Jan 5, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) runs the ball for a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings during the second quarter of a NFC Wild Card playoff football game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. In my view, CMC should always be the first running back off the board. His second half of 2019 showed what he could be. That wont change. Saints won, 31-17. The latter question aside, there are plenty of valuable assets in the backfield of every NFL team. Thats not to say Davis is a slouch, as the veteran filled in admirably for Christian McCaffrey last season in Carolina. 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. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 2 rookies to keep am eye on are Javian Hawkins-Atlanta and Chuba Hubbard-Carolina. In terms of the entire units right now, I take theRead more . NFC North Starters: Dalvin Cook ( Vikings ), Aaron Jones (. Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers It feels wrong to rank a 27-year-old running back this high, but Austin Ekeler is not your typical older RB. 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. The New Orleans Saints have won the last three NFC South titles because they have one of the most talented rosters in the league. As far as the Bucs are concerned I expect RoJo tp come back year more improved just as he has every year. When you carry the ball, you kind of carry the whole hope of the whole team, organization and fan base. The Cowboys get to pair Elliott with one of the better backup running backs in football in Tony Pollard. He had six 100-yard games last season. This touchdown run gave Tony Pollard 69 rushing yards on the day. He still finished RB2 for the year because he had 21 total TDs. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals The competition with Fournette should produce a formidable tandem and best in our division. When hes on the field, theres no disputing that Saquon Barkley is one of the best five running backs in football. With multi-team trades, designated commissioner/league managers, and drag/drop easy click methods, Fantrax is sure to excite the serious fantasy sports fan sign up now for a free year at Fantrax.com. Who has the best running backs in the NFC East? McKinnon returns for a third season with the 49ers but has yet to play a single snap in the regular season because of injuries. He is a very good complementary back, something the 49ers have many of. 2. Jones is set to be the bell cow in the Green Bay backfield for what seems like the first time in his career. 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. Hes coming off one of the worst injuries in sports, so well just have to wait if the star running back will be able to stay on the field in 2021. 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.). 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. NFL Network's 'Top 100 Players of 2022' has been unveiled. On this roster, theyre together, and neither has a defined role. Among the 12 backs who made our top 10 list, based on ties, Michael Turner (29), Steven Jackson (27) and Frank Gore (27) rank as the old men. Have to say the addition of Bernard was a surprise and a significant upgrade over McCoy. New Orleans Saints collapse continues on Thanksgiving with fourth straight loss, Tom Brady gets Rob Gronkowski back, Buccaneers back in win column, Saints' Sean Payton defends 'super aggressive' approach after fans boo clock management, Why Saints quarterback Jameis Winston isn't motivated by revenge vs. Lets take a look at CMCs stats for his last healthy season: ~1400 yards rushing, 15TDs, 1000+ yards receiving 4TDs. 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. I'm projecting a bit here because we don't truly know Ward's role. . Unfortunately for Barkley, since playing in all 16 games during his rookie year in 2018, hes had some trouble staying on the field. 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. Young has the talent to rise to the top of this list one day, but he slots in at No. The Bucs would love to get him a hat on game days, but right now it feels unlikely to happen on a weekly basis. Where do the two Arizona Cardinals lead backs in James Conner and Chase Edmonds . 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. Ovie Mughelli, Atlanta. However, in 13 games he only managed to get 39 carries. Falcons GM takes AtlantaFalcons.com behind the scenes of one of the most important moments for draft prospects at the combine: The formal interview. It was Thomas and he's solid. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports. A year without Drew Brees will ultimately be the telling chapter of Kamaras career. 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. Those people should review Fournettes passing stats with the Jags. NFC West. ALVIN KAMARA, SAINTS. C.J. 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. Metcalf has delivered in every aspect since he walked shirtless into a meeting at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine with the team that would later draft him. Etienne spent all of 2021 on injured reserve. Unthinkable! 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). 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Please check your email for a confirmation. follow. (Note: This list only reflects players taking advantage of the new rule change and not a number swap that would have previously been permitted). 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. Jameis at the helm would provide significant upside in both categories. NFL+ gives you the freedom to watch LIVE out-of-market preseason games, LIVE local and primetime regular season and postseason games on your phone or tablet, the best NFL programming on-demand, and MORE! And you nailed it, RoJo comes back every year improved. It's for this reason that my favorite strategy is to draft a running back with my first 4 picksregardless of league style (redraft . Michael Smith. The players have spoken. Anderson. Akers almost enters the NFL in these rankings above Coleman but not quite. But if hes healthy, hes a rare breed of balance, strength, and elusiveness. Ronald Jones, the Buccaneers' second-round draft pick in 2018, had a disappointing rookie season and gained just 44 yards and scored one touchdown on 23 carries. Hoover's not quite as dominant a blocker as Mughelli, but he's been very solid and dependable for a long time. He makes mincemeat of defensive backs in space while possessing plenty of straight-line speed to outrun just about anyone on the field. 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. Leonard Fournette, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Who is a 27 year old running back in the nfc? Further, the Falcons are going to be bad this year. Ty Montgomery Raheem Mostert, San Francisco 49ers Though they do it in different ways, one thing is for sure about these top 10 theyre a threat to take it to the house on every play. The New Orleans Saints have won the last three NFC South titles because they have one of the most talented rosters in the league. New Orleans Saints defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) and defensive end Carl Granderson (96) defends on the play at Bank of America Stadium. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account. bulldozer with underrated open field agility. 21. If he falls to you, feel free to take him. Theyll hope Trenton Cannon, Rodney Smith, Reggie Bonnafon and Chuba Hubbard are able to step up. Who is the best? David Montgomery, Chicago Bears 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. Quarterback: 1-19Running back: 1-49, 80-89Wide receiver/tight end: 1-49, 80-89Offensive line: 50-79Defensive line: 50-79, 90-99Linebacker: 1-59, 90-99Defensive backs: 1-49Kicker/punter: 1-19. section: | slug: nfl-jersey-numbers-heres-a-running-list-of-players-who-have-decided-to-make-a-switch-beginning-in-2021 | sport: football | route: article_single.us | A quality running back is a scarce fantasy asset. Covers the New Orleans Saints as contributing writer for Saints News Network. Christian McCaffrey Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports. Jeremy Bergman provides five items that he believes should have been handled differently by the "Top 100 Players of 2022" voters. 17. Selecting Texas RB Bijan Robinson at 26 could be a great pick for the Cowboys. Stevie Scott, Saints RB Alvin Kamara Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR. Javian Hawkins Which 10 players make up Nos. 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. 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. The guy was a totally different player. His importance to the Panthers' offense can't be overstated. Devin Singletary, Buffalo Bills Earnest Graham, Tampa Bay. Instead its his pass-catching skills, where he consistently creates separation as a route runner, even from a receiver alignment. It is the quality of the starter that pushes the Bucs ranks down compared to CMC and Kamara. Touchdown Antonio Gibson! Number one fumbling the ball, Elliott said when asked what his No. Carolina's main loss behind McCaffrey was veteran back C.J. Im higher on Rojo than most but much will depend on what version of Fournette the Bucs get. With today's high-flying NFL offenses, it's a golden era for pass catchers. Coleman returns to the 49ers as part of their running back committee. To qualify, a player will. Mikey Daniel 50-41? The NFC West has some talented running backs in the conference. The third-round pick had a very productive rookie year in 2020, rushing for 795 yards and scoring an extremely impressive 11 touchdowns. 1 focus entering this season. Washington pairs Gibson with JD McKissic, one of the better backup running backs in the league. bucs Spencer Brown This did not stop Barkley from totaling 1,441 yards from scrimmage, 1,003 rushing and 438 receiving, and eight touchdowns. Qadree Ollison 25. 1 back in the second half of last season on their Super Bowl run. . Kamara had his stats hindered when Taysom Hill was QB, as he would vulture TDs and take carries away from Alvin. 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. Josh Jacobs has eclipsed the 1,000-yard plateau in each of his first two seasons with the Raiders. If folks watch the game, theyd see that RoJo has some real skills running the ball inside and out with power, cutting and balance. Were anxiously awaiting multiple returns to the field for some of the leagues top running backs, none more so than Christian McCaffrey. 1 back against the Giants showed he can be good. 287-1,387 yards, (4.8), 15 touchdowns, (6x 100-Yd games), 116 receptions, 1,005 yards, 4 touchdowns, (2x 100-Yd games), 219-1,098, yards (5.0), 7 touchdowns, (4x 100-Yd games), 107 receptions, 867 yards, 6 touchdowns, (2x 100-Yd games), 172-724 yards (4.2) 6 touchdowns (1 100-Yd game), 2 consecutive 1,000-Yd rushing season + 21 touchdowns at Vanderbilt, 223-857 yards (3.8) 12 touchdowns (0s 100-Yd games), 256-1,251 yards (4.9) 17 touchdowns (6x 100-Yd games), 171-797 yards (4.7) 5 touchdowns (0x 100-Yd games), 81 receptions 533 yards 1 touchdown (0x 100-Yd games), 194-883 yards (4.6) 14 touchdowns (1x 100-Yd game), 81 receptions 709 yards 4 touchdowns (2x 100-Yd games), 146-647 yards (4.4) 5 touchdowns (2x 100-Yd games), 140-578 yards (4.1) 6 touchdowns (1x 100-Yd game). Ashton answer's your questions in this Friday mailbag. Cameron Artis-Payne is back after carrying the ball 19 times for 69 yards and a touchdown last season, and the Panthers added draft pick Jordan Scarlett and former Georgia running back Elijah Holyfield to the position group this offseason. 16. 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. An elusive rusher, Hunt is perhaps even better through the air and after the catch. Jonathan Stewart, Carolina. 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. Fantasy Fallout: With Gavin Lux Out, Could A Sleeper Emerge? They also add an underrated balance to their lethal offense with an effective running game that keeps defenses off balance. Its a big offseason for the former third-round pick, and Vaughn should get plenty of opportunity to prove himself in the preseason. Gambling problem? He would have easily been a 1000 yard back if not for CoRead more , Youre seeing our RBs the same way I do Dr.D. Tony Jones 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. As a team, the Giants scored 17 points or fewer in half of their games. NFC South. 30. The other nine are . Disagree. The Panthers crown jewel. In 2020, it looks a little different as Todd Gurley and David Johnson are no longer in the division. The Cowboys head coach made some comments about the offense that deserve a closer look as they seemed to have been misinterpreted. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"i3qTWjOb77Y_2FA32To_S3YkBupgZWPCJqJ_QqFFyr0-1800-0"}; 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. Ive never been a fumbler. 1. Earlier in this article, I mentioned that theres not another player that will command the percentage of his offense that CMC does. 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. Seven players 25 years old and younger make an appearance in the list, which is voted on by the players themselves, between Nos. With that in mind, Michael Robinson provides his ranking of the top 10 active undrafted players heading into the 2022 season. 15. Alvin Kamara and Christian McCaffrey have been stars . 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. Please check your email for a confirmation. Pollard is only going to get better as his role in the offense expands. 8. 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