If you hope to be the best, you have to beat the best. We know the Raiders will face the best quarterback in the NFL twice next season. How about the running backs?
Thursday NFL executives voted on who they think are the top ten running backs in the NFL. Josh Jacobs was ninth on that list. Also on it were four back who the Raiders will have to try and stop this season. But they aren’t the only talented backs. So, let’s rank all the backs the Raiders face from 1-25, starting with the four as ranked in the top ten by NFL execs.
1. Christian McCaffrey, Panthers (2)
Though league executives listed him as the second-best running back in the league behind Saquon Barkley, McCaffrey has a case for the best back in the league. He just completed a season in which he had 2,392 yards from scrimmage and 19 combined touchdowns. And it earned him a huge payday.
2. Alvin Kamara, Saints (4)
Like McCaffrey, Kamara is a double threat. He has consistently been as much of a weapon in the passing game as he is in the run game. His 1330 yards from scrimmage last season was actually a down year for him.
3. Nick Chubb, Browns (7)
Chubb’s 1,494 rushing yards were the second-most in the league last season behind only Derrick Henry. And he averaged over five yards per carry to do it. Honestly, seventh seems too low for Chubb.
4. Le’Veon Bell, Jets (10)
The two-time All-Pro held out the entire 2018 season before signing with the Jets prior to last season. He didn’t come close to the monster numbers he had put up in Pittsburgh, and his 3.22 yards per carry will surely not cut it. But he’s just 28, so let’s not count him out from one season. He still had 1250 yards from scrimmage after all.
5. Philip Lindsay, Broncos (15)
Two 1000-yard seasons in two years for the former undrafted free agent. He’s also put up 17 career touchdowns.
6. Austin Ekeler, Chargers (17)
A dual-threat running back whose even better as a receiver than he is a runner. And he’s no slouch as a runner either, averaging 4.8 yards per carry over his three-year career. He put up 1550 yards from scrimmage last season with 11 touchdowns.
7. Devin Singletary, Bills (20)
He averaged an impressive 5.13 yards per carry as a rookie while splitting carries with Frank Gore. Well, Gore is gone, so Singletary will be the workhorse now.
8. Todd Gurley, Falcons (23)
The two-time All-Pro had a down year, averaging just 3.8 yards per carry, but still scored 12 touchdowns. And two years after signing a 4-year, $60 million deal, he was cut. The Falcons signed him to be their top back. He looks to bounce back.
9. Marlon Mack, Colts (24)
Mack had 1091 yards rushing last season, which is also his average yards from scrimmage over the past two seasons. So, he’s been consistent and improving. He also has averaged 4.5 yards per carry.
10. Matt Breida, Dolphins (27)
Breida the Cheetah as he’s called, the former 49ers running back averaged five yards per carry over three seasons. He finally gets his shot to be the guy in Miami.
11. Ronald Jones II, Buccaneers (28)
A second-round pick in 2018, Jones started to show it last season putting up 1,033 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns.
12. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Chiefs (30)
The final pick of the first round this year, he will be the feature back in the Chiefs’ high-powered offense. Edwards-Helaire averaged 6.6 yards per carry with a combined 17 touchdowns last season for the National Champion LSU Tigers.
13. Sony Michel, Patriots (31)
The former first-round pick has approached 1000 yards his first two seasons but hasn’t crossed that threshold yet. He has averaged four yards per carry, but just 3.7 yards per carry last season. He also hasn’t been much of a receiver out of the backfield.
14. Jonathan Taylor, Colts
15. Melvin Gordon, Broncos
16. K’Shawn Vaughn, Buccaneers
17. Kareem Hunt, Browns
18. Latavius Murray, Saints
19. Jordan Howard, Dolphins
20. Damien Williams, Chiefs
21. Royce Freeman, Broncos
22. Josh Kelley, Chargers
23. Frank Gore, Jets
24. Jordan Wilkins, Colts
25. Zach Moss, Bills
