Top running backs 2024

1. Christian Top running backs 2024 · 2. Kyren Williams · 3. Alvin Kamara · 4. Raheem Mostert · 5. De'Von Achane · 6. Travis Etienne Top Running Back Recruits () · Rank Player Pos Ht / Wt Rating Team · 1. 1. Taylor Tatum Longview (Longview, TX) · 2. 2. 1. Trey Benson ; 2. Will Shipley ; 3. Blake Corum ; 4. Frank Gore Jr. ; 5. Jaylen Wright. I think Jacobs, Henry, and Pollard all end up closer to 5 mil a year than 10 mil a year. The RB zoom call will scream collusion, but really they.

Ranking the top 10 running backs in 2024 NFL Draft

Who is the number one running back in 2024? 2024 ESPN Top Runningbacks

2024 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Running backs

Wright had four touchdown runs of plus yards in South Carolina, Kentucky, Connecticut and Georgia with all of them coming on the Vols' first drive of the game. Concerns: While Wright's explosive TD runs in were highlight-reel-worthy, they were his only scores last season and he actually saw fewer rushing attempts as a junior than he did in , raising questions about his ability to be a true bellcow in the NFL.

At times, Wright swings his arms to keep balance, exposing the ball unnecessarily. Further, for all of his dynamic flashes as a runner, he's relatively inexperienced in the passing game, catching just 30 passes over his career, with most of those being simple dump-offs and screens. Further, he's more flash than finish on blitz pickup, delivering a good pop initially but struggling to maintain blocks for long.

Summary: The NFL is the ultimate copy-cat league and with teams hoping to replicate the success the Miami Dolphins enjoyed with their speedy offense, Wright could surprise as the first back off the board. Expect his stock to continue to ascend through the NFL Combine, where he should be one of the fastest players tested this year.

Grade: Second round. Overview: A Mississippi native, Benson began his college career across the country at Oregon, but after barely seeing the field as a true freshman and missing the campaign with an injury, he elected to go back east, transferring to Florida State. Once in Tallahassee, Benson's skills rose to the forefront. He produced 25 touchdowns and 2, all-purpose yards on "just" total touches the past two seasons with the Seminoles , opting to give up his final year of eligibility to enter the draft.

Strength: At the snap, Benson sniffs out running lanes like a bird dog in the field, actively probing and racing to and through the hole once it flushes. He accelerates quickly for a big man and has a deceptive, gliding gait that makes him faster than he looks, throwing off pursuit angles.

The physically imposing Benson lowers his shoulders into contact, running with good leverage, leg drive and determination to play the role of bulldozer. He is a capable and experienced pass-catcher and pass-protector. Concern: More of a one-speed runner than a true blazer, despite the impressive statistics.

Had an ugly case of the dropsies against Syracuse in , dropping two possible TDs and three passes, overall. In all fairness, these were his only drops on the year and each came while he was looking back into a bright Tallahassee sun. He has a relatively high-cut frame for a running back, which will raise concerns for some about Benson's long-term durability, especially given that he suffered a major knee injury in already.

Summary: In size and style, Benson profiles similarly to Najee Harris of the Pittsburgh Steelers , offering a potential workhorse combination of size, speed, power and pro-readiness. With all due respect, both backs are more jacks-of-all-trades, master-of-none types who should prove solid NFL starters but are a step behind the league's elite.

Grade: Second-to-third round. Overview: Lloyd might as well have shared travel agents with the aforementioned Benson, taking the same approach but going in opposite directions. Top running backs 2024 A Delaware native, Lloyd graduated early to enroll at South Carolina, but his efforts were abruptly disrupted when he suffered an ACL tear in his second practice with the Gamecocks. After missing the season, Lloyd steadily rose in the South Carolina backfield, leading the team with all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns in Lloyd enjoyed the best season of his college career, averaging an eye-popping 7.

Strengths: Lloyd is a uniquely built back who looks like a tank but moves like a go-kart. He possesses good stop-start quickness and the lateral agility to elude in tight spaces but also knows to get downhill quickly. He is quick to and through the line of scrimmage and shifts gears nicely, throwing off pursuit angles.

He wasn't featured as a receiver — catching just 34 passes over his career including 13 last season — but caught everything thrown to him on tape and made a marvelous twirling adjustment on a deep play-action pass down the seam vs Nevada that showed untapped potential in this area. Lloyd's unique frame and soft hands also turned heads during Senior Bowl practices.

Concerns: A determined runner, but he doesn't wow you with the leg drive and balance through contact one might expect given his stubby, powerful frame. For a short back, Lloyd nevertheless runs with a high pad level and is driven back nearly as often as he falls forward.

Similarly, pass protection is not currently a strong suit, with Lloyd relying on his initial pop and too often getting swept aside. Ball security can also be an issue, as was the case against Utah this season, when he fumbled twice in a narrow loss. Summary: Successful for two very different USCs and the Senior Bowl, as well, Lloyd feels like one of the relatively "safe" backs of this class and one with future starting potential.

If plugged into the right system, he could be one of the real values of the NFL draft. Grade: Third round. Overview: With a staggering 61 touchdowns scored over four seasons at Michigan, Corum certainly checks boxes for production. He was the epitome of consistency for the national champs in , running for at least one touchdown in all 15 of Michigan's games and leading the country with 28 scores 27 on the ground.

Strengths: It is appropriate that Corum starred for the Wolverines , as few backs run with his combination of quickness and ferocity. Corum attacks the line of scrimmage and dictates the action at the second level, making strong lateral cuts and explosively surging forward.

While shorter than some would prefer, Corum's stubby frame is a strength of his game as he maintains his balance through contact, vaulting off of would-be defenders to consistently generate yardage in chunks. Though Michigan didn't ask him to play much of a role in the passing game, Corum shows awareness and soft hands — including kick return ability — and he's stout in pass protection.

Concerns: Corum's highlight reel is impressive, but critics will point out that it is easier to attack holes with conviction when they are already there — and Jim Harbaugh didn't earn his reputation as a running-game aficionado for nothing. Corum feasted off of gaping holes throughout his time at Michigan and wasn't the dynamic threat as a receiver three career touchdowns that most backs of his size are asked to be at the next level.

Summary: Corum leaves Michigan as an accomplished runner, receiver and returner with touches, generating 4, yards against hard-hitting Big Ten competition. Corum is as proven as it gets but he's more gritty than gifted, projecting as a middle-round selection and complementary piece who will struggle to replicate his collegiate success in the NFL.

Overview: With all due respect to the other backs in this article, no one entered college with more fanfare than Irving, a consensus four-star recruit who initially signed and starred at Minnesota, leading the Golden Gophers with all-purpose yards as a true freshman before transferring to Oregon in Irving immediately took flight for the Ducks , with his gaudy 6.

He registered 1, all-purpose yards in with eight touchdowns and boosted those numbers in with 1, yards and 13 scores before vaulting for the NFL draft. Strengths: Irving boasts the electric feet and slippery shoulders to slip and slide past defenders with remarkable consistency.

He is quick enough to shake opponents riding with him in an elevator and in the open field, he's downright lethal. Irving is also a nightmare to defend in the passing game, showing soft hands and awareness of oncoming defenders with 95 grabs and an 8.

Concerns: Irving can fly but too often he's rocked by turbulence. He has a disproportionate build with a relatively slim lower body that lacks the leg drive to bounce and burrow through would-be tacklers for "tough" yards. Frankly, there are plenty of reps on tape in which defenders are able to square him up and knock him into next week, suggesting that Irving is best suited as more of a complementary piece.

Summary: Cat-quick and lethal as a receiver out of the backfield, as well, Irving is one of the better "air backs" of this class. Grade: Third-to-fourth round. To say that he exceeded them is an understatement, with Davis earning First Team All-SEC accolades by the AP Second Team by coaches with 1, all-purpose yards 1, rushing and receiving and leading the power conference with 21 combined touchdowns, setting a new school record in both overall scoring for a running back at Kentucky as well as receiving touchdowns seven.

Strengths: Davis is powerfully built and runs angry, barreling into defenders and showing impressive contact balance and a late wiggle to break tackles consistently. Smooth accelerator to and through the hole, setting up opponents with subtle shoulder fakes and staggered steps. Experience shows with his recognition of leaning defenders, consistently surprising opponents by spurting past or cutting back to leave them off-balance and grasping at him with ineffective arm tackles.

May not time well in workouts but plays fast, rarely being caught from behind. Excellent ball security with just one fumble lost according to PFF in rushing attempts dating back to Dependable receiver with the grit and build to ultimately be a quality pass-blocker. Concerns: If Davis runs like a man among boys, that's because he is. He'll turn 25 midway through his rookie season in the NFL and some will be concerned that the tread is already wearing thin given his career touches.

Davis is already more subtle than sudden, lacking the juice to beat NFL defenders with his speed alone. He is unlikely to produce a blazing yard dash time. Benefited from strong blocking at Kentucky, confidently attacking rushing lanes and not needing to shake opponents at the line of scrimmage. Capable and courageous on blitz pickups but could do a better job of maintaining the block.

Summary: A battle-tested brawler who has excelled in three different programs as well as at the Senior Bowl , Davis isn't the flashiest athlete in this class of running backs, but his vision and contact balance are starter-caliber. Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.

Overview: Bailey began his college career at Louisiana, transferring to TCU following an impressive second season in the Bayou with rushing yards and eight touchdowns as a part-time starter before leading the Big 12 a year ago with a gaudy 8. With star quarterback Max Duggan and wide receiver Quentin Johnston off to the NFL, TCU relied on Bailey in and while the Horned Frogs struggled, as a whole, Bailey excelled, eclipsing his previous career totals with 1, rushing yards and eight touchdowns.

Strengths: Bailey's burst suggests he has nitrous strapped to his legs, zipping explosively past would-be tacklers at the line of scrimmage and into the second level. He shows good vision to attack holes when they are there with the juice to bounce it outside to create on his own or cut back against the grain. He is rarely tackled by the first defender.

Bailey is also among the more gifted receivers of this running back class, showing soft hands, awareness, and body control to make contested grabs down the seam as well as on screens and on the perimeter. Concerns: The undersized Bailey is more of an "air back," who might be able to make defenders miss in the open field, but also can be knocked to the turf by a stiff breeze.

There are multiple occasions on tape where he is tripped from behind or knocked off balance and fails to regain his footing. That fact is especially concerning given that Bailey was essentially a one-year wonder, exploding for nearly double his production 1, rushing yards in as his previous career high yards in Summary: A similarly explosive dual-threat out of the backfield as Oregon's Irving, Bailey projects best as a complementary third-down specialist.

The former four-star recruit immediately excelled against formidable Big Ten competition in , rushing for 1, yards as a true freshman, joining former Badgers Ron Dayne , James White and Jonathan Taylor as the only backs at Wisconsin to gain more than 1, yards in their first seasons on campus. Though Allen was quite obviously the Badgers' primary weapon on offense, he steadily produced, averaging at least 5.

Strengths: A physically imposing back with broad shoulders and veritable tree trunks for thighs, Allen routinely bulldozes through defenders to create yards after contact. He has a deceptive gait, using a very effective hesitation move to get would-be tacklers "powering up" to hit him off-balance and slipping by them to get into the open field, where Allen shows vision and better burst than his size suggests.

Allen shows good coordination and surprisingly light feet, high-stepping his way out of ankle tackles. Miami dolphins point spread He is also an underrated receiver, working hard to improve his hands and awareness out of the backfield, more than doubling his previous career-high with 28 receptions in Concerns: Like most big backs, Allen is much better going North and South than attempting to shake defenders laterally, requiring lanes to efficiently accelerate to the second level.

He can lower his shoulder into defenders for highlight-reel tackle-breaking plays but is such a tall back that he often loses the leverage battle and is too often stood up and driven back, despite his size and strength. As a result, defenders are too often able to rip the ball free, with Allen fumbling nine times at Wisconsin, including four times in Summary: The polar opposite of most of the top backs in this class, Allen capably moves piles with sheer leg drive and determination.

He lacks ideal lateral agility to elude — suggesting more of a complementary "Thunder" role in the NFL but can provide the physical presence many clubs currently lack. Grade: Fourth round. Despite the serious injury requiring a season-ending surgery, Brooks surprised many with his decision to nevertheless give up his remaining college eligibility and enter the NFL draft.

Strengths: Quick to and through the hole, showing a different degree of burst than most of the other backs in this class over pounds. Can outrace defenders to the perimeter and dash to the second level, consistently gaining yardage in chunks. Is just as quick stopping as he is starting, throwing off would-be tacklers and forcing lots of flailing arm tackle attempts that he can easily run through.

Keeps his legs driving through contact and though he runs a tad high more on that later , he shows impressive "dead-leg" balance, regaining his footing when defenders can swipe one of his legs, leaving him hopping momentarily. Brooks has good lateral balance to tightrope the sideline, as well. Caught 25 passes in and showed soft hands while doing so, with impressive hand-eye coordination to pluck outside of his frame.

Enters the NFL with just career touches and should be just scratching the surface of his ability. Concerns: Runs tall and is relatively long. He has narrow legs which give opponents a large tackle target and leave him less downhill power than some of the stubbier backs of this class.

Fights for additional yardage but too often gets stood up and knocked back, failing to fall forward often enough. Wasn't asked to pass protect much for Texas and lacks the weight and physical nature to project as a plug-and-play option in this area. Summary: Brooks will be a fascinating evaluation for NFL scouts.

He is a classic one-year wonder who, depending on your perspective, could either be just scratching the surface of his potential or be the beneficiary from a gifted supporting cast, including the play-caller. He has a slashing big-play style to him that will draw plenty of excitement but his recovery from surgery and relative inexperience will require plenty of patience. Grade: Fourth-to-fifth round.

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Compact, powerful back who put up an offensive lineman-like 27 reps on the pound bench press. Finds small creases and gets downhill. Does everything — including block — bigger than his size. Michigan-record 56 career rushing touchdowns. Happy to deliver punishment.

Body is built to withstand toll of feature back but was averaging about 10 carries per game until mid-November. Zero career fumbles. Big-play weapon with four plus-yard gains. Third-down role is undefined. Led FBS running backs with 56 catches in addition to second straight 1,yard season. One career fumble. Can create something out of nothing with his dynamic cuts. Not a high-volume ball-carrier but averaged 7.

Willing to body-up blitzers. New York native is a between-the-tackles workhorse who wears down defenses with yards after contact 14 runs of plus yards. Lowers pads when he smells the goal line 18 rushing touchdowns last season. Ball security and yard dash time 4. Exploded for yards and three touchdowns against Florida. Decisive north-south runner who maintains contact balance.

Plug-and-play clock ticking after collegiate carries. Lacks top-end speed but adds pass-catching element: Seven of 21 touchdowns last season as a receiver. Classic Wisconsin power back who looked miscast last season in a pass-minded offense. Scored 35 rushing touchdowns in 35 career games. Not much finesse — just toughness, short-yardage stiff arms and blocking.

Only 20 years old for full rookie season. Averaged 5. Some concentration drops.