down season for the Cardinals' offense. Conner should be treated as more of a workhorse with Chase Edmonds now playing for the Dolphins. The Bengals were far more reliant on their pass catchers and it showed in the veteran back's production. 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. Barkley is a 2022 Comeback Player of the Year finalist, and rightfully so. Maurice Jones-Drew has one thought about the Cowboys' usage of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard in Zeke's return: Keep it even-steven! He is smart and reliable with a good balance of steadiness and explosiveness. With camp just around the corner, Bills Wire will examine the Bills roster position-by-position. The journeyman running back saw a majority of his 2022 action in the final month. Fournette has reinvented himself in the transition from Jacksonville to Tampa Bay. 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. 2022 stats:16 games | 176 att | 860 rush yds | 4.9 ypc | 5 rush TDs | 22 rec | 185 rec yds | 1 rec TD | 2 fumbles lost. Although 2022 is no different with Kenyan Drake and Georgia rookie Zamir White behind him in the new Josh McDaniels' offense, his more steady than spectacular play may turn out to be the best complement for a more dangerous passing game featuring Davante Adams. 2022 stats:10 games | 19 att | 74 rush yds | 3.9 ypc | 0 rush TDs | 16 rec | 157 rec yds | 1 rec TD | 1 fumble lost. His numbers were way down early last season, averaging 3.4 yards per carry without a single 100-yard game over the first six games. Both Conner and Williams had more than 1,000 total yards from scrimmage in 2021. After an impressive 2021 campaign, Mixon underperformed in 2022. When talented running backs come into the league, I always hope that they get the opportunity to display their greatness and reach their potential; McCaffrey in San Francisco is a home run. He should be in for a big Year 2 to put an offense in transition on his back. Rachaad White showed some promise last year, and could be a fantasy football league winner if Tampa Bay lets him be a three-down workhorse. Plus, just how far did Pollard climb in MJD's RB rankings after his big Week 11 outing? Derrick Henrys midseason injury paved the way for Taylor to stake his claim as the NFLs most valuable running back last season. While he excelled in short-yardage and goal-line situations, scoring 12 rushing touchdowns (his most since 2019), he's not the explosive playmaker he once was for the Cowboys -- which led to Tony Pollard earning a bigger role in Dallas' rushing attack in 2022. Most combined missed tackles forced as a runner and receiver last season, Najee Harris: 92Jonathan Taylor: 75Javonte Williams: 71 pic.twitter.com/fiovz40thc. 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. after clearing 1,500 career carries an unfortunate reality of the beating that their bodies take during the season. 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. Now he's still in recovery mode in a much more crowded backfield and his receiving aspect is set to be curbed. From getting top-10 efficiency play out of backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett, to Nick Chubb being listed as the most valuable running . Swift, like Chubb and others, keeps the pipeline strong for Georgia running backs in the NFL. The 2021 season provided an opportunity for Mixon to bounce back, and he answered the call. Though he averaged only five carries per game this season, Edmonds posted nearly 2 yards more per tote in Denver. The NFL might be considered a passing league now, but the best running backs still have incredible value to their teams. Nonetheless, the passing game is really where he separated himself. 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. But before a new wave of talent hits the league, Eric Edholm and Nick . 2021 stats:202 carries, 929 rushing yards, 4.6 yards per carry, 18 receptions on 21 targets, 132 receiving yards, 15 total TDs. In his final season at North Carolina in 2020, Williams forced 76 missed tackles on the ground in just 157 carries. He made quite a splash for the RedHawks by notching a school-record six sacks in a win over Akron as a true freshman. Hes been the most valuable running back in the league according to PFFs wins above replacement (. 2. 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