Superstar quarterbacks undoubtedly headline the AFC Championship Game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs, but Maurice Jones-Drew explains why the running backs will actually decide who wins. New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram II (14) runs past Tampa . He played for Houston and New Orleans in limited action over the final six weeks of the season. At 28, Henry is facing an important rebound year as the massive workload from 2019 and 2020 caught up to him last season. Like McCaffrey, Barkley's early career boom has been derailed by injury woes, but he also never reached the same level of all-purpose dominance. 1. With Bobby Wagner . ET. July 12, 2022 12:55 pm CT. Dec 26, 2021; Seattle, Washington, USA; Chicago Bears running back Khalil Herbert . at campaign marked three straight seasons with at least 800 snaps played and a PFF receiving grade north of 84.0 to begin his NFL career. Mixon had teased of a big season early in his career. name season tm gp rush yds att ypc rush yds/g rush td rec yds rec trg avg rec yds/g rec td; kyle juszczyk: 2022 Winters was a versatile defender for TCU last season, recording 79 tackles and 7.5 sacks, showing he can stop the run and rush the passer. 2021 stats: 180 carries, 812 rushing yards, 4.5 yards per carry, 69 receptions on 84 targets, 454 receiving yards, 10 total TDs. 2021 stats:207 carries, 963 rushing yards, 4.7 yards per carry, 19 receptions on 20 targets, 137 receiving yards, 6 total TDs. Some think he's faded and lost too many steps and believe his best is buried behind him. Leaning more toward 2022 upside than past performance, here's Sporting News' ranking of the top 30 running backs in the NFL, starting with the reigning rushing champion and including a double dose from several teams: MORE NFL RANKINGS: QBs | WRs| Coaches | Defense. Relocating from San Francisco to Miami alongside Mike McDaniel, Mostert eclipsed 1,000 scrimmage yards for the first time in his career. 2022 stats:12 games | 22 att | 145 rush yds | 6.6 ypc | 0 rush TDs | 21 rec | 177 rec yds | 4 rec TDs | 0 fumbles lost. The upside is there to become a top-10 back. Only three of the 30 running backs who had at least 150 regular season carries last year were in their seventh season or higher: Melvin Gordon III, Mark Ingram II and Cordarrelle Patterson. Hes been the most valuable running back in the league according to PFFs wins above replacement (WAR) metric, and his 4,503 rushing yards are over 600 more than the next closest back despite him missing roughly half of the 2021 season. 2021 stats: 171 carries, 799 rushing yards, 4.7 yards per carry, 52 receptions on 65 targets, 391 receiving yards, 10 total TDs. The result: The NFL has a brand new rushing champ. The Miami Dolphins have a lot of questions surrounding their backfield heading into the offseason, as the team only has Myles Gaskin and Gerrid Doaks under contract for 2022. Conner showcased that he has a legitimate, three-down skill set in his first season with the Cardinals. While there are plenty of valid arguments pointing to the idea that Tony Pollard is currently the more effective back and should be the starter, a healthy Elliott performing like he was at the start of last season is still a valuable piece of an offense, but it just remains to be seen if he can get back to that point. Thats pretty strong evidence pointing to the idea that the partially torn PCL that Elliott played through impacted his performance. 2022 stats:17 games | 262 att | 1,066 rush yds | 4.1 ypc | 17 rush TDs | 12 rec | 73 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 2 fumbles lost. The sixth-round rookie received a majority of his carries in four December games. Hes been the most valuable running back in the league according to PFFs wins above replacement (. 2022 stats:17 games | 210 att | 1,040 rush yds | 5.0 ypc | 5 rush TDs | 69 rec | 421 rec yds | 1 rec TD | 1 fumble lost. With the NFL Scouting Combine set to. Digital Media Coordinator. Williams shared the load early with Melvin Gordon before sustaining a season-ending knee injury in Week 4. From getting top-10 efficiency play out of backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett, to Nick Chubb being listed as the most valuable running . Fournette has reinvented himself in the transition from Jacksonville to Tampa Bay. Maurice Jones-Drew assembles the perfect running back, combining the traits of some of today's top talent in the NFL. At 26, MIxon should maintain that momentum of production. Cook eclipsed 1,000 ground yards for the fourth straight season, and though he wasn't consistent week to week, he provided big-time sparks in big-time games throughout the season. Neither injury kept him out for an extended period of time, but their impact shows in Cooks 2021 rushing numbers. 1 spot? Briana McDonald. The NFC West has been known in the past for great running backs. Please check your email for a confirmation. McCaffrey was everything and then some for the 49ers after arriving in mid-October via trade. Chubb is known for his chunk running and special burst that comes out of his powerful style. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts. Murray proved to be a solid midseason pickup for the Broncos after starter Javonte Williams sustained a season-ending injury, averaging 5.1 yards per carry in his seven starts. Now he's still in recovery mode in a much more crowded backfield and his receiving aspect is set to be curbed. He will be vital all-around in lifting Zach Wilson in Year 2, too. Colts Running Backs, Pre-2022 NFL Draft Colts Running Backs, Pre-2022 NFL Draft See all the Colts running backs in action. Giants: Saquon Barkley and Matt Breida. He earned a sub-70.0 PFF rushing grade for the first time in his NFL career last year, and his 22% of carries that resulted in first downs or touchdowns was nearly seven percentage points lower than his career-best 29% in 2020. Best Running Backs in the NFL 2022: Tony Pollard Joins Derrick Henry and Nick Chubb in the Top 10 The best running backs in the NFL can all offer speed, power, vision, and at least some pass-catching ability. For the second straight season, Singletary averaged 4.6 yards per carry and fell just short of 1,100 scrimmage yards. Looking ahead to 2023, Williams should be back in a feature role for a much more dynamic offense under Sean Payton. Jacobs has more than proven himself to be a primary weapon for Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas -- or a starter elsewhere, if the price is right. Injuries have kept Barkley from being able to build on that impressive rookie campaign, as hes missed time in each of the three seasons and has played through injury for the majority of his time on the field. Ken Belson. It was great watching Pollard in the spotlight in 2022. Cook has all the talent to be No. Jan. 30, 2022, 9:16 p.m. Plus, just how far did Pollard climb in MJD's RB rankings after his big Week 11 outing? 2022 stats:12 games | 109 att | 482 rush yds | 4.4 ypc | 4 rush TDs | 17 rec | 89 rec yds | 1 rec TD | 0 fumbles lost. Henderson was solid for a Rams offense that took a step back in 2022, but his lack of opportunities and the re-emergence of Cam Akers after the trade deadline led to Henderson's release in November. Hall isn't . We are on the brink of wrapping up the fifth season of the RB Index, but I'm about to enter some new territory. Mixons 886 offensive snaps (postseason included) were second most at the position, and his 82.1 PFF rushing grade in that time on the field marked a career high. He also will be key in offsetting the passing game changes for Rodgers and the former Boston College runner has proved he can remain prolific in a favorable system. NFC West divisional winner prediction for 2022 The following analysis is based on DraftKings' "Team Futures" betting lines, including the odds as of Aug. 24, 2022. He should be in for a big Year 2 to put an offense in transition on his back. 2020 stats: 134carries, 805 rushing yards, 6.0 yards per carry, 18 receptions on 24 targets, 120 receiving yards, 9 total TDs. Benjamin has been the talk of the offseason for the team. According to John Keim of ESPN, Iowa State running back Breece Hall visited Washington this week. 2022 stats:5 games | 45 att | 279 rush yds | 6.2 ypc | 2 rush TDs | 3 rec | 7 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 0 fumbles lost. The 2021 season provided an opportunity for Mixon to bounce back, and he answered the call. Cincinnati has reaffirmed its support of these backs and will go into the season stocked with playmakers. Missed tackles forced is just one metric, and its far from the only measure of running back success over expectation, but it does highlight just how difficult Williams is to tackle. Herbert built off his promising rookie season and thrived in offensive coordinator Luke Getsy's system. He had three games where he averaged more than 6.0 yards per carry, but posted a ypa mark below 3.5 in 11 other contests. Height: 5-foot-10.5 inches. While the team is undergoing major changes to its coaching staff, Conner should be back in the fold in 2023. I considered leaving Carson off this list completely given the uncertainty surrounding his injury status and 2022 return. As the Texans enter another rebuild under newly hired head coach DeMeco Ryans, Pierce should be a mainstay in the offense moving forward. He does a little of everything well and gives them what's needed in the rushing and receiving game. 2022 stats:15 game | 188 att | 786 rush yds | 4.2 ypc | 7 rush TDs | 13 rec | 117 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 2 fumbles lost. He played well in limited action last season (80.7 PFF grade), but the Panthers need him to remain on the field in 2022. Hines was primarily a returner for both the Colts and Bills in 2022, and there's no doubt the highlight of his season -- maybe of the NFL season in general -- came in Week 18, when he returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown on the Bills' first play since safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest. Top 200 Player Rankings,& Auction Values. He logged five regular-season games with 100-plus rushing yards before adding a sixth in Jacksonville's epic comeback victory on Super Wild Card Weekend. With Kareem Hunt likely gone, Ford will get an opportunity to win Cleveland's backup running back job behind Pro Bowler Nick Chubb in 2023. Elliott is polarizing in a different way at 27. He's still a talented all-around back but his strength might be as a part-time version of Chubb. As in, expect the 601 attempts thrown by quarterback Matthew Stafford in 2021 to serve as a solid baseline for 2022. Fantasy Football Depth Chart Takeaways: NFC West. 2022 stats:8 games | 9 att | 21 rush yds | 2.3 ypc | 0 rush TDs | 5 rec | 29 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 0 fumbles lost. The 49ers get a big stop by dropping Sony . Which player earns the No. Going into the season, Elijah Mitchell is the 49ers running back to target, and Jeff Wilson Jr. is a solid handcuff. Harris should continue to split the work with, Sanders is an interesting evaluation from a numbers standpoint because he ranks well in. Conner was a beast and will (most probably) remain so in 2022, but to a lesser extent if we bake some (realistic) regression back to the mean into . The fact that the back still rushed for 4.5 yards a pop is pretty impressive, given his circumstances. He's still a powerful runner with some pop to finish drives and reel off some long runs, but he also has developed into a reliable short-area receiver for Tom Brady. Dillon has gone from expected power complement to Jones to a well-rounded back in his own right. Not much went right for the Colts' offense in 2022, from poor quarterback play to poor health for Taylor. He also expanded his game in Year 2 as a reliable pass catcher. They do not take into account individual league rules and setups. Led all AFC West running backs in both rushing yards (1065) and yards from scrimmage (1303). He continued to be a special teamer until the end of the season. USAToday.com 2022 Fantasy Football Rankings. Expect Jones' receiving prowess to take on critical importance given the remixed wideout corps around Aaron Rodgers. The only running back in the league with more is Chubb (181). Arizona Cardinals (James Conner, Darrel Williams, Eno Benjamin), 2. 31. As is always the case with a Kyle Shanahan backfield, though, you never really know which running back could emerge as the guy for stretches during the season. 2021 stats:228 carries, 1,259 rushing yards, 5.5 yards per carry, 20 receptions on 25 targets, 174 receiving yards, 9 total TDs. The Rams shopped him in October -- ultimately, they couldn't find a buyer -- and Akers went on to finish the season with three consecutive 100-yard games. 2021 stats: 237 carries, 1,002 rushing yards, 4.2 yards per carry, 47 receptions on 65 targets, 287 receiving yards, 12 total TDs. NFC East Dallas Cowboys: Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard New York Giants: Saquon Barkley Philadelphia Eagles: Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell Washington Commanders: Antonio Gibson, J.D. White, who had the team's highest yard-per-carry average, enjoyed his best outing in Tampa Bay's Munich triumph over the Seahawks with 22 carries for 105 yards -- his lone 100-yard rushing performance of the season. 2021 stats (at Iowa State):253 carries, 1,472 rushing yards, 5.8 yards per carry, 36 receptions, 302 receiving yards, 23 total TDs. Although Elliott is still the lead in the Cowboys' eyes, it's become more of a 1-2 punch with the latter helping the former stay effective with less mid-career wear. This ranking leaves some room for a healthy Sanders to continue improving in 2022. the running back known in the . 2022 stats:16 games | 189 att | 668 rush yds | 3.5 ypc | 3 rush TDs | 73 rec | 523 rec yds | 3 rec TDs | 0 fumbles lost. Mitchell became the 49ers' fifth leading rusher in as many seasons under Kyle Shanahan last season, taking advantage of injuries to veterans and the lacking reliability of higher drafted rookie Trey Sermon. See the full pecking order. Maurice Jones-Drew has one thought about the Cowboys' usage of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard in Zeke's return: Keep it even-steven! Cook just needs to come through with full health for his Age-27 season. 2022 NFL Schedule Strength of Schedule Matchup Calendar Bye Week Cheat Sheet Bye Weeks by Team Experts In-Season Accuracy Draft Accuracy DFS Accuracy Videos Consensus Sleepers Consensus Busts. Still a valuable piece of the 49ers' offense, Mitchell and Christian McCaffrey should combine to make one of the NFL's top backfield duos next fall. NFL running back rankings 2022 1. 2022 stats:17 games | 204 att | 915 rush yds | 4.5 ypc | 13 rush TD | 107 rec | 722 rec yds | 5 rec TDs | 3 fumbles lost. Pro Football Focus released their top 101 players from 2022, and Los Angeles had two players make the list. Weekly Play Three different views are below. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. RotoWire.com 2022 Fantasy Football Rankings. That was a contributing factor to his career-high 15 rushing touchdowns in 2021. The Jets' offense took a turn for the worse after Hall's injury and wasn't able to recover, as New York missed out on the postseason following a strong start. Although 2022 is no different with Kenyan Drake and Georgia rookie Zamir White behind him in the new Josh McDaniels' offense, his more steady than spectacular play may turn out to be the best complement for a more dangerous passing game featuring Davante Adams. What is especially intriguing about Williams this week against the Seattle Seahawks is that the NFC West franchise allows the second-most receiving yards to running backs in 2022. Despite playing in just eight games this season, Dobbins climbs all the way up to No. 2022 stats: 17 games | 170 att | 830 rush yds | 4.9 ypc | 5 rush TDs | 13 rec | 130 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 2 fumbles lost. Maurice Jones-Drew spotlights three teams who will be looking for a new primary RB in 2023. On top of that, he was involved more than ever in the pass game, adding nearly 400 receiving yards, a career-high for him. Hall was one of the most electric runners at the time of his season-ending knee injury -- evidenced by his average of 5.8 yards per carry through seven weeks. Sanders was an interesting case this season. When talented running backs come into the league, I always hope that they get the opportunity to display their greatness and reach their potential; McCaffrey in San Francisco is a home run. The fifth-year back out of Pittsburgh earned 84.0-plus PFF receiving and pass-blocking grades, flashing soft hands throughout the year for Arizona. Harris should continue to split the work with Rhamondre Stevenson, James White and rookie addition Pierre Strong Jr. in 2022. Hopefully he wont be asked to force quite as many in 2022 in a Steelers offense that invested in improvements in both free agency and the draft this offseason. Buy Cardinals Tickets. 49ers extend lead in NFC West as rest of division loses in Week 12. His 29% target rate since 2017 leads all receivers regardless of position, and hes one of just two running backs to average over 2.0 receiving yards per route run over that stretch. Playing in similar systems under Kyle Shanahan and Mike McDaniel, Wilson averaged a career-high 4.9 yards per carry. Heading into the Divisional Round, Maurice Jones-Drew ranks the top 10 rushers remaining in the NFL playoffs, a list that includes three teams with two players apiece. Ranking the NFC West's running back rooms entering 2022 Schedule Teams AFC East Bills Dolphins Jets Patriots AFC North Bengals Browns Steelers Ravens AFC South Colts Jaguars Texans Titans. July 16, 2022 12:52 pm ET. With Taylor recently undergoing ankle surgery, I'm hopeful he'll return to his 2021 form next season. With J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards still recovering from knee injuries suffered in 2021, the Ravens signed Drake in late August. Including the postseason, Elliott has carried the ball a league-high 1,730 times since he was drafted in 2016. is currently the more effective back and should be the starter, a healthy Elliott performing like he was at the start of last season is still a valuable piece of an offense, but it just remains to be seen if he can get back to that point. July 17, 2022 10:55 am ET The New York Giants were once a team that prided itself on running the football at will. But in 2021, not a single running back in the NFC West rushed for 1,000 yards. Thats not something any defensive back wants to see in the open field. 2021 stats: 203 carries, 918 rushing yards, 4.5 yards per carry, 28 receptions on 38 targets, 213 receiving yards, 10 total TDs. 2021 stats: 203carries, 903 rushing yards, 4.4 yards per carry, 43 receptions on 53 targets, 316 receiving yards, 7 total TDs. That represents a noticeable shift from 2006 the first season that PFF began collecting NFL data. . With Chicago also turning to a Green Bay-like rushing attack for more explosiveness, Montgomery's precarious lead role will be challenged by second-year man Khalil Herbert. Cook missed time in 2021 due to ankle and shoulder injuries. , but his PFF grading profile isnt nearly as impressive. Gibson was disappointing as he didn't deliver as the complete big back in Year 2 while playing through some injury and fumbling issues. Montgomery makes this list based on his cumulative production vs. his limited efficiency as a runner and pass-catcher. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Those days are long gone, as is the notion of running the football as a the. McCaffrey earned an 86.5 PFF grade in 2019 third among qualifying running backs on over 1,000 snaps. 2022 stats:9 games | 15 att | 55 rush yds | 3.7 ypc | 1 rush TD | 5 rec | 54 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 0 fumbles lost. 22 in this list because of his efficiency. I considered leaving Carson off this list completely given the uncertainty surrounding his injury status and 2022 return. 5 Stars - Stud, Top 10 running back Arizona - Rashard Mendenhall / Ryan Williams / Stepfan Taylor As of right now Rashard Mendenhall is the No. The result was a career-low 63.2 PFF grade and his lowest output as a receiver (47 receptions for 439 yards) in five NFL seasons. He is smart and reliable with a good balance of steadiness and explosiveness. An undersized back, the 5-foot-6, 203-pounder chipped in sparingly for the Eagles' top-five rushing attack. career workload and effectiveness coming off injury are only amplified when looking at Elliott. The 2022 group of Bengals running backs will be similar if not the same as the 2021 group. Barkley is a 2022 Comeback Player of the Year finalist, and rightfully so. GridironExperts.com 2022 Fantasy Football Rankings. The only reason that they havent emerged as a starter is the presence of a well-established veteran (Elliott, Chubb and Jones) in front of them on the depth chart. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. Here is my pecking order, 1 to 75. He ranked eighth in PFF rushing grade from 2018 to 2020, and his average of 3.4 rushing yards after contact per attempt since 2017 ranks fourth among running backs with at least 500 carries over that five-year stretch. 2022 stats:16 games | 176 att | 860 rush yds | 4.9 ypc | 5 rush TDs | 22 rec | 185 rec yds | 1 rec TD | 2 fumbles lost. 5-ranked rushing attack? Considering those results came at 22 years old with plenty of offensive line shuffling in front of him, theres little reason to expect Taylor to slow down in 2022. While rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett acclimated to the NFL game, Harris was the steady presence Mike Tomlin's group needed. 2022 stats: 13 games | 183 att | 782 rush yds | 4.3 ypc | 7 rush TDs | 46 rec | 300 rec yds | 1 rec TD | 1 fumble lost. Pace started his collegiate career at Miami OH after a great high school career in Cincinnati as both a running back and linebacker. 2022 stats:8 games | 92 att | 520 rush yds | 5.7 ypc | 2 rush TDs | 7 rec | 42 rec yds | 1 rec TD | 0 fumbles lost. 1? Edmonds' midseason move from Miami to Denver was beneficial for the fifth-year back. Maurice Jones-Drew assesses the Hall of Fame candidacies of Ezekiel Elliott and Derrick Henry, two running backs who could pass him on the all-time rushing leaderboard in Week 16. And just like that, the 49ers are first place in the NFC West after beating the Cardinals in Mexico City. 2022 stats:17 games | 244 att | 1,139 rush yds | 4.7 ypc | 8 rush TDs | 85 rec | 741 rec yds | 5 rec TDs | 0 fumbles lost. The Chiefs signed him to the practice squad a week later, but Gordon didn't see another snap all season. 1 now, but there's a reason why Denver decided late to bring back Gordon as a savvy No. The Browns will lean on Chubb a lot again until Deshaun Watson can boost them at QB. Williams can be a reliable supporting cog for Russell Wilson in every capacity, taking the Jones role in the Packers-like system. The 2021 season provided an opportunity for Mixon to bounce back, and he answered the call. 2022 stats:16 games | 24 att | 33 rush yds | 1.4 ypc | 1 rush TD | 30 rec | 241 rec yds | 1 rec TD | 0 fumbles lost. Harris, a 2023 free agent, can still provide a team with a solid backfield option when healthy. The Bengals were far more reliant on their pass catchers and it showed in the veteran back's production. promoting him in-house from his 2022 job as a special assistant on McCarthy's staff, to replace the departed Kellen Moore. 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