All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. The 2022 NFL season is now in the rearview mirror after the Chiefs celebrated another Super Bowl following a 38-35 win over the Eagles in Glendale, Arizona. With Taylor recently undergoing ankle surgery, I'm hopeful he'll return to his 2021 form next season. He was a smooth fit in the system with his quick running and did fine as a receiver when needed there. It is worth noting that while Ekeler enjoyed the highest PFF rushing grade of his career in 2021 (79.9), he did fall below 80.0 in PFF receiving grade for the first time in his career (62.6). Players like Marshawn Lynch, Frank Gore, David Johnson, Todd Gurley and Steven Jackson have been among the best in the league playing in the division. It's clear the Commanders see Gibson as the No. He earned 83.0-plus PFF rushing and receiving grades en route to an 85.2 overall grade that ranked first among all running backs who played at least 500 offensive snaps. Rachaad White showed some promise last year, and could be a fantasy football league winner if Tampa Bay lets him be a three-down workhorse. He was productive in his return to the field, averaging 5.0 yards per carry -- a mark he's at least matched in every NFL campaign. Ekelers value lies in his ability to be a legitimate value addition as a receiver while not profiling as only a receiver out of the backfield. 2022 stats:13 games | 69 att | 287 rush yds | 4.2 ypc | 2 rush TDs | 14 rec | 101 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 0 fumbles lost. He is smart and reliable with a good balance of steadiness and explosiveness. He had the second-highest per-carry average behind Breece Hall. Nonetheless, the passing game is really where he separated himself. Robinson was one of the best stories of the 2022 season, overcoming multiple gunshot wounds not only to . He handled a high volume and earned everything he could despite a limited downfield passing game and some blocking issues. The only running back in the league with more is Chubb (181). 2022 stats:17 games | 272 att | 1,034 rush yds | 3.8 ypc | 7 rush TDs | 41 rec | 229 rec yds | 3 rec TDs | 2 fumbles lost. Plus, just how far did Pollard climb in MJD's RB rankings after his big Week 11 outing? He almost never left the field and was integral to everything Carolina did on offense, ranking eighth in the league in rushing conversions (56) and ninth in receiving conversions (58) across players at all positions. Stevenson was touted as a power back out of Oklahoma but showed he could be complete as a rookie, to the point he may pick up injured James White's key receiving snaps in 2022 to split more of the work with Harris. Lost in all the noise and hype surrounding the quarterback and wide receiver position is running back. 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. Pairing a healthy Hall with a potential new quarterback is reason enough to start thinking favorably about next season. He looked like the player who took the league by storm and won Offensive Rookie of the Year back in 2018. follow. That 0.48 forced missed tackle per attempt rate led all FBS running backs. 2022 stats:13 games | 37 att | 152 rush yds | 4.1 ypc | 0 rush TDs | 7 rec | 40 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 0 fumbles lost. He has a good shot to break the trend and make it two team titles in a row with 1,000-plus yards to boot. Williams can be a reliable supporting cog for Russell Wilson in every capacity, taking the Jones role in the Packers-like system. He led the league in yards per rushing attempt and will start off leading what will be a much run-heavier attack without Russell Wilson. Kamara proved to once again be a bright spot in a unit working to find consistency from week to week, as he became the only player in NFL history with at least 700 rush yards and 400 receiving yards in each of his first six seasons, per NFL Research. 49ers 2022 Roster Breakdown: Running Backs. The former third-round pick not only dealt with injury in 2021 but also with aTaysom Hill, Jameis Winston, Trevor Siemian and Ian Book quarterback rotation. He joined another free agent in 2022, James Conner, at the bottom of this list, with the pair tied for ninth-highest-paid RB. Edwards missed the first six weeks of the season while recovering from the previous year's torn ACL. It wouldn't be surprising if Stevenson jumps into the top-20 with an expanded role. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. Over the last four seasons, Chubb ranks first among all qualifying running backs in PFF rushing grade (93.1), yards after contact per rushing attempt (4.1) and missed tackles forced per rushing attempt (0.25). The Jets shuffled through running backs like nobody's business after Breece Hall went down for the season. New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram II (14) runs past Tampa . WR Michael Woods II , Oklahoma (6, 202): Woods caught . Conner showcased that he has a legitimate, three-down skill set in his first season with the Cardinals. He put out plenty of positive tape to build on in Year 2. Thats pretty strong evidence pointing to the idea that the partially torn PCL that Elliott played through impacted his performance. The Bears will be looking for Montgomery to get back to his 2020 level of play (80.2 PFF grade) next year to help support Justin Fields, who can use all the help he can get on a barren offense entering his second season. 2021 stats:307 carries, 1,200 rushing yards, 3.9 yards per carry, 74 receptions on 94 targets,467 receiving yards, 10 total TDs. The upside is there to become a top-10 back. It is important to note that Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers will not be on the list, as he tore his. The 2022 season saw the focal point of the Bears' rushing attack pivot from Montgomery to dual-threat quarterback Justin Fields, who had a team-high 1,143 rush yards. In his final season at North Carolina in 2020, Williams forced 76 missed tackles on the ground in just 157 carries. The Saints' offense took us on a roller-coaster ride this season with quarterback changes and injuries to many of its best playmakers. See the full pecking order. Thats a lot of wear and tear, but the 26-year-old Elliott actually looked spry early in the 2021 season before a knee injury in Week 4 against the Panthers slowed his hot start. Ranking the top 32 NFL running backs for the 2022 season - Page 31. Three different running backs have recorded at least 75 conversions first downs and touchdowns as a rusher and receiver over the last three seasons: Ekeler, McCaffrey and Kamara. He should pair well with a healthy Javonte Williams in this offense next season. 2022 stats:15 games | 95 att | 466 rush yds | 4.9 ypc | 2 rush TDs | 14 rec | 171 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 1 fumble lost. 2021 stats: 188 carries, 870 rushing yards, 4.6 yards per carry, 40 receptions on 50 targets, 228receiving yards, 8 total TDs. 2021 Running Backs | Football Outsiders 2021 Running Backs Updated 02/22/2023 10:17 AM EST This table explained RUSHING: Minimum 100 rushes Members Only Login for FREE access Not a member? 2022 stats: 17 games | 203 att | 914 rush yds | 4.5 ypc | 5 rush TDs | 5 rec | 26 rec yds | 0 rec TD | 0 fumbles lost. As Joe Mixon's backup, Perine made his impact in the pass game, catching three TD passes in Week 11 alone. Unfortunately, he couldn't sustain that success down the stretch. 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. However, Singletary still profiles as the lead back heading into next season. At 6-foot-3 and 247 pounds, he is actually built different, but his return from injury and historical data pointing to a potential plateau are enough to keep him behind Taylor and Chubb heading into 2022. The sixth-round rookie received a majority of his carries in four December games. A lot of focus gets placed on how running backs perform after contact, but Jones has consistently ranked among the top backs in the league in yards before contact per attempt thanks to efforts like this. With the 2022 NFL season now officially in the books, all eyes turn toward the 2023 NFL Draft. That was a contributing factor to his career-high 15 rushing touchdowns in 2021. With Jones being the versatile, elusive playmaker in space, Dillon is a bruiser at the line of scrimmage with the ability to gain chunk yards every time he gets the rock. 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. Ekeler had been under-appreciated for his unique receiving-forward role for Philip Rivers and Justin Herbert. Let's cut to the chase: CEH hasn't lived up to his first-round draft pedigree due to inconsistent play and injuries. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Tuesday that Sean Payton is the right coach to get Russell Wilson back on track. The rushing and scrimmage yardage leader from 2021 is a few notches above the field at only 23. Weekly Play Three different views are below. Thats a lot of wear and tear, but the 26-year-old Elliott actually looked spry early in the 2021 season before a knee injury in Week 4 against the Panthers slowed his hot start. The Chiefs signed him to the practice squad a week later, but Gordon didn't see another snap all season. 2021 stats:202 carries, 929 rushing yards, 4.6 yards per carry, 18 receptions on 21 targets, 132 receiving yards, 15 total TDs. Hes been the most valuable running back in the league according to PFFs wins above replacement (. 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. But before a new wave of talent hits the league, Eric Edholm and Nick . 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. Edmonds' midseason move from Miami to Denver was beneficial for the fifth-year back. Ken Belson. Williams has taken PFFs missed tackles forced statistic and made it his own at the college level and now in the NFL. That all changed when injuries cut his. The 2020 seventh-round pick started three games for the Cardinals in place of an injured James Conner, compiling nearly 500 scrimmage yards and two rushing scores before his Week 11 release. This leaves Philadelphia with a couple of options. 2021 stats: 203 carries, 918 rushing yards, 4.5 yards per carry, 28 receptions on 38 targets, 213 receiving yards, 10 total TDs. Plus, MJD updates his ranking of the top 15 running backs right now. Penny, who had been an injury-riddled disappointing first-rounder in 2018, exploded down the stretch as the sudden featured workhorse, shaking off plenty of past injury issues. 2022 stats:11 games | 192 att | 861 rush yds | 4.5 ypc | 4 rush TDs | 28 rec | 143 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 3 fumbles lost. 2021 stats: 119 carries, 749 rushing yards, 6.3 yards per carry, 6 receptions on 8 targets, 49 receiving yards, 6 total TDs. 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. Carson was one of the leagues best backs but he has not yet been able to fully recover from a neck injury. Barkleys rookie season in 2018 showed a glimpse of what the Giants thought they were getting when they drafted him second overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. and his accurate deliveries to Kamara underneath arent coming back, but the Saints need to find a way to keep Kamara involved as a receiving weapon in a receiving corps that has added some talent this offseason. NFC West: z --SF San Francisco . Buy Vikings Tickets. 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. Chills. 2022 NFL season, Week 11: What We Learned from 49ers' win over Cardinals on Monday night . Which player earns the No. 31. Gibson was disappointing as he didn't deliver as the complete big back in Year 2 while playing through some injury and fumbling issues. We are on the brink of wrapping up the fifth season of the RB Index, but I'm about to enter some new territory. The 2021 season provided an opportunity for Mixon to bounce back, and he answered the call. midseason injury paved the way for Taylor to stake his claim as the NFLs most valuable running back last season. Harris efficiency numbers from last season arent as impressive as some of the other names around him on this list, but its reasonable to expect efficiency to decline when youre on the field for nearly every snap and playing in one of the NFL's least efficient offenses. 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. after clearing 1,500 career carries an unfortunate reality of the beating that their bodies take during the season. Two moments that immediately come to mind: his 64-yard catch-and-run touchdown in the Vikings' comeback win over the Colts and the career-long 81-yard TD run against the Bills. The 2021 season provided an opportunity for Mixon to bounce back, and he answered the call. However, Jones' rushing efficiency did not. Ranking the NFL's best running backs for the 2022 season from 1-30, Bills look Super Bowl-serious at top; 49ers, Broncos, Eagles on the rise. The, addition early in the draft and re-signing. Stafford to Kupp for a huge gain to move the Rams into the red zone. 2022 stats:16 games | 201 att | 801 rush yds | 4.0 ypc | 5 rush TDs | 34 rec | 316 rec yds | 1 rec TD | 2 fumbles lost. Breida provided the Giants with a solid option behind Saquon Barkley who could chip in as a ball carrier between the tackles and pass catcher out of the backfield. ET. 2021 stats: 203carries, 903 rushing yards, 4.4 yards per carry, 43 receptions on 53 targets, 316 receiving yards, 7 total TDs. Part of a struggling Colts offense, Jackson flashed as a spell back to Jonathan Taylor for much of the season. Once rookie Brian Robinson returned to the field, Gibson's opportunities plummeted -- with double-digit carries in four games from Week 5 on. 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. 2022 stats:16 game | 181 att | 891 rush yds | 4.9 ypc | 3 rush TDs | 31 rec | 202 rec yds | 2 rec TDs | 1 fumble lost. 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. His best play of the season came on a clutch 18-yard catch-and-run touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Raiders in Week 12. Dobbins also saw his entire 2021 season wiped out by a torn ACL ahead of what felt like a potential big Year 2. Top 150 Players for PPR Leagues. He had a season-high eight carries for 26 yards and his first-career TD while playing in 49 percent of the Patriots' offensive snaps one week prior, assisting in a road win over Arizona. 2022 stats:13 games | 144 att | 695 rush yds | 4.8 ypc | 8 rush TDs | 21 rec | 122 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 1 fumble lost. McCaffrey was everything and then some for the 49ers after arriving in mid-October via trade. His day didn't stop there, either, as he had a second kickoff return for a touchdown. 2022 NFL Playoffs Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings | 1-10 The below rankings are intended as a guide for half-PPR formats. Now he's still in recovery mode in a much more crowded backfield and his receiving aspect is set to be curbed. The Packers took a step back on offense in 2022. 2022 stats: 17 games | 340 att | 1,653 rush yds | 4.9 ypc | 12 rush TDs | 53 rec | 400 rec yds | 0 rec TDs | 1 fumble lost. 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. Making his first start in Week 7, Pacheco led the team in carries, rush yards and rush TDs this season, and has come through in big spots for the Chiefs in their run to Super Bowl LVII, including this 39-yard romp against the Jaguars in the wild-card win. 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