Christian McCaffrey is rapidly becoming one of football’s most electrifying players. Where does he rank among the best running backs in the NFL, though? Let’s find out. Here’s how we see the top 10 going into 2019.
Honorable mention
Derrick Henry: As one of the more one-dimensional, north-to-south running backs in the league, Henry took strides in his third year, improving his average from 4.2 yards per carry to 4.9, and rushing for 12 touchdowns in 2018 over his previous high of five.
Adrian Peterson: Peterson represents the last of a dying breed in the NFL as another north-to-south runner with little benefit in the passing game. However, the veteran showed he still has something left in the tank after measly stints in Arizona and New Orleans, finding a home in Washington as he rushed for his first 1,000-yard season since 2015.
Kareem Hunt: Were Hunt to remain in the league throughout the duration of the 2018 season, he may have found himself on the upper half of this list. He was on pace for 1,800 total yards and 20 touchdowns before his rapid exit from the Chiefs.
Nick Chubb: Baker Mayfield wasn’t the only stud that the Browns picked up in last year’s draft. Chubb averaged a robust 5.2 yards per carry and scored 10 touchdowns from scrimmage. With Hunt and Chubb in the backfield, Cleveland is as stacked as any other team at running back.
Le’Veon Bell: When he was actually on the field, Bell was arguably the best running back in the NFL. It’s been over a year now since his last action, though, and James Conner’s emergence raises questions about how much credit Bell deserves for his production.
10. James White
2018 stats: 181 touches, 1,176 yards from scrimmage, 12 touchdowns
There might not be a more underappreciated running back in the NFL than White. He had a breakout season of sorts, posting career bests in both receiving and rushing for the New England Patriots, with 425 yards on the ground and 751 yards receiving. His presence in the backfield makes the Patriots that much more difficult to scheme for — as if they needed another advantage.
9. James Conner
2018 stats: 270 touches, 1,386 yards from scrimmage, 13 touchdowns
When Le’Veon Bell decided to bet on a hampered Steelers offense begging for his return and meeting his contract demands, he failed to account for one thing: Conner taking his place with ease. The second-year star in the making filled in for Bell very well, making Pittsburgh fans look to the future as his replacement. Conner finished the year with an average of 74 yards and a touchdown per game. He also surprised as a receiver, making 55 catches for 497 yards.
8. Joe Mixon
2018 stats: 280 touches, 1,464 yards from scrimmage, 9 touchdowns
Mixon doubled his numbers in nearly every category in his second year in the league. Taking over as the featured back in Cincinnati, Mixon increased his yards per touch from 4.4 in 2017 to 5.2 in 2018. His 1,168 yards rushing were fourth in the league despite two games missed, and he had 13 more receptions than in 2017.
7. David Johnson
2018 stats: 308 touches, 1,386 yards from scrimmage, 10 touchdowns
Many Cardinals fans yearn for the Johnson of old — his 2016 season ranking among the best in recent memory. But after an injury-shortened 2017 for an abysmal Cardinals team, Johnson has been working his way back. A respectable 2018 campaign saw the four-year veteran back as one of the lone stars of an otherwise underwhelming offense. Perhaps if the team can find an identity in the next few years, or a quarterback to inspire hope as Carson Palmer once did, Johnson will be back with a vengeance.
6. Melvin Gordon
2018 stats: 225 touches, 1,375 yards from scrimmage, 14 touchdowns
Despite not reaching 1,000 rushing yards as he did in the previous season, Gordon’s 2018 was drastically better than the year prior. His yards per attempt went up from 3.9 to 5.1, and he rushed for 10 touchdowns total on the year. His four receiving touchdowns matched the metric from the year prior, and his 490 yards receiving were 14 more yards than his previous high. All that in just 12 games shows what Gordon is capable of.
5. Ezekiel Elliott
2018 stats: 381 touches, 2,001 yards from scrimmage, 9 touchdowns
Elliott’s athletic abilities and overall skill as a three-down back are undeniable. Some Dallas fans will certainly balk at him being ranked this low. However, Elliott has benefited from running behind an excellent offensive line and saw far more touches than any other rusher in the league this past season. Considering the context, his numbers are lacking compared to the other elite running backs.
4. Alvin Kamara
2018 stats: 275 touches, 1,592 yards from scrimmage, 18 touchdowns
The top four players on this list are all close together. From week to week, any one of them could lay claim to being the best at what they do. Given Kamara’s knack for breaking tackles, leaping over defenders, or simply finding a way to slip off contact, sometimes he reminds of Bo Jackson. In his rookie season, he was posting similar numbers, too. Splitting carries with Mark Ingram may be containing what appears to be a limitless ceiling, though.
3. Christian McCaffrey
2018 stats: 326 touches, 1,965 yards from scrimmage, 13 touchdowns
McCaffrey has no concern about splitting the load with anyone else, as he played a remarkable 91.3 percent of his team’s offense snaps. Some people would say McCaffrey is already the best running back in the NFL, or at least he was last season. James Koh has come up with a ranking of the top 20 from 2018 based on five Next Gen Stats, and Run CMC was at the top of his list. We’re not quite ready to go out on that particular limb just yet, but McCaffrey’s rise is both stunning and historic in some respects.
2. Todd Gurley
2018 stats: 315 touches, 1,831 yards from scrimmage, 21 touchdowns
Gurley unquestionably had the best regular season of any running back. For a large part of the year, he was considered a legitimate MVP candidate. Injuries may have slowed him late in the season, though. Gurley missed the last couple games of the year, paving the way for a resurgent C.J. Anderson. Gurley then disappeared after the wild card round, managing just 45 total rushing yards in the NFC championship game and Super Bowl. For that, he falls to second.
1. Saquon Barkley
2018 stats: 352 touches, 2,028 yards from scrimmage, 15 touchdowns
Other contenders on this list have accomplished more, no doubt. It’s impossible to argue that any of them have more potential than New York’s No. 2 overall pick. Barkley’s sensational NFL debut proved he has a talent for explosive plays that nobody else does. Despite running behind a very mediocre offensive line and running into an eight-man box nearly 23 percent of the time, Barkley averaged five yards per carry. With another year to develop, there’s no telling what heights he might reach.
