Many people in and around the NFL will tell you that the days of the workhorse back—the power-pusher good for 400 carries in a season—are over. For the most part, that’s true, and given the career lifespans of overworked backs, that’s a good thing. Over the last four seasons, no back leading the league in carries had more than Adrian Peterson’s 327 in 2015, and DeMarco Murray’s 392 carries for the Cowboys the year before was quite the generational outlier.
11. Chris Carson | 10. Nick Chubb | 9. Le’Veon Bell | 8. Todd Gurley II | 7. Melvin Gordon III | 6. Derrick Henry | 5. Christian McCaffrey | 4. Kareem Hunt | 3. Alvin Kamara | 2. Ezekiel Elliott | 1. Saquon Barkley
In the modern era, backs are asked to do more than ever before in rotational situations that have them with fewer opportunities to prove their statistical value. Now, a team’s primary back must be able not only exploit his concepts and work in concert with his offensive line—now, he’s probably going to be asked to line up as a receiver all over the field and run more credible routes than simple screens and swing passes. And in an NFL where the high-volume quick pass has become the norm, a running back who can’t block is a running back who won’t spend a lot of time on the field—and eventually, on the roster.
Other Top 11 lists: Outside receivers | Slot receivers | Tight ends | Centers | Guards | Offensive tackles | Edge defenders | Interior defensive linemen | Linebackers | Safeties | Outside cornerbacks | Slot defenders
All 11 backs on this list are asked to provide different iterations of these multi-faceted skill sets, but they’re the ones who do it the best as we head into the 2019 season.
11. Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks
The only thing that’s kept Carson from a higher ranking on this list is an injury history that should cause some concern—he’s missed 14 games over just two seasons with various maladies. But when he’s on the field, there are few backs in the NFL today who combine power and explosiveness in a more effective package. The undrafted Oklahoma State alum gained 1,151 yards and scored nine rushing touchdowns on just 247 carries in 2018, breaking 45 rushing tackles (tied for the league lead with Derrick Henry and Adrian Peterson), and amassing 17 runs of 15 yards or more. This despite an offensive line very much under construction, and a predictable, run-heavy offensive philosophy that had enemy defenses putting eight or more men in the box on 21.9% of his plays.
Along with his natural power, Carson has impressive lateral agility to get to gaps on both inside and outside zone runs, and his combination of determination and body lean gives him the edge when it comes to creating extra yards at the end of a play. His acceleration is more smooth than shocking, but it’s enough to help him bounce outside for a big play, or to beat a safety at the third level of a run.
10. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
The story of the 2018 Browns was mostly about Baker Mayfield in the public eye, and justifiably so when your quarterback breaks the rookie record for touchdown passes in just 13 starts. But Chubb, Cleveland’s second-round pick in the 2018 draft out of Georgia, had his own major impact on his NFL team, despite a relatively small sample size. Chubb faced eight or more defenders on nearly 35% of his 192 carries, but he still managed 996 yards, eight touchdowns, and 5.2 yards per carry. In addition, per Pro Football Focus, he broke 44 tackles as a rusher and five more as a receiver, and had 15 runs of 15 yards or more for a total of 463 yards.
Chubb has already learned what it takes a lot of young backs a lot longer to figure out–that good things happen when you wait for your blocks to take effect. And with that, he has outstanding cut-and-go instincts, and a compelling combination of foot movement, vision, and acceleration to break the big run. His skill set tells the story of a back whose explosive play percentage wouldn’t decrease that much with a heavier workload.
9. Le’Veon Bell, New York Jets
Bell missed the entire 2018 season due to a contract dispute, and after the Steelers finally decided to cut bait, the Jets signed him to a four-year, $52.5 million deal in March puts him squarely as the epicenter of New York’s offense. One wonders just how much Bell has left in the tank after missing a full season—but if he’s still got a few years left at his optimal level from his days in Pittsburgh, the Jets will get their money’s worth.
Bell is lauded to a fault for his patient running style, in which he’ll wait and wait for an opening and then blast right through it, but he doesn’t get nearly enough credit for his receiving skills. The Steelers were able to align him all over the formation, and he would make plays you’d expect from a top slot or outside receiver. From 2013 through 2017, Bell had the most targets among running backs (397), the most receptions (312), and the most receiving yards (2,660). Add in his estimable rushing ability, and it’s easy to see how any team could view Bell as a pace-setter in ways modern running backs aren’t seen. Now, we’ll just have to see how things work out for him in a conditioning and talent retention sense, but he’s earned his place on this list on potential alone.
8. Todd Gurley II, Los Angeles Rams
How badly was Gurley hurt in the 2018 season, for how long did he play through injury, and how might it affect his NFL future? Travelle Gaines, Gurley’s trainer, has said there’s an “arthritic component” to Gurley’s knee that should raise several red flags. The Rams gutted out their Super Bowl run with C.J. Anderson as Gurley’s reserve and selected Memphis running back Darrell Henderson in the third round of the 2019 draft, and through Henderson is a different kind of back, it seems the team is assembling contingency plans.
It’s a shame, because Gurley was very efficient when healthy, ranking first overall in Football Outsiders’ opponent-adjusted per-play and overall metrics for running backs. He also led the NFL in rushing touchdowns for the second straight season, and broke 42 total tackles as a runner and receiver. Gurley benefited from Sean McVay’s expansive offense in that he faced stacked boxes on just 8.2% of his carries, but he also brought more to the table than your average back would.
The healthy version of Gurley would be higher on this list based on his vision, ability to move through the hole in a big hurry, and his impressive ability to power through second- and third-level defenders just as easily as he can juke them out of position and take off for the end zone.
7. Melvin Gordon III, Los Angeles Chargers
Gordon lost four games in 2018 due to injuries and gained just 55 yards on 26 carries in the playoffs, but overall, he was as important to the Chargers’ success as anybody on offense. Gordon ranked third overall in Football Outsiders’ opponent-adjusted efficiency metrics for running backs, and managed 885 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns on just 175 carries. Factor in his 50 catches for 490 yards and four more touchdowns, and it’s easy to see why the Chargers should see their way clear to extending him beyond a rookie contract that will expire after the 2019 season.
Gordon has a great sense of when gaps will open and when to react with quickness, which makes him a really good red zone option when he’s healthy. And his downfield acceleration, combined with impressive balance after contact, makes him a consistent weapon in any field zone.
6. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
After just four starts in his first two NFL seasons, Henry became the Titans’ primary back in 2018, and defined “exotic smashmouth” as an explosive power back. At 6’3” and 247 pounds, Henry cut a wide swath through Tennessee’s opponents, breaking a league-best 45 tackles on just 215 carries. Henry had just nine carries of 15 or more yards last season, but this 99-yarder against the Jaguars made up for any statistical shortcomings.
Arm-tackling Henry in the open field is an invitation to embarrassment–he’s far too powerful on the move to be dissuaded by that. For his size, he’s proven able to coufound defenders with quick jump cuts and some downfield acceleration, but Henry’s game is mostly about power with a speed element, and 2018 was the season in which that all came together.
5. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers
McCaffrey gained just 435 rushing yards and was far more of a receiving threat in his rookie season of 2017, when the Panthers seemed to want to turn the 5’11”, 205-pound Stanford alum into a between-the-tackles power back. Scheme met talent in a more favorable sense in 2018, as McCaffrey went over 1,000 yards on the ground and became one of the NFL’s most versatile backs with 1,965 yards from scrimmage, and 13 total touchdowns. He ranked seventh in Football Outsiders’ efficiency metrics as a rusher and fifth as a receiver among running backs, and broke 53 total tackles as a runner and receiver.
While he has worked on his musculature to become a good inside runner with power out of his compact frame, McCaffrey really makes it go with vision and burst through open lanes, and agility and acceleration in the open field. As a receiver, he can turn a simple screen into a big play because he’s so good at waiting for his blocks after releasing into the flat with perfect timing.
4. Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns
Hunt will be suspended for the first eight games of the 2019 season for violations of the NFL’s personal conduct policy, and as is the case with former teammate Tyreek Hill, there’s no way to know if this is going to bite Hunt’s team down the road in any other sense. But the Browns took a shot on Hunt for obvious reasons—he’s a big play waiting to happen, and even the Chiefs’ amazing offense felt the effects of his absence down the stretch following his release.
It’s also not known how the Browns will manage Hunt’s inclusion into Freddie Kitchens’ offense with Nick Chubb firmly established as a potentially elite back in his own right. But Hunt led the NFL in rushing yards in his rookie season, and he’s a constant nightmare for opposing defenses with his knack for the big play.
Few backs can match Hunt’s extra gear once he’s released from contact, but he’s more than just a speed guy–he uses his 5’11”, 216-pound frame to bounce off potential tacklers, give impressive stiff-arms to extend plays in space, and any defensive coordinator daring to put a slow linebacker on him in pass coverage will quickly regret it as he watches Hunt scream down the field.
3. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
Through Sean Payton’s tenure as the Saints’ head coach and offensive play-designer, he’s always been able to create schemes that give ideal opportunities to versatile backs. Payton helped to create the base nickel defense when he kept flaring Reggie Bush from the backfield to the slot and embarrassing third linebackers about a decade ago, and in Alvin Kamara, Payton may have the ultimate distillation of his desire for a back that can do just about everything at a ridiculously high level. Kamara hasn’t had a 1,000-yard rushing season yet, but he led the league in yards per carry in his rookie year of 2017, and jumped his rushing touchdown count in 2018 from eight to 14. He’s scored 32 total touchdowns in his two NFL seasons—only Todd Gurley has more combined scored through 2017 and 2018.
Backs are expected to run more than dinky screens in Payton’s offense, and Kamara complies by getting open on everything from slants from the slot to deep vertical concepts outside. And though he’s been a rotational back so far in his NFL career, it doesn’t take too many plays to see Kamara consistently running through tacklers to pick up extra yards–proof that he does have what it takes to be a primary back if that’s ever the Saints’ modus operandi.
2. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
If you’re of the opinion that Elliott is primarily the beneficiary of Dallas’ outstanding offensive line, you’ll have to explain how he led the NFL in rushing yards in 2018 with 1,434, despite a front five that underperformed due to various injury issues—the Cowboys’ offensive line dropped from fourth in Football Outsiders’ Adjusted Line Yards metric to eighth in 2018. Not a catastrophic regression, but Elliott had more to do with his run game holding up last season than anybody blocking for him. Facing a loaded box on about 25% of his snaps, Elliott broke 41 tackles on his 350 carries, and led the league by far with 28 carries of 15 yards or more.
Perhaps the most complete running back in the league, Elliott has expanded on the attributes that made him a star at Ohio State–his power through contact, his outstanding vision and acceleration, his receiving ability on a number of route concepts, and the fact that he’s a willing and outstanding blocker.
1. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
People gave Giants general manager Dave Gettleman a lot of static when he made the decision to select Penn State running back Saquon Barkley with the second pick in the 2018 draft—after all, this is not an era in which running backs are that highly prized. As is his wont, Gettleman was defiant, insisting that any notion of a positional value overdraft was a “crock.”
Gettleman has made more than his share of mistakes as a GM both with the Panthers (Steve Smith says “Hi”) and with Big Blue, but it’s hard to argue against the Barkley pick, especially given the production Barkley was able to put up around a passing game that seemed to devolve a little bit more every week. Barkley led the NFL with 2,028 yards from scrimmage, had 15 total touchdowns, and proved to be an evolved player as both a running back and receiver from Day 1.
Down after down, Barkley will impress as no other current back does with his ability to create separation in small spaces and read openings to bigger plays. And if he’s running a draw play and you’ve already committed to your defensive reads, good luck catching up to him as he blows right by you. If you foil Barkley between the guards, you’d better be ready for a two-gap jump cut that will leave your linebackers out of place, and though he was limited by the Giants’ quarterback situation i.e. Eli Manning’s regression), he’s proven able to win against coverage from just about anywhere on the field.
It takes a lot to put a rookie at the top of any positional list, but Barkley earned it.
