The 2022 NFL Draft begins on Thursday, April 28 and the Jacksonville Jaguars are on the clock with the first overall selection. Running backs have been less likely to hear their names called on the first day of the draft in recent years. That trend will continue this year, though there are some backs that can have an impact in their rookie season.
Let's break down the skill set of the top seven running backs and look ahead to how they might benefit your fantasy team.
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Ht: 6’1”. Wt: 220. Age: 20 (will be 21 for 2022 season)
Over the past two seasons in college, Hall worked as a three-down back, leading to 590 combined touches. He was a prolific scorer (46 touchdowns) with a high level of success in the run game (279/1,572/21 and 253/1,472/20). Last year, Hall set a career high in catches (36), receiving yards (302) and receiving touchdowns (3) while gaining 8.4 yards per catch. He finished his career at Iowa State with 82 catches for 734 yards and six scores.
There is something to be said for a running back that runs with patience and vision. Hall will have some dull games, but he has an excellent feel for his blockers and a knack for getting defenders flat-footed in space. When Hall sees daylight at the second level of the defense, his motor kicks up a gear, leading to some long runs. He brings a nose for the goal line while having the hands and the feel for space in the passing game to push his catch total much higher in the NFL. Despite the look of a power back, Hall does well to avoid hard hits in space. I expect him to wear down defenses, helping his team control the clock late in games when they have the lead.
Fantasy Outlook: Finding the right home is the key to any player's ceiling and opportunity. In the early draft season in the National Fantasy Football Championship, Hall has an ADP of 43 as the 19th running back drafted. His range of outcomes in 2022 looks extremely wide depending on his new home. I could see a first-round beast in the Chiefs’ offense (they have the 29th and 30th picks), but Hall most likely lands on an NFL team that already has a back to split time with him. He projects to be a second-round draft selection pointing to Atlanta (43 and 58), Houston (37) or Seattle (40 and 41) having the most significant need at running back. My early sense is that Hall finishes 2022 with about 1,200 combined yards with more than 40 catches and double-digit scores.
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Kenneth Walker III, Michigan State
Ht: 5’10”. Wt: 210. Age: 21
After two quiet seasons at Wake Forest (217/1,158/17 with six catches for 47 yards), Walker pushed his game higher after transferring to Michigan State. He gained 1,725 combined yards with 19 touches and 13 catches. His best success came in three matchups (23/264/4, 29/233/1, 23/197/5).
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Walker did an excellent job mixing up his run cadence last season. When asked to fire up the middle, he had the vision and speed to create big plays. At the same time, he would delay his forward motion to help his blockers and possibly create running lanes. Walker has the quickness and burst to get himself out of jail in tight quarters on some runs. His willingness to retreat on a lost play and reverse direction led to some success at Michigan State, but this thought process could kill some drives in the NFL if Walker takes significant losses. He’s had limited chances in the passing game, but his game may improve in this area over time. Walker did get a negative grade in his pass protection, pointing to an early-down role early in his career.
Fantasy Outlook: Walker has a tweener feel in the fantasy market due to his expected role in his rookie season. His ADP (85) in the NFFC priced him as the 32nd running back drafted in mid-April. An NFL franchise with a proven pass-catching back should have their eyes on Walker. The Lions, Chargers, Dolphins, and Saints may be the best landing spots. Early-down runners have much less value in PPR leagues, so I would be careful targeting Walker in the early draft season.
Ht: 6’1”. Wt: 215. Age: 20 (will be 20 for 2021 season)
Over three seasons in college, Spiller had almost the same role (203, 208, 204 touches). He rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2020 (188/1,036/9) and 2021 (179/1,011/6) while having the most success in scoring in his rookie year (174/946/10). Spiller finished his time at Texas A&M with 74 catches for 585 yards and one score. Last season he rushed for over 100 yards in six matchups.
Spiller runs with a leggy motion that tends to lead to him gearing down in space rather than sticking his foot in the ground and bursting out of a cut. With a run of steam, he can make defenders miss with change of direction moves. Texas A&M used him on many inside runs, but his wins weren’t driven by power. His next step is improving his pass blocking despite having a feel on which lanes to pick up an oncoming blitzer.
Fantasy Outlook: Based on his ADP (75) in April in the NFFC, fantasy drafters expect him to have a starting role in 2022. His pass-catching helps his fantasy floor, but Spiller doesn’t project to be a third-down back out of the gate. I could see a split role on early downs with some value catches. The Texans will be a good fit if they want to add a back early in the draft.
Ht: 6’1”. Wt: 225. Age: 23
In his fifth season at Alabama, Robinson worked his way into a high-volume role. He finished with 306 touches, leading to 1,639 combined yards with 16 touchdowns and 35 catches. Over his first four years, Robinson gained a combined 1,511 yards with 15 touchdowns and 17 catches. Last season, he didn’t score a touchdown over his final five games while struggling in three matchups (16/71, 16/55, 22/68) in the run game.
There is something to be said for a running back gaining experience in touches. Robinson is a power back with the ability to make yards after contact. He runs with patience while having the drive to cut fast into daylight at the line of scrimmage. When asked to pass block, Robinson understands his role plus stays in tune with his quarterback to become a late passing option out of the backfield. His improved opportunity last year should only make him better in the NFL.
Fantasy Outlook: Robinson has only been a late flier at running back (65th) in mid-April based on his ADP (239) in the NFFC. With the right landing spot, he may very well end up being a rotational RB3 in the fantasy market. Robinson would be a wise investment for a franchise looking for an upside handcuff to its lead running back, depending on his NFL draft value.
Ht: 5’10”. Wt: 215. Age: 22
The Gators used Pierce as a change of pace runner over four seasons. He rushed for 1,806 yards and 23 touchdowns on 329 carries in his career, with his best value coming in 2021 (100/574/13). His play in the passing game improved over the past two years (17/156/1 and 19/216/3) while gaining 10.3 yards per catch.
Pierce has a unique running style with short jabby steps in traffic. When given a free run, his strides open up, leading to acceleration and sneaky speed over the short areas of the field. He runs through contact with the vision to make good decisions in space. Pierce brings strength to the table while lacking difference-maker speed over the long field. He has a feel for open space in the passing game.
Fantasy Outlook: His ADP (234) in the high-stakes market sits just behind Zamir White and ahead of Brian Robinson as fantasy managers wait to see which option finds the best opportunity. Pierce doesn’t have the resume to be a lead back, and his base skill set isn’t ready to shine on passing downs. I sense similar usage as Kareem Hunt (one-third of his team carries with goal-line value and some action in the passing game).
Ht: 6’0”. Wt: 215. Age: 22 (will be 23 for 2022 season)
The Bulldogs tend to have a deep bench of talented running backs, leading to multiple runners getting chances each season. White played in 15 games last year, but he gained only 931 yards with 11 touchdowns and nine catches on 169 touches. Over his three seasons, White finished with success in the run game (382/2,043/25) with minimal chances to catch the ball (17/132). Last year he had only one contest with over 100 yards rushing (14/105) and fewer than 15 touches in 13 games.
I feel for pro athletes who work hard to get stronger and build their bodies for success. Unfortunately, White has already blown out his right (2017) and left (2018) ACLs. Georgia used him as a north/south runner, which led to plenty of contact in tight quarters. White had a grinder feel but flashed quickness and elusiveness when breaking free at the second level of the defense. When asked to make plays on the outside, he showed the ability to make defenders miss, thanks to a shimmy in his running style. White will make yards after contact while being at his best late in games.
Fantasy Outlook: White projects as more of an insurance card to an NFL team with a proven top running back. He comes off the early draft board as the 63rd running back with an ADP of 233 in the NFFC. However, White could work as a goal-line runner with value in short-yardage situations in the right opportunity.
Ht: 5’11”. Wt: 223. Age: 23
After receiving a minimal chance to run the ball in 2018 (4/11) and 2019 (8/35/1) with Baylor, Smith worked in a backup linebacker role in his junior season (31 tackles and 17 assists). Last year they gave him the keys to the run game, leading to 1,676 combined yards with 12 touchdowns and 13 catches on 270 touches. He rushed for over 100 yards in nine games, highlighted by two matchups (27/188/3 with two catches for 14 yards and 25/172).
As has been the theme for most of the top running backs in this year’s draft class, Smith has a power foundation to his game with minimal chances catching passes. In addition, his experience at linebacker bodes well in pass protection but invites some injury risk when running the ball when Smith seeks physical contact. He runs with glide in space, creating some long runs when hitting the hole on time. Smith ran the ball well in high school, pointing to a sneaky value to an NFL team.
