Carolina's main loss behind McCaffrey was veteran back C.J. He's a fullback, but he belongs on this list. With coaching staff in place, what's next for Carolina Panthers? 15. It would not be the same as drafting a RB with the fourth overall pick. Atlanta Falcons. 40-31? The latter question aside, there are plenty of valuable assets in the backfield of every NFL team. Chubb has been an instrumental part of the Browns' new winning culture as a focal point in Kevin Stefanski's offense. 2 back in Arizona this season behind Kenyan Drake. Sony Michel, Los Angeles Rams The soon-to-be 26-year-old, who requested a trade earlier this offseason, is at Texans camp -- practicing sparingly -- while allegations of sexual assault and harassment made in the 22 lawsuits filed against the quarterback remain under investigation. Coleman returns to the 49ers as part of their running back committee. 3. McCaffrey was both the Panthers' leading rusher and receiver in 2018, gaining 1,965 total offensive yards and scoring 13 combined touchdowns. His second half of 2019 showed what he could be. So far, there are has been a wide array of veterans (and rookies) electing to take advantage of this new rule. (via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/hIRCqWUuda. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"i3qTWjOb77Y_2FA32To_S3YkBupgZWPCJqJ_QqFFyr0-1800-0"}; Vaughn played just 39 special teams snaps last season. If he falls to you, feel free to take him. The longtime backfield teammate of Devonta Freeman ran for 800 yards and four touchdowns on 167 carries last season while starting in place of Freeman, who missed all but two games due to injury. 40 and 31. 2 back is. With the start of the 2021 NFL regular season less than a month away, we take a stab at ranking the NFC East position groups. Outside of the QB position (specifically Lamar Jackson), theres not a player in the league that will command a larger percentage of their teams offense than CMC. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. Two running backs who would be starters on their own in at least 20 other backfields. Something went wrong. Drake has yet to put together a great full season, but will get his chance as the Cardinals' No. He has impressed both coaching staffs he has played for immensely. I dont entirely know what to make of Mike Davis. Ezekiel Elliott is coming off the worst season of his career, but the sixth-year pro seems well on his way to a huge bounce-back season. Its usually the hot hand that will get a majority of the carries in a specific game, so its hard to project their totals. In his last fully healthy season (2019), the Panthers' running back led the league in touches (403) and scrimmage yards (2,392, third-most in NFL history) and tied for first in scrimmage TDs (19). Falcons GM takes AtlantaFalcons.com behind the scenes of one of the most important moments for draft prospects at the combine: The formal interview. Jones is set to be the bell cow in the Green Bay backfield for what seems like the first time in his career. Ekeler is tied to Justin Herbert for what should be the remainder of his career. If it were purely up to on-field performance, Dalvin Cook would certainly find himself a bit higher than No. He also has quads you should google right at this moment. 10 after earning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2020. Kenyan Drake, Cardinals. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports. Its fair to question if this drop in pass-catching production was more due to the instability and poor play at the quarterback position rather than Sanders individual production. 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). 13. If Mostert has his way, he might not even begin the season in the division. The 2020 Saints have two running backs who could start for most NFL teams, including a three-time Pro Bowler in Alvin Kamara, one of the most dangerous weapons in football. 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. Hes recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and combined for 25 rushing touchdowns the past two seasons. Before we get into the full list of which players are making the change, let's take a quick look at what numbers are now available to specific positions. ESPN.com NFC North reporter, 2008-2013 . . Cowboys rumors: No progress towards Leighton Vander Esch deal, Donovan Wilson deal unlikely. Of course, with Alvin Kamara still around it doesn't much matter who the No. David Carr enlists the help of his brother, Raiders QB Derek Carr, to provide their ranking of the five best active NFL brother duos heading into the 2022 season. 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. Fournette had an attitude change after his chatRead more . Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers, XFL Fantasy Football Rankings Week 2: Josh Gordon, Jeff Badet, Max Borghi, and More, Final Fantasy PPR Rankings for the NFL Playoffs: Tony Pollard, Ezekiel Elliott, James Cook, and More, NFL All-Time RB Records: Season and Career Leaders, College football Week 6 live reactions, results, and takeaways. Though he narrowly missed 1,000 yards last year, he chipped in with 50+ receptions out of the backfield for the third straight season. Seven players 25 years old and younger make an appearance in the list, which is voted on by the players themselves, between Nos. What sets McCaffrey apart isnt that hes a great runner, although he certainly is. Arizona Cardinals Top RBs under contract for 2022: Eno Benjamin Key free agents: James Conner (UFA), Chase Edmonds (UFA), Jonathan Ward (ERFA) Conner was a revelation in the desert, racking up 18. Our resident cover man, Jason McCourty, ranks his top 10. Since joining the Saints in 2017, Kamara has averaged over 5 yards per carry and has scored 31 touchdowns. A year without Drew Brees will ultimately be the telling chapter of Kamaras career. Carolina claims the top spot in the division at running back, provided Christian McCaffrey stays healthy this season. Home | Ranking The NFC South: Running Backs. Alvin Kamara has gotten plenty of attention during his first two seasons with the Saints, but Christian McCaffrey has been every bit as impressive in his first two years in Carolina. The running back appears to be in great shape, revealing during the Hall of Fame Game last week that he has lost 10lbs in preparation for the upcoming season. He had just under 700 yards rushing and just under 400 yards receiving. But he still can hurt you out of the backfield, at times, as much as any running back in the league. After rushing for more than 1,100 yards in 2018, he topped that with 1,230 in 2019. With Tom Brady's retirement, what's next for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at quarterback? 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. He is a very good complementary back, something the 49ers have many of. Cooks 2019-2020 stretch is among the best two-year stretch of RB performance weve seen in recent memory. The rebuilding of Panthers' offensive success will once again rely on his abilities in 2020. Hunt was terrific in Kansas City for his first two seasons, totaling well over 2,100 yards on the ground and 16 touchdowns. Mike Davis was RB18 last year splitting carries with Todd Gurley. Pairing him with a rejuvenated Elliott is going to give the Cowboys not only the best running back group in the NFC East this season, but potentially one of the best groups in all of football. 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. He was a very good back at Florida State, producing when he was the only real offensive threat. New Orleans Saints. But if hes healthy, hes a rare breed of balance, strength, and elusiveness. 24 Year Old Running Backs 2021 In Nfc South | StatMuse Ronald Jones was 24 years old in the NFC South in 2021. 1. 2. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports. Kamara had his stats hindered when Taysom Hill was QB, as he would vulture TDs and take carries away from Alvin. Ito Smith carried the ball 90 times for 315 yards and four scores during his rookie season, and Brian Hill ran wild in a Week 16 game against the Panthers, gaining 115 yards on just eight carries. Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles Mostert became the 49ers No. I know everyone is waiting for wide receiver rankings, but well wait to see what happens with Julio Jones first. What separates McCaffrey from the other dual-threat running backs is his possession of elite-level ground skills. Darrell Henderson, Los Angeles Rams Are we talking the entire unit as a whole and comparing the sum of their parts? Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas We'll continue our NFC South positional rankings today with running backs. Jon Ledyard is PewterReport.com's newest Bucs beat writer and has experience covering the Pittsburgh Steelers as a beat writer and analyzing the NFL Draft for several draft websites, including The Draft Network. 40 and 31. 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. Instead its his pass-catching skills, where he consistently creates separation as a route runner, even from a receiver alignment. Brown is a solid short-yardage back to have on the roster. He has been more productive than Darrell Henderson. The combination of Kamara, Murray and Washington gives New Orleans a pretty complete backfield trio. McCaffrey only played three games last season, and his loss was felt more acutely in the pass game than the run game. The Saints not only have a premier running back in Pro Bowler Alvin Kamara, they also have one of the deepest running back rooms in the league. Falcons ask Richardson who's faster, him or Kyle Pitts. //