Football is officially back. After kicking off the season with the Atlanta Falcons vs Denver Broncos in the Hall of Fame Game, the NFL is returning to scheduled programming. That means 25 straight weeks of football. Fans everywhere are ready for more touchdowns, celebrations, hard hits, and everything in between. On that note, there are many players this season that have much to prove. That may be because they were traded or because they were injured. Either way, many players are returning with a vengeance.
Every year there are a plethora of comparisons made between players based on a variety of factors. But the real question always remains: who’s the best? There is always the NFL Top 100, in which, the players themselves rank each other. However, fans still aren’t satisfied. There are also rankings across many different media platforms. But now, it’s time for PerSources to rank the top players in the league. Let’s start with the top RBs. Here are the Top-20 NFL running backs part I.
#20: LeSean McCoy
2018-19 season stats: 161 carries, 514 rushing yards, 3 rushing touchdowns, 34 receptions, and 238 receiving yards.
As his numbers imply, LeSean McCoy had a very underwhelming season, putting him at the bottom of the list. The once-storied Philadelphia Eagles RB is falling off a cliff in terms of his overall production. Last season was McCoy’s worst of his nine seasons in the NFL. In terms of his salary-cap charge, he had the biggest of any RB last season at $9.05 million. However, his play didn’t correlate as he ranked 37th in rushing. McCoy is 31, which according to NFL history, means he’s headed for a decline.
He’s shown no signs of being the impactful player he once was. The Bills can arguably get through the season without his services. And, by the way this is all sounding, McCoy shouldn’t even be on the list. But, as the Bills’ second-longest tenured player, the team will look to use him. He expects to be in the same role as last year. If that ends up being the case, he needs to avoid father time.
#19: Lamar Miller
2018-19 season stats: 210 carries, 973 rushing yards, 5 rushing touchdowns, 25 receptions, 163 receiving yards, and 1 receiving touchdown.
Lamar Miller had an above-average campaign with the Texans last season. His small stature played little to no factor in terms of his overall skill. He’s a dual-threat running back with the ability to perform with the ball on the ground and in the air.
Miller notched 4.6 yards per carry last season, a career-best. With a quarterback like Deshaun Watson who’s active in running the ball, opportunities are taken away from Miller. Unlike last season, he’ll have all the snaps in the backfield that he needs due to D’Onta Foreman and Alfred Blue no longer being with the team.
The point is that Lamar Miller is the clear cut RB1 for the Houston Texans. Everything that’s happened thus far, in regards to the team’s running backs, is in Miller’s favor. He isn’t an outstanding back, but he’s good enough to be an impactful one. Expect a numbers increase for Miller, as he enters his prime years.
#18: David Johnson
2018-19 season stats: 258 carries, 940 rushing yards, 7 rushing touchdowns, 5 receptions, 446 receiving yards, and 3 receiving touchdowns.
Last season saw David Johnson return from the wrist damage he suffered in 2017. He had an above-average season but was nothing close to the David Johnson we saw in the 2016-17 season. At 27-years-old, Johnson can still be a highly impactful player for the Cardinals. After having a few disappointing seasons, he’ll now be implemented into a new-look offense.
With first overall pick Kyler Murray and new HC Kliff Kingsbury, the Cardinals are expected to shift to the highly-praised “Air Raid” offense. This gives the opportunity for Johnson to have many touches this season. And, if Arizona plays their cards right, they could bring back the elite RB they know he can be. Working with an on-the-ground threat such as Kyler Murray gives Johnson the opportunity to increase his overall production.
Kingsbury has said that Johnson will be heavily involved in the offense. That includes lining up at WR at times too. Under this direction, Johnson can return to being a top-10 RB. However, based on his performances last season, he’s ranked at #17 for now.
#17: Mark Ingram
2018-19 season stats: 138 carries, 645 rushing yards, 6 rushing touchdowns, 21 receptions, 170 receiving yards, and 1 receiving touchdown.
Mark Ingram is one of the RBs on this list with the most to prove. In New Orleans, Ingram shared snaps with Alvin Kamara. They both had their fair share of time in the spotlight which prompted them to be one of the best tandems in the NFL. However, Ingram took the route of signing with the Baltimore Ravens in the offseason, leaving him to handle the load on his own.
What’s unique about Ingram is that he’s either going to have a stellar season or a really disappointing one. There’s no in-between. What will really make Ingram’s season special is the offense he’s playing with. The Ravens, with Lamar Jackson, will run a rush-heavy offense. Although Jackson will be a primary running threat, Ingram provides a cushion for the young QB to lean on.
Ingram’s 645 rushing yards are impressive because of two factors: the fact that he shared snaps with Kamara and that he played in a prolific passing offense. Having Drew Brees as your quarterback shouldn’t mean much personally if you’re a running back. He’ll have the ball in the air which only decreases your productivity. That’s not the situation Ingram will find himself in with the Ravens.
It’s almost certain that Ingram will have more yards and touchdowns this season in this Ravens’ offense. He’s a skillful player who’s shown he can get it done with a large burden on him. Evidence of that was his 1,124 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns back in 2017 season. You can argue that Ingram should be ranked higher on this list, but he’s going to have to prove again that he can perform when the load is all on him.
#16: Adrian Peterson
2018-19 season stats: 251 carries, 1,042 rushing yards, 7 rushing touchdowns, 20 receptions, 208 receiving yards, and 1 receiving touchdown.
At 34-years-old, Adrian Peterson proved that he can still be a critical part in the offense. Even as an aging veteran, Peterson had a very improbable 1,000-yard season for the Redskins. At this point, Peterson doesn’t have any notable concerns for this upcoming season. He’s going to be a part of a puzzling Washington backfield.
Adrian Peterson was brought in to replace Derrius Guice who suffered a torn ACL. Now that the unproven Guice is returning from injury, that could mean fewer touches for Peterson. In addition, Chris Thompson is set to play a huge role in the passing game out of the backfield which can also compromise Peterson. And, to round it all out, Washington decided to draft another RB in Bryce Love. Love is currently recovering from a torn ACL of his own. The earliest he can be activated is Week 7. This means that by mid-season, the Redskins might find themselves in a situation where they have to share the wealth between four running backs.
Coming into this season, Peterson may find himself in a battle for touches. Last year, he earned his fair share, prompting him to have a breakout season which is odd to say at his age. If the Redskins can manage their running-back situation, Peterson could have an even better year.
#15: Phillip Lindsay
2018-19 season stats: 192 carries, 1,037 rushing yards, 9 rushing touchdowns, 35 receptions, 241 receiving yards, and 1 receiving touchdown.
Phillip Lindsay was a rookie stud for the Broncos last season. He’s the team’s clear-cut RB1 and should have increased productivity. Even though he shared snaps with Royce Freeman, he still put up 1,278 all-purpose yards.
The only glaring downside to Lindsay is his small stature which is the reason he went undrafted in the first place. Regardless, he ended up being the highest-rated player on the team. This year there are a handful of sophomore running back expected to take huge leaps in terms of their overall play. Phillip Lindsay is one of them.
Denver has a new head coach and a new quarterback which makes things harder for Lindsay. In this new and improved offense, Lindsay will lead the charge. This is especially true after the team had disappointing ranks including 19th in total yardage and 24th in total scoring. Long story short, Lindsay has a ways to go to be one of the best running backs in the NFL. He’s due to be a more integral part of both the running and passing games leaving him all the opportunity to grow.
#14: Derrick Henry
2018-19 season stats: 215 carries, 1,059 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, 15 receptions, and 99 receiving yards.
Derrick Henry is another back who’s been implemented into a run-dominant offense. His lineman-like build gives him a huge advantage when pounding the ball on the ground. His size and power makes him very difficult to bring down.
Henry’s goal this season has to be to stay consistent. Although he rushed for over 1,000 yards, 238 of them came on “Thursday Night Football.” Was it an impressive performance? Of course. But, in his first 12 games of the season, Henry only had 474 yards and five touchdowns. That’s unacceptable for a team who firmly believes they are contending not rebuilding.
On top of that, Henry isn’t a very elusive running back. He’s able to run through virtually anyone that approaches him, but his game seems to only revolve around that. Some of the top RBs in the league get the ball going on the ground and become receiving threats as well.
Each year Henry has been in the league, his numbers have risen. His total carries increased from 176 to 215 last season, resulting in an increase of yards from 744 to 1,059. This trend only signifies an even better 2019 for Henry. The 6’3″ back needs to add more to his game which is only going to increase his overall performance. Being #14 is the right spot for Henry. One can make the argument that he’s better than some of the players in front of him.
#13: Leonard Fournette
2018-19 season stats: 133 carries, 439 rushing yards, 5 rushing touchdowns, 22 receptions, 185 receiving yards, and 1 receiving touchdown.
This Jaguars’ RB only played eight games last season due to a hamstring injury that he couldn’t get right. It resulted in a very disappointing 2018 campaign.
When healthy, Fournette is one of the league’s most powerful, punishing backs. That’s why he’s ranked at #13. Going into 2019, Fournette is expected to be fully healthy. This means that, with his new quarterback, Nick Foles, he can truly have a breakout season. Having Blake Bortles as his quarterback had both its ups and downs for Fournette specifically. Having a Super Bowl MVP as his quarterback now, though, is that much better.
An underrated part of Fournette’s game which will be huge this year is his ability to catch out of the backfield. Jacksonville’s offensive coordinator, John DeFilippo, recognizes that fact and will look to exploit defenses through Fournette’s ability as a receiver. His career boasts 487 yards on 58 receptions, making it evident that he can perform out of the backfield despite there being room for improvement.
On top of that, he has T.J. Yeldon and Corey Grant in the backfield to push him to be greater.
#12: Chris Carson
2018-19 season stats: 247 carries, 1,151 rushing yards, 9 rushing touchdowns, 20 receptions, and 163 receiving yards.
Is #12 too high up for Chris Carson? Some may say it is. However, last season showed us that Carson is going to be a RB to be reckoned with in the future. Along with ranking fifth in the league in rushing last season, Carson also led the league in broken tackles (45).
He’s yet another sophomore RB expected to take the huge jump towards being among the league’s elite. That expectation is something that’s almost certain to fulfill itself because of the team Carson is surrounded by.
The Seattle Seahawks had the most run-heavy offense in the NFL last season. They rely heavily on their backs to get the offense going on the ground which is a joy to Chris Carson and his touches. But, as much as Carson should be expecting increased touches, he isn’t a back that’s productive as a receiver. New Bears’ RB Mike Davis led Seattle in that department, but he’s departed from the team, leaving Carson to pick up the workload.
Pete Carroll has said that Carson has as good of hands as anyone on the roster. With high-praise like that to go with last year’s breakout season, Carson has more to prove. His numbers must only go up from here. Russell Wilson being his quarterback should help that too. There isn’t much to say on Carson except to sit back and enjoy the show. This season will show us all if Carson is truly one of the league’s great backs, even with him competing with Rashaad Penny.
#11: James Conner
2018-19 season stats: 215 carries, 973 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, 55 receptions, 497 receiving yards, and 1 receiving touchdown.
James Conner is a player with an immense amount of pressure on him this season. The Steelers are without Antonio Brown and (officially) Le’Veon Bell. The question for Conner is whether or not he can fill the void that was left.
Before his week 13 injury, Conner was doing an exceptional job picking up where Bell left off. He played almost 80% of offensive snaps while having 75% off all of Pittsburgh’s rushing attempts. Even though Conner didn’t expect to start last season as the starter, he did his part where he never expected to be.
It seems to be a common trend to talk about RBs and their abilities to be receivers too. Unlike other years, this year is showing the willingness of offenses to make their RBs more than just runners. The same holds true for James Conner.
Conner had to replace Bell who sets himself apart as one of the best running backs in the game (spoiler) because of his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. Prior to last season, it had been 48 years since a Pittsburgh RB not named Le’Veon Bell recorded 400 receiving yards. Conner accomplishing that feat should mean that he has his fair share of work ahead of him.
His 2018 campaign alone was good enough for a spot just outside the top-10. The Steelers are a team that are accustomed to slinging the ball through the air to their talented receiving corps. Now that the WR core is led by JuJu Smith-Schuster (a downgrade from Brown in almost all facets except age), the Steelers may include the running game more. Conner has a lot of work ahead of him in 2019.
Wrapping it Up
These RB rankings have many factors that contribute to where each player was put. They include last year’s performance, this season’s expected growth, and whether or not they’re going through coaching changes. Some players have something to prove. Others have instant pressure placed upon them.
Who was ranked too high? Who was ranked too low? Let me know.