Offseason Chronicles: Top 10 Running Backs (2024)
Christian McCaffrey #23 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after scoring a touchdown during an NFL divisional round playoff game against the Green Bay Packers, Saturday, Jan 20, 2024, at Levi's Stadium, in Santa Clara, CA. The 49ers defeated the Packers, 24-21. (Ashley Landis/AP Photo)
In today's NFL, no position has become more volatile than the running back position. Throughout the history of professional football, running backs have played a vital role on the offensive side of the ball. However, over the last decade or so, the value of running backs within offences in the NFL has dramatically decreased, due to the fact that most teams in the league have shifted away from run-heavy offences and more towards passing the ball. It's safe to say that the days of running backs getting 350-plus carries in a season are not coming back anytime soon.
As a result, the market for running backs has begun to stagnate, topping out for the most part around $8 million. And while some teams in the league have recently signed running backs to long-term contract extensions (e.g. Philadelphia Eagles and Saquon Barkley), other NFL general managers have shifted their focus towards finding cheaper alternatives at the position.
With this being said, multiple star running backs switched teams during the free agency period this offseason and managed to secure a solid amount of cash in the process. Before I reveal my list of my top 10 running backs coming into the 2024 NFL season, here are three players that just missed the cut.
Honourable mentions:
Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings
Aaron Jones #33 of the Minnesota Vikings takes part in drills during an NFL football practice at the team's minicamp, Wednesday, Jun 5, 2024, at the TCO Performance Center, in Eagan, MN. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
After spending seven seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Aaron Jones remains in the NFC North as a member of the Vikings. Last season, Jones missed six games due to various injuries. However, when he was healthy and on the field, he was very productive, rushing for 656 yards and 4.6 yards per carry in 11 games in 2023. Additionally, Jones was flat-out amazing during the final five games of the season, scoring four touchdowns and running for over 100 yards in each of those games, becoming the first player in the more than 100-year history of the Packers to rush for 100-plus yards in five consecutive games. Jones is now 29 years old--the age where running backs tend to decline--and has struggled to stay healthy over the last few years, but he's super talented and he'll be surrounded by a lot of great talent in Minnesota. If he can stay healthy, look for him to have a solid season in 2024.
Projected stats: 224 carries, 988 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns, 48 catches, 356 receiving yards, three receiving touchdowns
James Cook, Buffalo Bills
James Cook #4 of the Buffalo Bills runs with the football during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Dec 17, 2023, at Highmark Stadium, in Orchard Park, NY. (Getty Images)
During the 2023 season, James Cook--the brother of former All-Pro running back Dalvin Cook--enjoyed a great campaign, as he averaged 4.7 yards per carry (eighth among RBs), racked up 1,567 yards from scrimmage (1,122 rushing, 445 receiving), and scored six total touchdowns. Similarly to his brother, James Cook is a very talented running back who can run through defences with quickness and agility while also being a great receiving back as well. During the offseason, the Bills traded away All-Pro wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans, and as a result, look for Cook to play an even bigger role within Buffalo's offence in 2024.
Projected stats: 241 carries, 1,086 rushing yards, five rushing touchdowns, 53 catches, 478 receiving yards, five receiving touchdowns
Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
Kyren Williams #23 of the Los Angeles Rams runs with the football during an NFL playoff game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Jan 14, 2024, at Ford Field, in Detroit, MI. (Lon Harwedel/USA TODAY Sports)
Coming into last season, not many people knew about Kyren Williams. He was a second-year running back who was a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. However, in 2023, Williams enjoyed a stellar breakthrough campaign, rushing for 1,144 yards (third in the NFL), a league-high 95.3 rushing yards per game, while also scoring 15 total touchdowns (tied for third in the NFL) to help the Rams win 10 games and make the playoffs. As a runner, Williams combines great ball-carrying vision with tenacity. During the offseason, the Rams drafted running back Blake Corum in the third round. Corum enjoyed an incredible career during his time at the University of Michigan, breaking the team's all-time record for the most rushing touchdowns in a single season (27). With Corum in the mix, Williams might not get as many touches as he did last season. But still, as a talented runner surrounded by top-end talent on offence such as quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receivers Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp (along with a great head coach in Sean McVay), Williams should enjoy a solid 2024 season and if he does, there's a good chance he'll be in my top 10 next year.
Projected stats: 215 carries, 1,102 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns, 34 catches, 265 receiving yards, two receiving touchdowns
And now, on to the top 10!
#10. Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
Travis Etienne Jr. #1 of the Jacksonville Jaguars slips past a defender during an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Sept 10, 2023, at Lucas Oil Stadium, in Indianapolis, IN. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Last year, when I ranked my top 10 running backs in the NFL, Travis Etienne Jr. was 10th on the list. And the 25-year-old ball carrier again kicks off my top 10 list this year.
During the 2023 NFL season, Etienne Jr. enjoyed another solid season in Jacksonville, as he rushed for 1,008 yards (his second consecutive season of rushing for 1,000-plus yards), caught 58 passes for 476 receiving yards, and scored 12 total touchdowns. Etienne Jr. is one of the few three-down backs in the league due to his incredible dual-threat ability as a runner and a pass catcher out of the backfield and he's also one of the most explosive running backs in the NFL, evidenced by the fact that last season, he hit a max of 19.62 miles per hour when crossing the line of scrimmage. Still in his prime as the top playmaker on the Trevor Lawrence-led Jaguars offence, look for Etienne Jr. to continue to make defenders look silly on the field and put up great numbers in 2024.
Projected stats: 244 carries, 1,118 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns, 50 catches, 461 receiving yards, four receiving touchdowns
#9. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
Jahmyr Gibbs #26 of the Detroit Lions stiff-arms safety Antoine Winfield #31 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and runs for a touchdown during an NFC divisional round playoff game, Sunday, Jan 21, 2024, at Ford Field, in Detroit, MI. The Lions defeated the Buccaneers, 31-23. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
When the Lions drafted Jahmyr Gibbs with the eighth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, many NFL fans and experts were surprised (even Gibbs himself was shocked when the Lions selected him that early). I even criticized the Lions and docked their selection of Gibbs after last year's draft. However, once the season began, Gibbs went on to prove me and everyone else who thought the Lions made a mistake by drafting a running back with that high of a draft pick, wrong. The former Alabama standout enjoyed an amazing rookie season in the Motor City, racking up 1,261 total yards (945 rushing, 316 receiving) while also scoring 11 total touchdowns to help the Lions reach the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1992. With a unique combination of speed, change of pace, quickness, agility, great pass-catching ability, and the ability to create explosive plays in the blink of an eye, look for the 22-year-old star to continue to put up great numbers in a high-flying Lions offence during the 2024 season as well.
Projected stats: 194 carries, 896 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns, 60 catches, 535 receiving yards, five receiving touchdowns
#8. Breece Hall, New York Jets
Breece Hall #20 of the New York Jets runs with the football during an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sept, 11, 2023, at MetLife Stadium, in East Rutherford, NJ. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
In terms of pure talent at the running back position, you could make an argument for Breece Hall being much higher on this list. Last season, despite having a bad offence around him (The Jets finished 31st in total offence), Hall had a very impressive campaign, rushing for 994 yards and 4.5 yards per rushing attempt, while also catching 76 passes for 591 receiving yards. Additionally, he got into the endzone nine times in 2023 (five rushing touchdowns, four receiving touchdowns). Furthermore, Hall showed that he can produce at an elite level regardless of the circumstances around him, as he averaged 4.3 yards per carry against a heavy box (i.e. eight or more defenders near the line of scrimmage), which ranked fifth in the NFL last season. Hall is a very efficient, powerful, and explosive running back who gives the Jets an opportunity to score on any given play when he touches the football. With an improved offensive line, and future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers returning to full health, I wouldn't be surprised if Hall leads the league in rushing during the 2024 NFL season.
Projected stats: 231 carries, 1,384 rushing yards, nine rushing touchdowns, 59 catches, 561 receiving yards, four receiving touchdowns
#7. Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers
Last year's ranking: (#5)
Josh Jacobs #8 of the Green Bay Packers participates in drills during the Green Bay Packers minicamp at Ray Nitschke Field, Tuesday, Jun 11, 2024, in Green Bay, WI. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Coming into last season, Josh Jacobs was riding high. He had finished the 2022 NFL season as the league's leading rusher, running for 1,653 yards, 4.9 yards per rushing attempt, and 12 rushing touchdowns. However, last season, Jacobs didn't quite look himself during his last season with the Las Vegas Raiders, as his production (1,653 rushing yards to 805), efficiency (4.9 yards per carry to 3.5 per carry), and scoring (12 rushing touchdowns to six) all dropped significantly in 2023. This season, though, Jacobs is in a much better position with the Packers, as he'll run behind a much better offensive line in Green Bay. Additionally, Jacobs faced the most stacked boxes among starting running backs during the 2023 NFL season, seeing an average of 7.2 defenders in the box, but this season, he'll be in a Packers offence that has a good passing attack, led by quarterback Jordan Love and a bevy of talented pass catchers, meaning that defences can't only gameplan to stop Jacobs anymore. Fresh off signing a four-year, $48 million contract with the Packers in free agency, look for the 26-year-old back to rebound big time in 2024.
Projected stats: 241 carries, 1,133 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns, 52 catches, 328 receiving yards, two receiving touchdowns
#6. Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens
Derrick Henry #22 of the Baltimore Ravens warms up before an NFL preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Friday, Aug 9, 2024, at M&T Bank Stadium, in Baltimore, MD. (Greg Flume/Getty Images)
One of the most physically gifted running backs that the NFL has ever seen, Derrick Henry finds himself on a new team as the 2024 NFL season begins. After spending his first eight seasons with the Tennessee Titans, Henry signed a two-year, $16 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens in free agency. Last season, Henry continued to produce at a high clip, as he ran for 1,167 yards (second in the NFL) and 12 touchdowns despite running behind a below-average offensive line. This season, Henry will be running behind a solid Ravens offensive line that helped the team finish as the top-ranked rushing offence in 2023. Yes, Henry is 30 years old, the age where running backs typically start to decline. But with Henry being in the same backfield as reigning MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, look for the potential future Hall of Famer to continue to run over defences this season.
Projected stats: 246 carries, 1,203 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns, 26 catches, 222 receiving yards, one receiving touchdown
#5. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Bijan Robinson #7 of the Atlanta Falcons runs with the football during an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Sept 17, 2023, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (AP Photo/Danny Karnik)
Coming into last season, the hype for Bijan Robinson was absolutely through the roof. And while the young, dynamic running back enjoyed a good rookie season (976 rushing yards, 487 receiving yards, and eight total touchdowns), he could have been even more productive had former head coach Arthur Smith given him the ball more (Robinson got more than 15 carries in just four games last season). This season, however, Robinson has a new head coach in Raheem Morris, and he said during the summer that the Falcons' offensive game plan in 2024 will heavily revolve around the 22-year-old. With a unique combination of speed, elusiveness, power, and agility, Robinson is one of the few running backs in the NFL that has zero flaws. With a new offensive coordinator in Zac Robinson (who helped the Rams finish 7th in total offence last year) and a new quarterback in Kirk Cousins (who's been selected to the Pro Bowl four times in his career), look for Bijan Robinson to continue to embarrass defenders on the football field in 2024.
Projected stats: 235 carries, 1,372 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns, 63 catches, 615 receiving yards, six receiving touchdowns
#4. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
Jonathan Taylor #28 of the Indianapolis Colts runs with the football during an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Saturday, Jan 6, 2024, at Lucas Oil Stadium, in Indianapolis, IN. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
For the last few years, Jonathan Taylor has been known as one of the best running backs in the NFL. In 2021, Taylor had an incredible season, as he rushed for 1,811 yards and 5.5 yards per carry, caught 40 passes for 360 yards, and scored 20 total touchdowns (18 rushing, two receiving). However, in the last two seasons, Taylor has struggled to stay healthy, playing only 11 games during the 2022 season and 10 games during the 2023 season. But when healthy, Taylor is still one of the most explosive running backs in the league. With him still being just 25-year-old, along with sharing a backfield with dynamic, young quarterback Anthony Richardson, I think Taylor (as long as he stays upright) will enjoy a fantastic season in 2024 and help the Colts become a top-10 offence this season.
Projected stats: 240 carries, 1,297 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, 34 catches, 276 receiving yards, two receiving touchdowns
#3. Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles warms up before an NFL preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, Friday, Aug 9, 2024, at M&T Bank Stadium, in Baltimore, MD. (Getty Images)
After spending the first six seasons of his NFL career with the New York Giants, Saquon Barkley now takes his talents to the city of Brotherly Love. During free agency, Barkley signed a three-year, $37.75 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. Last season, Barkley had a down year, rushing for just 962 yards and 3.9 yards per rushing attempt behind a below-average offensive line. However, in Philadelphia, Barkley will run behind an elite offensive line and he will also be surrounded by multiple talented players on this Eagles' offence, including All-Pro quarterback Jalen Hurts, a star wide receiver duo of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, and Pro Bowl-caliber tight end Dallas Goedert. And we can't forget that just two seasons ago in 2022, Barkley rushed for 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns while helping the Giants make the playoffs and win a playoff game. At 27 years old, look for Barkley to enjoy a monster bounce-back season in 2024.
Projected stats: 252 carries, 1,258 rushing yards, nine rushing touchdowns, 55 catches, 417 receiving yards, four receiving touchdowns
#2. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
Nick Chubb #24 of the Cleveland Browns runs with the football during an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Sept 18, 2022, at Cleveland Browns Stadium, in Cleveland, OH. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)
Before making these rankings, I debated whether to include Nick Chubb on this list. Last season, during a Week 2 matchup last season against the AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers, Chubb suffered a severe knee injury, requiring multiple surgeries. Complicating matters is that the left knee injury he suffered last year is the same knee that he had reconstructed after tearing his MCL, PCL, and LCL during his time in college with the Georgia Bulldogs back in 2015. Chubb was recently placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, meaning that he will be inactive for the first four games of the regular season. And even when he does come back, it remains to be seen how he will look when he return to the football field. However, throughout his career, Chubb has been one of the best and most efficient running backs in the NFL, rushing for over 1,000 yards in four straight seasons from 2019-2022. Even last year, in just two games played, he ran for 170 yards on only 28 carries, good enough for 6.1 yards per rushing attempt. Based on his previous body of work, he lands at number two on my running back rankings for the second straight year.
Projected stats: 138 carries, 805 rushing yards, five rushing touchdowns, 20 catches, 127 receiving yards, one receiving touchdown
#1. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
Christian McCaffrey #23 of the San Francisco 49ers warms up before an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Sept 10, 2023, at Acrisure Stadium, in Pittsburgh, PA. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)
This one wasn't a hard decision to make. For the second straight year, Christian McCaffrey takes the top spot on my top 10 running back rankings. There's absolutely nothing that McCaffrey can't do on the gridiron. Running the football? Check. The guy ran for a league-leading 1,459 rushing yards, 5.4 yards per carry, and 14 touchdowns last season. Do you want a running back who can run great routes and catch the football too? Well, guess what, "CMC" is excellent at doing that as well, coming off a season where he caught 67 passes for 564 yards and seven receiving touchdowns. Essentially, McCaffrey was absolutely unstoppable, as in total, he racked up a league-high 2,023 yards from scrimmage and scored 21 total touchdowns en route to winning the Offensive Player of the Year award. As the engine of head coach Kyle Shanahan's electric offence, I wouldn't be surprised if McCaffrey is in the MVP conversation by the time the 2024 regular season comes to an end.
Projected stats: 249 carries, 1,368 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns, 60 catches, 528 receiving yards, four receiving touchdowns
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