A truly great running back is a rare commodity these days, as the position is arguably the easiest to find a quality starter. The question “do running backs even matter” gets louder every year, and every football fan has their own take on the subject. But I personally think the position gets too much disrespect. Elite running backs can change games by being the focal point of the offense, and they make the game exciting to watch. These are the five guys who I feel have revitalized the running back position and kept the “running backs matter” position alive.
Honorable Mentions:
Alvin Kamara, Aaron Jones
It was hard to leave the two of them off of the list, but I would rank Kamara and Jones as the sixth and seventh best running backs in the league at this point of the season. While Kamara is arguably one of the most naturally talented backs in the league, as a pure runner he is not as good as the guys ranked ahead of him. Kamara is more of a natural pass catcher out of the backfield, and does not get nearly as many yards from scrimmage rushing as the top dogs at the position. Because of this, I would rank him slightly lower as a pure rusher.
Aaron Jones is seventh because while he is still great, he does not get as much yardage as the guys above him and does most of his damage at the goal line. He is the king of touchdowns and a top three back in the red zone, but based on pure rushing he would not crack my top five.
5. Christian McCaffrey
Even though McCaffrey has been battling injuries the past two seasons, don’t get it twisted. When he is fully healthy, CMC is still a top dog that is a nightmare for pass rushers to defend.
He would be higher on the list if I was evaluating pass catching, but as a rusher I think this place is valid. He is always effective with his touches, and the last two weeks he had a respective 7.31 and 5.9 yards per carry. If he is able to keep the same level of durability as 2018/2019, he may be able to move back up in the ranks.
4. Dalvin Cook
Dalvin Cook is one of the most consistent backs in the league. He is one of the league’s last full blown workhorses, and he is always able to capitalize on his volume with great production. He has run for 734 rushing yards, 4 touchdowns and 4.56 yards per carry this year, on pace for another 1,000 yard rushing season, which would be his third in a row. His only knock is his durability, if he could stay healthy for a full season, he would be even higher on the list.
3. Nick Chubb
Since Chubb was drafted in 2018, he has torn the league up. He has led the league in yards per carry with 5.23 since his rookie season, and even more impressively he is able to do all of this damage in a timeshare with Kareem Hunt. This season he has run for 851 rushing yards and is averaging 106.4 yards per rush and 6.0 yards per carry, on pace for career highs. Chubb is very underrated in my opinion. He has held down the offense for Cleveland and deserves a lot of credit for their turnaround.
2. Jonathan Taylor
JT is turning the league upside down in year two. He is single handedly carrying the Colts offense on his back this season, with 1122 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns in the first 11 weeks. His monster performance last week of 185 rushing yards and five touchdowns (4 rushing, 1 passing) has now propelled him into NFL MVP talks, and if he is able to net the award, he would be the first non quarterback to win the award since Adrian Peterson in 2012. If Taylor is able to keep this level of production up for two or three more years, he may eventually take the top spot on this list.
1. Derrick Henry
Did you really think anyone could dethrone the king? King Henry was the first guy to rush for 2,000 yards since Adrian Peterson in 2012, and was on pace to possibly have even better numbers this season before his season ending injury. Before he went down, he had 937 yards and 10 touchdowns in the first eight weeks. When Henry is healthy, there isn’t anyone that comes close to his skill level and dominance. He is in a league of his own, and it will be exciting to see what he does in 2022.
These are my picks for the top five running backs in the league. What would you change about this list? Let me know in the comments.