The AFC South is a division on the rise and one that has a solid group of starting running backs leading their respective teams.
Ranking the running backs in the division is extremely difficult. There can be a case made for the majority of the starters as the best among the group in the AFC South, which means there are likely going to be plenty of people who disagree.
Here’s our ranking of the best running backs in the AFC South:
4. Lamar Miller, Houston Texans
Still holding onto the starter’s role in the backfield for now, Miller’s spot as the fourth-best running back in the division was actually the easiest decision to make. While he’s still a serviceable starter, Miller has been wildly inconsistent since being traded from Miami.
The veteran did enjoy an efficient season averaging 4.6 yards per carry, but he failed to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards for the second season in a row and the third time in the last four years.
His time as a starter is also likely in jeopardy with the emergence of D’Onta Foreman having the potential to take away a large chunk of playing time as the Texans look to move in a different direction.
3. Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars
This is going to ruffle some feathers and rightfully so. Fournette has all the makings to be a top tier running back in the league, but his first two seasons as a pro haven’t quite lived up to the expectations of being a former No. 4 overall pick.
Since entering the league, Fournette has seen plenty of volume as a running back. However, he’s been inefficient with that work between the tackles. He averaged 3.9 yards per carry his rookie season and then just 3.3 yards per carry during an injury-riddled 2018 season.
Fournette could easily jump to the top of the list this time next year with a strong campaign, but he has to prove he’s past his injuries and off the field issues in order to do that.
2. Marlon Mack, Indianapolis Colts
Once he got over his hamstring injury that kept him out four out of the first five games of the regular season, Mack burst onto the scene showing the type of potential the Colts saw in him when they drafted him in the fourth round in 2017.
Though he’s battled injuries in the two years since entering the league, Mack’s ceiling is extremely high in the Colts offense. If he continues to work on the path he’s on, there is a high chance he puts up career numbers in 2018.
Mack will need to work on his consistency from week to week, but the arrow is pointing straight up for the USF product. He simply needs to show that 2018 wasn’t a fluke.
1. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
Finally getting the opportunity down the stretch of the regular season to be the main guy in the backfield, Henry combined efficiency with production to help lead the Titans offense.
Though his monster 238-yard performance skews the stat line a little bit, Henry has the chance in 2019 to prove he’s one of the top running backs in the NFL. He finished last season 1,059 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns on 4.9 yards per carry.
After his 2018 performance, he’s earned the title as the best running back in the division, but he will have to fight to keep the top spot with a repeat show in 2019.
