Also, I watched a good amount of Hawkins at Louisville and I think hes a very capable back that could eat into Davis carries. At 28 years old, Davis will be entering an NFL season as a teams feature back for the first time in his career. His value to this offense can't be matched. Murray is capable of carrying the load for a game or two, and has even made strides at receiver during his time in New Orleans. 1 focus entering this season. NFC North Starters: Dalvin Cook ( Vikings ), Aaron Jones (. If Mostert has his way, he might not even begin the season in the division. Give him 325 carries and he'll give you 1,500 yards. Though he took a step backward in terms of average yards per carry in Year 2, Jacobs added more dynamics to his game in 2020. Young has the talent to rise to the top of this list one day, but he slots in at 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. bulldozer with underrated open field agility. Barkleys first two seasons of full health in New York saw him prove to be a home-run threat at every touch. 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. Nonetheless, the running game is important to every teams offense. Further, the Falcons are going to be bad this year. Today, we start by taking a look at the running backs. He's coming off a season in which he had 12 sacks, 18 QB hits and four forced fumbles while notching seven turnovers caused by pressure (most in the NFL), according to Next Gen Stats. Saints Head Coach Sean Payton prefers to use multiple running backs in his offensive system. Mandatory Credit: Derick Hingle-USA TODAY Sports. Are we talking the entire unit as a whole and comparing the sum of their parts? The best NFL player at every age, from 21-44 - ESPN Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports. Instead its his pass-catching skills, where he consistently creates separation as a route runner, even from a receiver alignment. His importance to the Panthers' offense can't be overstated. Armah comes over from Carolina to be the next Payton fullback and add to New Orleans outstanding special teams. Home | Ranking The NFC South: Running Backs. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts 2. Further, Mike Evans, Antonio Brown, and Chris Godwin deserve their fair share of targets too. Leonard Fournette, Tampa Bay Buccaneers The highly-anticipated return of Saquon Barkley to the field in 2021 should refamiliarize the general fan with one of the most talented all-around backs in the league. Please check your email for a confirmation. 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. He now will share carries with Carlos Hyde but should still be the Seahawks main runner and biggest producer. Ronald Jones II Now what did they get wrong? 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify. 1 back against the Giants showed he can be good. Pairing him with a rejuvenated Elliott is going to give the Cowboys not only the best running back group in the NFC East this season, but potentially one of the best groups in all of football. 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. 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. It feels wrong to rank a 27-year-old running back this high, but Austin Ekeler is not your typical older RB. To qualify, a player will have to be 25 or younger as of Sept. 9, when the 2021 season is scheduled to kick off. Matt Brown. He had a brief fumbling problem but is consistent. James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars Panthers are per thin. He had six 100-yard games last season. NFC West. He's going to be a dynamo in Matt Rhule's offense, helping Sam Darnold make a leap in 2021. The NFL's top running backs will take center stage when the 2021 season returns. Still, hes certainly proven to be as valuable as any running back in any backfield across the league. Buccaneers; . 2 back in Arizona this season behind Kenyan Drake. 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. 1 focus is this season. Allen made huge jumps in his on-field production, confidence and command of the offense last season. Expect more usage from the powerful Latavius Murray after his second offseason in the team's system along with a big rebound in performance from Alvin Kamara. 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. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! Who was the top rookie? The NFC West has some talented running backs in the conference. Drake has yet to put together a great full season, but will get his chance as the Cardinals' No. Carolina Panthers Christian McCaffrey Chuba Hubbard Trenton Cannon Reggie Bonnafon Spencer Brown Rodney Smith Mikey Daniel Darius Clark Mason Stokke This is it. 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. 30-21? With Tom Brady's retirement, what's next for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at quarterback? With today's high-flying NFL offenses, it's a golden era for pass catchers. If folks watch the game, theyd see that RoJo has some real skills running the ball inside and out with power, cutting and balance. 40-31? Sign up for the 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. 20-11? 29. Follow Ledyard on Twitter at @LedyardNFLDraft. How do we rank the running backs in the division entering 2020? He may never reach the level of success he saw in his rookie season, but Elliott proves that his place on the roster matters. I never like these RB unit rankings because are we weighting the guys in the unit differently? I tend to avoid taking either of them, but you cant deny there will be weeks that one of them will win you matchups. Losing Mark Ingram in free agency will certainly be felt next season, but the Saints' decision to add Latavius Murray, who gained 578 yards and scored six touchdowns on 140 carries with the Vikings last season, will help mitigate that. David Montgomery, Chicago Bears 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. I expect RB26 and RB28 this year with a full year together. When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. The NFL voted this offseason to relax its restrictions on what number positional players can wear and folks are wasting no time calling dibs on a new look heading into 2021. On this roster, theyre together, and neither has a defined role. Sign up for the Cards Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. NFC South. 2020 NFC South Running Backs Preview - Sports Illustrated New Orleans With that in mind, Michael Robinson provides his ranking of the top 10 active undrafted players heading into the 2022 season. 24 Year Old Running Backs 2021 In Nfc South | StatMuse Ronald Jones was 24 years old in the NFC South in 2021. With that in mind, NFL Network analyst Maurice Jones-Drew provides his own ranking of the league's top 10 players 25 and younger heading into the 2021 regular season. Ranking the NFC South Running Backs - Cat Scratch Reader The 2019 NFL MVP is a nightmare for defenses as a phenomenal rusher and improving passer, and we should see him make a leap in the passing game with more weapons around him in 2021. Michael Carter led film session with running backs as RB coach Taylor Embree and wife welcomed baby . 5. Alright, let's get into who is set to sport a new number! Carolina's main loss behind McCaffrey was veteran back C.J. Which 10 players make up Nos. 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. Jamaal Williams, Detroit Lions The soon-to-be 26-year-old, who requested a trade earlier this offseason, is at Texans camp -- practicing sparingly -- while allegations of sexual assault and harassment made in the 22 lawsuits filed against the quarterback remain under investigation. . Before we get into the full list of which players are making the change, let's take a quick look at what numbers are now available to specific positions. (via @Giants) pic.twitter.com/yNFOW1WoZQ. He is great in short-yardage situations and can break away. Jackson is a proven winner, too. The Bucs would love to get him a hat on game days, but right now it feels unlikely to happen on a weekly basis. When hes on the field, theres no disputing that Saquon Barkley is one of the best five running backs in football. The WFT's running back group is led by the versatile 23-year-old Antonio Gibson. 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. The 27-year-old Fournette is a 6-foot and 228-Lb. Can he be a regular special teamer? 24 Year Old Running Backs 2021 In Nfc South | StatMuse Tampa Bay may not have a star in their room, but theyve been the smartest team in the South for allocating less resources to the least valuable position on the field. Tony Brooks-James This isnt old by any stretch, but its old enough to make me think that if you were truly a starting running back, youd have got your chance to start before this point. Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas We'll continue our NFC South positional rankings today with running backs. You'll now receive the top Cards Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. 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. 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. After becoming just the fourth player in league history to surpass 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same year, McCaffrey signed a 4-Yr $64 million dollar contract extension this offseason that makes him the highest-paid back in the NFL. Pollard is only going to get better as his role in the offense expands. Carolina claims the top spot in the division at running back, provided Christian McCaffrey stays healthy this season. It would not be the same as drafting a RB with the fourth overall pick. He's anchored the Colts' offensive line -- one of the NFL's premier units since Nelson was drafted -- having allowed a measly three sacks in as many seasons, per PFF. 50-41? The former second-overall pick missed three games during 2019, followed up by missing 14 games after tearing his ACL in Week 2 of this past season. Which 10 players make up Nos. David Carr enlists the help of his brother, Raiders QB Derek Carr, to provide their ranking of the five best active NFL brother duos heading into the 2022 season. Cooks 2019-2020 stretch is among the best two-year stretch of RB performance weve seen in recent memory. . Between the Panthers, Falcons, Saints, and the Bucs, the NFC South has a plethora (SAT word for yall) of backfield candidates to use in your lineups. 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. . 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. With such a talented defense and a quarterback prone to turnovers, Washington likely will rely heavily on their running game this year to carry the load for their offense. Giovani Bernard Hes recorded 43 scores on the ground and another 15 through the air, proving to be a touchdown machine in the Saints offense. FantraxHQ - The Home of Fantasy Sports Analysis, 2021 Fantasy Running Back Depth Charts: NFC South, Top 500 Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Rankings, Fantasy 101: How to Play Rotisserie Baseball, 2023 Fantasy Baseball Position Eligibility, Fantasy EPL 101 How to Play Draft Premier League, 2023 Fantasy Baseball: Points Leagues Sleepers Hitters, Canadian Baseball Prospects and Team Canada World Baseball Classic Roster. Ive projected a little regression in that stat, but Im expecting more all-purpose yards for Kamara this year. No one should be surprised to see Mahomes, who barely qualifies for this list with his 26th birthday falling just eight days after the NFL Kickoff Game, in this spot. @JdMckissic for 6 #SEAvsWAS FOX pic.twitter.com/dVGuOjCtKR. Who has the best running backs in the NFC East? Dec 29, 2019; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey (22) runs after a reception in the third quarter. An asset in both the run and pass games, Chubb racked up 1,217 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns last season. He'll be back in 2022, and James Robinson (his only real competition for . 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. 2022 NFL offseason: All 32 teams' RB situations ahead of free agency, draft The 27-year-old Fournette is a 6-foot and 228-Lb. With coaching staff in place, what's next for Carolina Panthers? Scott has been around the league since 2018 and has had some production, five rushing TDs in 2019 and 374 rushing yards in 2020, but isnt going to scare a defense. The Saints not only have a premier running back in Pro Bowler Alvin Kamara, they also have one of the deepest running back rooms in the league. 2021 Jones 2021 Thompson 2021 Vaughn 2021 Prentice 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 24 24 24 24 Explore Which team has won the most Super Bowls? Josh Jacobs has eclipsed the 1,000-yard plateau in each of his first two seasons with the Raiders. Kenyan Drake, Las Vegas Raiders And you nailed it, RoJo comes back every year improved. With an added dynamic out of the backfield, the trend of top backs being well-rounded continues. Love they guys commitment and work ethic. We are looking at overall depth right not starters? However, he only had one regular season game last year with more than 14 carries. Latavius Murray Sony Michel, Los Angeles Rams Despite having the seventh-worst rushing offense in football last season, according to Pro Football Focus, Eagles running back Miles Sanders had a solid season. July 23, 2021 4:45 pm MT. 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. A lot has changed since the end of the 2020 season, when Watson led the league in passing yards (4,823). Peyton Barber will return after leading the team with 234 carries for 871 yards and five touchdowns. 2 back is. Mikey Daniel Which RB enters the season atop the list? TEMPE, ARIZONA - JUNE 02: Runningback James Conner #6 of the Arizona Cardinals participates in an, TEMPE, ARIZONA - JUNE 02: Runningback James Conner #6 of the Arizona Cardinals participates in an off-season workout at Dignity Health Arizona Cardinals Training Center on June 02, 2021 in Tempe, Arizona. Copyright 2019-2023. The third-round pick had a very productive rookie year in 2020, rushing for 795 yards and scoring an extremely . The Panthers' overall rushing production dropped in 2019 because of the loss of QB Cam Newton and an offensive line that struggled. After rushing for more than 1,100 yards in 2018, he topped that with 1,230 in 2019. He hauled in 33 receptions out of the backfield and scored 5 more touchdowns on the ground than his rookie season. Have to say the addition of Bernard was a surprise and a significant upgrade over McCoy. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. He still finished RB2 for the year because he had 21 total TDs. Jerious Norwood, Atlanta. I know everyone is waiting for wide receiver rankings, but well wait to see what happens with Julio Jones first. 2. Until then, however, weve only seen enough from one rookie running back to crack the top 32 in the NFL entering the season. Behind Freeman the Falcons have a lot of different options to work with. Devin Singletary, Buffalo Bills Mike Davis Anderson. Jul 18, 2020 12:41 PM EDT. Who is the best? Our resident cover man, Jason McCourty, ranks his top 10. document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a08d096c4d28c133811168daadc5e888" );document.getElementById("fe53143262").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It's for this reason that my favorite strategy is to draft a running back with my first 4 picksregardless of league style (redraft . Ill be honest. FILE - Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette sprints to the end zone to score on a 27-yard touchdown run during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 55 football game against. His downfield passing improved immensely in 2020, when he completed 26 passes of 20-plus yards, per Next Gen Stats, while also continuing to be a threat in the run game, with at least eight rushing TDs in each of his first three seasons. LB Von Miller, . Top 10 players 25 years old and younger entering 2021 NFL season - NFL.com Brad Hoover, Carolina. 16. His second half of 2019 showed what he could be. follow. 6. 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. Fullback Keith Smith has 12 career rushing attempts, but will mostly just contribute as a blocker. In advance of the finale, Adam Schein provides his own personal top-10 list. What sets McCaffrey apart isnt that hes a great runner, although he certainly is. 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. Power Rankings: Top 10 NFL running backs - AFC South- ESPN 11. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"i3qTWjOb77Y_2FA32To_S3YkBupgZWPCJqJ_QqFFyr0-1800-0"}; Cowboys free agency 2023: Defensive lineman Arden Key provides versatility at a discount. FantraxHQ - The Home of Fantasy Sports Analysis. He is good but he might not be the same guy in another offense. 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.). 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. 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. Who has the most career 200 receiving yard games? The sky is the limit for Jones as the clear No. NFC South . Needing to replenish depth, the Cowboys should look into free agent defensive lineman Arden Key. He's still something of a secret to a lot of people. Etienne spent all of 2021 on injured reserve. Who Is A 27 Year Old Running Back In The Nfc | StatMuse Top 5 Running Backs in the NFC South. With just 3 fumbles to his credit, hes also a sure-handed first-down machine for Las Vegas. Falcons just have to be careful not to overuse him this year. He has terrific vision, amazing balance, incredible speed, and plenty of elusiveness. The New Orleans Saints have won the last three NFC South titles because they have one of the most talented rosters in the league. Continuing my NFC South position group rankings, I've dug into each team's current crop of running backs to determine how they stack up. Players ranked 40-11 will be revealed Sunday over the course of three hours -- each one-hour episode unveiling a new set of 10 honorees -- beginning at 4 p.m. Gonzalez recalls matchup with Drake London during his days with Colorado. Which team boasts three representatives? 3. he's on pace for a career high in rushing yards at an age when most running backs are nearing their final days in the . Despite splitting carries in the Packers backfield, Aaron Jones easily lands on any list of top running backs in the NFL. The former second-round pick rushed for 867 yards, averaging 5.3 yards per carry, and scored six touchdowns on the ground. Dillon is waiting in the wings in the Green Bay running backs room. All Rights Reserved. Nick Chubb is arguably the NFLs most elusive ball carrier. It is the quality of the starter that pushes the Bucs ranks down compared to CMC and Kamara. 2021 NFC West running back rankings - Cards Wire Michael Turner, Atlanta. Top 5 Running Backs in the NFC South - Sports Illustrated 20. John Raine, Falcons RB Mike Davis Photo by: USA Today. Now entering the final year of his contract, Kamara is expected to command somewhere between McCaffrey's deal and the 4-Yr $50M deal signed by RB Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans this week. Its usually the hot hand that will get a majority of the carries in a specific game, so its hard to project their totals. Alvin Kamara and Christian McCaffrey have been stars since entering the league in 2017, and Devonta Freeman should be healthy after missing much of the 2018 season. Top 5 Running Backs in the NFC South | Yardbarker McCaffrey has averaged 135.2 scrimmage yards per game since 2018 (most in the NFL over that span), and I don't see that figure dropping when he takes the field in September. To qualify, a player will. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. All Rights Reserved. With that in mind, Maurice Jones-Drew provides his ranking of the top 10 QB-pass catcher duos heading into 2022. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! Pro Football Network strives to passionately deliver purposeful, captivating, and exceptional football content. Outside of the QB position (specifically Lamar Jackson), theres not a player in the league that will command a larger percentage of their teams offense than CMC. The Cowboys head coach made some comments about the offense that deserve a closer look as they seemed to have been misinterpreted. Buccaneers, Alvin Kamara reaches milestone while helping Saints stop Seahawks, Loss of Christian McCaffrey, Jaycee Horn overshadows Panthers' 3-0 start, Former Panthers tight end Greg Olsen says son's heart 'reaching its end', Carolina Panthers NFL draft picks 2021: Analysis for every selection, Former New York Giants safety could play key role for Bucs in Super Bowl 2021, Ex-Jets coach Todd Bowles goes from green to greener pastures with Bucs, Tom Brady's success with Buccaneers sparks mixed reaction in New England, Previously covered NFC South for ESPN.com, Covered Panthers for The Charlotte Observer from 1999-2008, Began journalism career with The Tampa Tribune in 1990. With just 889 career touches, Ekeler does not carry the same risk of slowing down as other similarly-aged running backs.