Who are the NFL's best running backs? Execs, coaches and scouts help rank 2025's top 10

With 2025 NFL grooming camps connected the horizon, the league's existent insiders made their voices heard. ESPN surveyed league executives, coaches and scouts to assistance america fertile the apical 10 players astatine 11 antithetic positions, from backmost to cornerback and each positions successful between. This was the sixth variation of these rankings, and arsenic usual, respective players moved up oregon fell disconnected last year's lists.

A reminder of the rankings process: Voters gave america their champion 10 players astatine a position, past we compiled the results and ranked candidates based connected fig of top-10 votes, composite mean and dozens of interviews, with probe and movie survey assistance from ESPN NFL expert Matt Bowen. In total, much than 70 voters submitted a ballot connected astatine slightest 1 position, and successful galore cases each positions. Additional voting and follow-up calls with those surveyed helped america interruption immoderate ties.

Each conception includes quotes and nuggets from the voters connected each ranked subordinate -- adjacent the honorable mentions. The nonsubjective was to place the champion players for 2025. This was not a five-year projection oregon a vocation accomplishment award. Who are the champion players today?

We volition rotation retired a presumption per time implicit 11 days. The schedule: running backs (7/7), antiaircraft tackles (7/8), borderline rushers (7/9), safeties (7/10), choky ends (7/11), interior violative linemen (7/12), violative tackles (7/13), quarterbacks (7/14), off-ball linebackers (7/15), wide receivers (7/16), cornerbacks (7/17).

The backs are back.

Handing the shot disconnected 30-plus times per Sunday is trendy again. Rushing offenses pumped large numbers into the 2024 season, with 7 teams averaging astatine slightest 140 rushing yards per game. That's up from 3 teams the erstwhile year.

"The champion play successful shot is inactive the quality to simply manus it disconnected to your champion jock connected the tract and marque everyone other look foolish trying to tackle him," a seasoned NFC scout said. "Elite backmost play twelvemonth successful and twelvemonth retired is, and ever volition be, a rarity alternatively than the norm."

Rushing occurrence stories were each implicit the NFL map. The moving backmost successful Philly galvanized a Super Bowl run. The moving backmost successful Baltimore wholly changed the Ravens offense. And young backs successful Detroit and Atlanta showed large prima power.

This year's apical 10 featured immoderate perennial favorites -- and a fewer surprises.

1. Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles

Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 2
Age: 28 | Last year's ranking: 4

Barkley got greedy successful 2024. He intelligibly wanted each first-place ballot successful our 2025 poll. And helium got each but 1 of them.

Barkley's Super Bowl parade-inspired tally successful 2024-25 harkens backmost to then-New York Giants GM Dave Gettleman taking superior vigor for selecting a moving backmost with the 2nd wide prime contempt plentifulness of bully quarterbacks disposable successful the 2018 draft. Barkley was conscionable that good. And, conscionable maybe, that prime wasn't truthful atrocious and Gettleman looks smart?

Let's conscionable accidental scouts astir the league who erstwhile forecast Barkley arsenic a transcendent subordinate tin respect those aged scouting reports with a low-key fist pump.

"It was astir similar this was expected -- helium was ever expected to beryllium this," an NFL unit manager said. "You tin telephone it confirmation bias. Everybody thought helium was a large subordinate [at Penn State] and helium proved what radical thought helium would be. It conscionable took immoderate peaks and valleys. And helium was successful a atrocious discourtesy [in New York]."

When including the regular play and playoffs, Barkley's 2,504 unreserved yards and 7 scrimmage touchdowns of 60-plus yards are the astir successful a play successful NFL history. His velocity was perpetually connected display, reaching astatine slightest 20 mph connected 9 touchdown runs, per Next Gen Stats. No different subordinate had much than two.

"He tin spell different fewer years with high-level play down that (Eagles) line," the manager said.

2. Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens

Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 6
Age: 31 | Last year's ranking: 9

Mr. Laughs-at-First-Contact inactive refuses to spell down.

Henry's 830 rushing yards aft interaction successful 2024 -- his archetypal play with the Ravens -- were 191 much than the next-closest subordinate (Josh Jacobs). His 3,634 yards aft interaction since 2020 is 900-plus yards much than the remainder of the field. All of this is thing new. Tackling Henry is everlastingly an arduous task. But coming disconnected 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns, Henry appears averse to the moving backmost cliff to which astir 30-somethings succumb.

"He'll dilatory down astatine immoderate point, but he's got elite assemblage creation and elite enactment ethic," an AFC enforcement said. "He's a monster. No 1 wants to tackle him, and past erstwhile helium wears you down, that's erstwhile helium breaks disconnected that large run."

Somehow, Henry is proving much businesslike with age. Henry's 5.9 yards per unreserved past play represented the highest people by a subordinate with 250 carries successful a play since Adrian Peterson successful 2012 (6.0). And his 13 vocation games with 150 rushing yards and 2 rushing touchdowns ties Jim Brown for the astir successful NFL history.

3. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions

Highest ranking: 2 | Lowest ranking: 9
Age: 23 | Last year's ranking: 8

"Sonic" narrowly outdistanced 2023 draught mate Bijan Robinson for the 3rd spot acknowledgment to his 20-touchdown season, which led the NFL.

The past Lion to pb the NFL successful scrimmage scores? Barry Sanders with 17 successful 1991.

Gibbs' earthy velocity astatine 5-foot-9 and 200 pounds tin "flip the crippled upside down" connected 1 play, per an NFC scout. And his 6.4 yards per interaction past play was the highest people by immoderate subordinate with 250 touches successful a play implicit the past decade.

"He's a batch similar Reggie Bush, conscionable with a small spot much power," an AFC enforcement said. "Size volition ever beryllium a small spot much of an contented with him but his velocity and instincts and quality to alteration the crippled are a occupation and possibly the champion successful the league."

Some evaluators hold Gibbs is champion utilized successful a 1-2 combo, similar helium is successful Detroit with David Montgomery. As the AFC exec enactment it, Gibbs tin service arsenic a superior backmost but "might deterioration down faster" if asked to sorb excessively galore hits betwixt the tackles owed to size. But helium runs with a toughness, truthful it's not similar helium wouldn't beryllium up for the challenge. And Gibbs did conscionable good successful 3 games without Montgomery precocious past season, totaling 365 rushing yards connected 64 carries.

4. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons

Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: unranked
Age: 23 | Last year's ranking: 6

After spotty usage successful his rookie year, Robinson earned superior backmost presumption successful 2024. It's nary astonishment that his crippled subsequently took disconnected with 1,456 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns connected 304 carries.

Robinson entered the league with sizeable expectations and has mostly met them. He's 1 of 3 players successful NFL past to nutrient 2,400 rushing yards and 100 receptions successful a player's archetypal 2 seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Edgerrin James and LaDainian Tomlinson.

"Size, speed, acceleration, walk game, value, breaks tackles, tin deed location runs," an NFL coordinator said. "He's a nightmare to hole for."

Robinson was voted among the apical 3 connected fractional the moving backmost ballots formed for these rankings, but fell conscionable abbreviated of Gibbs.

His 365 touches past twelvemonth ranked 2nd down Barkley (378). Young Falcons backmost Michael Penix Jr. volition request akin reliability successful 2025. Given each this, Robinson is wholly justifiable arsenic a No. 1 oregon No. 2 prime successful phantasy drafts.

5. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers

Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: unranked
Age: 29 | Last year's ranking: 1

Durability is the 1 happening holding McCaffrey back. He has missed 10 oregon much games successful 3 of his past 5 NFL seasons.

"He's a large player, but he's ever had durability issues, adjacent successful college," an NFL unit enforcement said. "He's an elite trainer and takes large attraction of himself. He's conscionable not a large assemblage and volition suffer a measurement eventually."

A instrumentality to 2023 signifier would enactment McCaffrey backmost successful the MVP conversation. When he's healthy, helium ever produces.

In fact, McCaffrey has 4 seasons with astatine slightest 1,800 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns. The lone players with much are each Hall of Famers: Tomlinson, Marshall Faulk, Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton (five each).

Since 2006, 2 players person astatine slightest 2,000 scrimmage yards and 25 touchdowns successful a play (plus playoffs): McCaffrey successful 2023 and Tomlinson successful 2006.

"He's inactive the prototype -- and the champion subordinate connected the tract astatine times," an NFC scout said.

6. Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers

Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: 10
Age: 27 | Last year's ranking: 7

Many radical wrong the league perked up erstwhile the Packers gave Jacobs a $48 cardinal escaped bureau woody successful 2024. The determination showed that Green Bay, not known for spending large connected tailbacks, was all-in connected bolstering Jordan Love and the discourtesy with a top-shelf back.

Jacobs rewarded the religion with 1,329 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, returning to his 2023 form.

"Elite balance, strength, vision, feet and determination with the shot successful his hands," a high-ranking NFC unit enforcement said. "He catches it well. True difference-maker. And helium plays each week. Availability. I thin to thin toward well-rounded backs that are elite runners and immense threats successful the passing crippled and Jacobs fits that bill."

Jacobs is the lone NFL subordinate to eclipse 1,000 scrimmage yards and 5 touchdowns successful each twelvemonth since 2019. He's 1 of 4 players successful Packers past to nutrient 1,500 scrimmage yards and 15 rushing scores successful a season, joining Aaron Jones, Ahman Green and Jim Taylor.

7. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts

Highest ranking: 2 | Lowest ranking: unranked
Age: 26 | Last year's ranking: 5

Taylor dropping 2 spots from past play is simply a funny case. He pumped retired 1,432 yards connected 11 touchdowns successful 2024 contempt uneven backmost play. His velocity is inactive elite. He turned 26 successful January. And he's the archetypal backmost since Adrian Peterson (2007-11) to nutrient 6,000 rushing yards and 50 rushing touchdowns done his archetypal 5 NFL seasons.

While his declaration quality successful 2023 stalled momentum, helium has ne'er underwhelmed erstwhile playing a afloat season.

"He's underrated," an AFC enforcement said. "Highly productive and tin deterioration you down earlier breaking disconnected a large run."

Taylor's 24 vocation games of 100 rushing yards since 2020 way lone Henry's 37.

8. James Cook, Buffalo Bills

Highest ranking: 4 | Lowest ranking: unranked
Age: 25 | Last year's ranking: honorable mention

Cook entered the apical 10 fray aft a 16-touchdown play successful 2024, vaulting from honorable notation to No. 8 and pushing Taylor for the seventh spot. He's present tied with O.J. Simpson (1975) for the astir rushing touchdowns successful a azygous Bills season.

Cook's 3.1 yards per unreserved earlier interaction was the fifth-highest people of immoderate qualifying back.

"Dangerous and explosive," an NFL unit enforcement said.

Added an AFC exec: "He's cleanable for that offense, with a backmost that spreads things out. He's bully successful the passing game, catches the shot truly well, bully successful unfastened space. Not definite he's elite yet but he's really, truly good."

He's averaging 222 carries per play arsenic the starter, and immoderate teams are funny astir however helium would clasp up arsenic a 300-carry No. 1 backmost astatine 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds. But, either way, helium has earned leaguewide respect astatine a clip erstwhile he's seeking a declaration hold from Buffalo.

9. Joe Mixon, Houston Texans

Highest ranking: 5 | Lowest ranking: unranked
Age: 28 | Last year's ranking: honorable mention

Mixon looked rejuvenated successful Houston, which traded with Cincinnati to get him successful March 2024. He's not a location tally hitter, with a vocation mean of 4.1 yards per transportation implicit 8 seasons. But he's got conscionable astir everything else.

"Really bully vision, feet, interaction equilibrium -- a hammer successful the tally game," an NFL unit evaluator said. "Looked worn down astatine the extremity of the play but wide that was a truly bully commercialized for Houston."

Mixon is the NFL's lone subordinate with astatine slightest 1,300 scrimmage yards and 9 touchdowns successful each of the past 4 seasons. His 94.6 scrimmage yards per crippled past twelvemonth trails lone Arian Foster (2014) and DeAndre Hopkins (2015, 2018) successful Texans history.

10. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

Highest ranking: 7 | Lowest ranking: unranked
Age: 29 | Last year's ranking: honorable mention

A premier backmost successful our rankings for years, Kamara fell to honorable notation past twelvemonth aft a fewer down years. Though immoderate evaluators spot flimsy decline, Kamara fought his mode backmost to the apical 10 acknowledgment to 1,503 scrimmage yards past year. Kamara appeared connected astir 60% of the voting ballots but nary successful the apical six.

"Some of the elite traits are inactive there," an NFL violative manager said. "He didn't person overmuch of an violative enactment oregon supporting formed past year. But helium tin inactive instrumentality a surface for large yardage and inactive has large interaction balance."

Kamara has eclipsed 600 rushing yards and 400 receiving yards successful each 8 seasons of his career. That's already tied for the astir specified seasons successful NFL past alongside Faulk.

Despite missing the last 3 games of past season, Kamara inactive accounted for 26% of New Orleans' scrimmage yards successful 2024, the seventh-highest people of immoderate subordinate successful the NFL.

Honorable mention

Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: "Combination of speed, quicks and interaction balance. Heck of a runner. Rarely goes down connected archetypal contact." -- NFL coordinator

Aaron Jones Sr., Minnesota Vikings: "Classic slasher. Darts done tally lanes. Plays large connected the extremity line. A dual threat. Love everything astir him, but durability and property (30) are issues." -- NFL unit evaluator

De'Von Achane, Miami Dolphins: "Elite velocity and explosion. Could deterioration down due to the fact that he's small. Similar to Gibbs. He conscionable gets banged up. Runs precise hard for however tiny helium is and should get retired connected the perimeter much arsenic a walk catcher." -- AFC executive

Breece Hall, New York Jets: "He's been 1 of the champion successful the league astatine points. I conscionable haven't felt the aforesaid mode recently. I cognize the injuries person been an issue." -- NFL coordinator

"That's not each his fault. He was successful a atrocious offense. Still has bully lower-body equilibrium and location tally juice." -- seasoned AFC unit executive

James Conner, Arizona Cardinals: "He's a load to bring down. Short strider with speedy feet to gaffe tacklers, find slices of daylight. Good second-level burst. Runs down his pads. Finisher. Underrated player. " -- NFL unit evaluator

Also receiving votes: Kyren Williams (Los Angeles Rams), David Montgomery (Detroit Lions), Brian Robinson Jr. (Washington Commanders), Chuba Hubbard (Carolina Panthers), D'Andre Swift (Chicago Bears), Kenneth Walker III (Seattle Seahawks)