The NFL's top running backs will take center stage when the 2021 season returns. Hell turn a routine carry into a long touchdown within the simplest crease in the offensive line. Says he's the toughest matchup he had in college. Check out all the features Fantrax has to offer, and we think youll be singing a different tune for next season. Top 5 Running Backs in the NFC South. Michael Carter led film session with running backs as RB coach Taylor Embree and wife welcomed baby . They also look for improved play from their young offensive line to establish their running game and have a more balanced offensive attack. (via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/hIRCqWUuda. Despite having the seventh-worst rushing offense in football last season, according to Pro Football Focus, Eagles running back Miles Sanders had a solid season. The age listed under each player's name is the age he will be on Sept. 9. Thats not to say Davis is a slouch, as the veteran filled in admirably for Christian McCaffrey last season in Carolina. Mandatory Credit: Derick Hingle-USA TODAY Sports. Akers almost enters the NFL in these rankings above Coleman but not quite. For the newest installment of Fantraxs fantasy running back depth charts series, were going to delve into the NFC South. The Cowboys get to pair Elliott with one of the better backup running backs in football in Tony Pollard. 26. Murray is capable of carrying the load for a game or two, and has even made strides at receiver during his time in New Orleans. Drake has yet to put together a great full season, but will get his chance as the Cardinals' No. Darius Clark Here is my top 10: 1. Pollard made some explosive plays just like the one shown below. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account. Its usually the hot hand that will get a majority of the carries in a specific game, so its hard to project their totals. Metcalf has delivered in every aspect since he walked shirtless into a meeting at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine with the team that would later draft him. Ive never been a fumbler. To go from barely average regular season play to elite in the playoffs was one of the weirdest things Ive seen in my time watching football. Peyton Barber will return after leading the team with 234 carries for 871 yards and five touchdowns. Which team had the most players ranked? Ronald Jones II I expect RB26 and RB28 this year with a full year together. Coleman returns to the 49ers as part of their running back committee. RB1. Folks get hung up on statistics and focus more than they should on the pass catching aspect. He has requested a trade as he, who signed a three-year contract last offseason, would like to be paid more like his fellow running backs on the team. 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. I tend to avoid taking either of them, but you cant deny there will be weeks that one of them will win you matchups. Ashton answer's your questions in this Friday mailbag. The Buccaneers had the worst rushing attack in the division last year, averaging 95.2 yards per game, which were the fourth-fewest among all NFL teams. The Cowboys head coach made some comments about the offense that deserve a closer look as they seemed to have been misinterpreted. Who is a 27 year old running back in the nfc? 17. Thats an absurd number. In my view, CMC should always be the first running back off the board. Fantasy Fallout: With Gavin Lux Out, Could A Sleeper Emerge? Which RB enters the season atop the list? The players have spoken. But he still can hurt you out of the backfield, at times, as much as any running back in the league. On this roster, theyre together, and neither has a defined role. Bernard is easily the most reliable back on the roster thanks to his sure hands and pass protection skills, which should be a huge boost to the Bucs in passing situations. But if hes healthy, hes a rare breed of balance, strength, and elusiveness. Antonio Gibson showed tons of promise in his rookie season, and JD McKissic is coming off a career year. We should expect him to build off his rookie production, given what we've already seen this preseason. falcons. Raheem Mostert, San Francisco 49ers I rank him above Carlos Hyde simply because he is trending up, while Hydes career is on the back end and he will be a backup to Chris Carson. He rushed for 772 yards on a whopping 5.6 yards per attempt last season. For his career, the bruising back out of Ohio State now has 6,384 rushing yards and another 1,957 receiving yards with 56 total touchdowns. But Im thinking 4th or 5th round at best. Drake has yet to put together a great full season, but will get his chance as the Cardinals No. What Kamara gives the Saints as a receiver is very difficult to replace. Gibson also caught 36 passes for 247 yards, bringing his total yards to 1,042 in just 14 games. Davis impressed as McCaffreys backup last year, but now there is limited depth in Carolina. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts A quality running back is a scarce fantasy asset. What separates McCaffrey from the other dual-threat running backs is his possession of elite-level ground skills. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. LB Von Miller, . He threatens opposing defenses not only out of the backfield but also when lining up both from the slot and outside as a receiver. Now what did they get wrong? Sanders got off to a slow start, but still finished with some decent numbers. He might not lead the division in rushing because of the addition of Hyde, but he enters the season as the best of the West. Latavius Murray Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers NFL Network's "Top 100 Players of 2021" continues Sunday, Aug. 22. Kamara gained 1,592 combined yards last season and scored 18 touchdowns. Let us know in the comments section what you think of our rankings. 14. Brian Leonard. Gonzalez recalls matchup with Drake London during his days with Colorado. Seattle won 28-26. Nelson might miss the start of the 2021 regular season as he recovers from foot surgery, but that doesn't change the fact that he's a three-time first-team All-Pro. Mason Stokke. Saints Head Coach Sean Payton prefers to use multiple running backs in his offensive system. Mostert became the 49ers No. It seems like Tony Pollard will be with the Cowboys at least through 2023. With coaching staff in place, what's next for Carolina Panthers? The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. The NFC West has some talented running backs in the conference. Washingtons running back group is versatile, fairly young, and productive. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nfl | pageType: stories | Episode 9 of the "Top 100 Players of 2022" airs on Sunday, revealing the highest-ranked undrafted player in the players' list between Nos. Hes recorded 16 total touchdowns on receptions in four seasons and has proven to be an incredibly difficult task to bring down in space. McCaffrey is the only running back in NFL history to record back-to-back seasons with at least 100 catches from 2018 to 2019. Hoover's not quite as dominant a blocker as Mughelli, but he's been very solid and dependable for a long time. Today, we start by taking a look at the running backs. Set it, and forget it. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports, https://cardswire.usatoday.com/gallery/ranking-the-nfc-west-running-backs/, Cardinals given terrible marks by players on team report card, 4 of 101 best nicknames in NFL history belong to former Cardinals players, One free agent each NFL team should re-sign in 2023, GM, HC searches affected by Cardinals' reputation on compensation, DeAndre Hopkins trade could come before start of free agency, Eagles player takes shot at Jonathan Gannon on social media, Jonathan Gannon 'not sure' if DeAndre Hopkins will play for Cardinals in 2023, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. What everybody is missing from Mike McCarthys recent comments about the Cowboys offense, Kellen Moore. 27. Atlanta Falcons. TEMPE, ARIZONA - JUNE 02: Runningback James Conner #6 of the Arizona Cardinals participates in an, TEMPE, ARIZONA - JUNE 02: Runningback James Conner #6 of the Arizona Cardinals participates in an off-season workout at Dignity Health Arizona Cardinals Training Center on June 02, 2021 in Tempe, Arizona. Jonathan Stewart, Carolina. NFL Network's "Top 100 Players of 2022" -- voted on by the players themselves -- comes to a conclusion on Sunday night. But Kamara is the prize of the group. And you nailed it, RoJo comes back every year improved. Im anticipating a negative game script with the running game, considering theyll be down in plenty of 4th quarters. Mike Davis Jones is set to be the bell cow in the Green Bay backfield for what seems like the first time in his career. 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. 50-41? 24. 2023 PewterReport.com All Rights Reserved. saints Please check your email for a confirmation. He's a fullback, but he belongs on this list. To qualify, a player will have to be 25 or younger as of Sept. 9, when the 2021 season is scheduled to kick off. 13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Between the Panthers, Falcons, Saints, and the Bucs, the NFC South has a plethora (SAT word for yall) of backfield candidates to use in your lineups. It's that time of year again, when NFL players cast their votes to identify the best in the league heading into the 2022 NFL season. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas With just 889 career touches, Ekeler does not carry the same risk of slowing down as other similarly-aged running backs. Sony Michel, Los Angeles Rams 1 in Green Bay. A lot of people like to make it sound as if the Saints didn't have a featured back last year. His greatest attribute might be his ability to make defenders miss. Who has the most career 200 receiving yard games? A leaky offensive line and an abysmal rushing game have left the Buccaneers with a one-dimensional attack over the last two seasons, allowing opponents to pressure now-former QB, Jameis Winston, into additional turnovers. 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. Michael Chow/The Arizona Republic via USA TODAY NETWORK, Sign up for the Cards Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. NFC South. Ekeler is tied to Justin Herbert for what should be the remainder of his career. Allen made huge jumps in his on-field production, confidence and command of the offense last season. Are we talking the entire unit as a whole and comparing the sum of their parts? It's that time of year again, when NFL players cast their votes to identify the best in the league heading into the 2022 NFL season. Episode 8 of the "Top 100 Players of 2022" airs on Sunday, revealing notable NFL siblings in the players' list between Nos. Then there are RB-friendly systems that will likely see Trey Sermon, Michael Carter, and Kylin Hill as names to know. 10 after earning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2020. GO HEAD, @saquon!159 Total Yards, 2 Touchdowns, and a souvenir for a fan in the 1st half! Selecting Texas RB Bijan Robinson at 26 could be a great pick for the Cowboys. Who is the best? 2021 Jones 2021 Thompson 2021 Vaughn 2021 Prentice 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 24 24 24 24 Explore Which team has won the most Super Bowls? Mike James. 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.