Final 2025 NFL Draft Rankings: Running Backs

All right fantasy footballers, now’s your time. This running back class is as strong and deep as any I can remember. There is elite talent at the top, intriguing options on Day 2, and plenty of great role guys on Day 3. If your team needs to add a running back, it’s a great year for it.

This list includes my top 20 running backs for the 2025 draft. The top 10 have full scouting reports, while the rest have shorter write-ups that still explain their strengths, weaknesses, and why I have them ranked where I do. Stay tuned for more draft content and position rankings as I continue the series, and check out the other final position rankings below:

Final Position Rankings:

• Quarterbacks
• Wide Receivers
• Tight Ends
• Interior Offensive Line
• Defensive Tackles
• Linebackers
• Safeties

1: Ashton Jeanty, Boise State

I made a bold call over the summer, going against consensus and naming Jeanty my top back heading into the season. I said he was a first-round caliber running back, despite my qualms about taking that position with premium picks, and that he’d be a borderline top-10 selection. Crazy as it sounds, I was too low on him.

Jeanty was only a three-star prospect in high school. Much of his tape came from when his family lived in Italy, and college recruiters didn’t know what to make of it. Since arriving at Boise State, he’s been nothing short of incredible. In 2023, he had 1,347 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns to go with 569 receiving yards and another five touchdowns. Jump forward a year, and he turned in a 2,601-yard, 29-touchdown rushing season. Every college football fan knows just how dominant he’s been, leading the Broncos to the No. 3 seed in the inaugural 12-team college football playoff.

I can’t say enough about how good Jeanty is. Vision, contact balance, speed, the works. A 5-8 and a half, 211-pound back, he can start and stop on a dime, hitting top speed in an instant and running away from the entire defense. Tacklers bounce off him in traffic or the open field, he runs through arm tackles without breaking stride and shrugs off all but the strongest defenders. He knows how to set up his blocks and wait for the right opportunity to burst through the hole, but he’s not a hesitant runner either. It’s the perfect blend of patience and decisiveness.

We’ll discuss other running backs who are good pass protectors, but Jeanty is better than just good. He has an advanced understanding of pass protection schemes; he can anchor against all types of blitzers and quickly diagnoses his role on a given play. As a receiver, Jeanty has soft hands and a true route tree. You can split him out wide and ask him to beat coverage defenders in man or zone.

There’s no denying just how special Jeanty’s profile is. I think he’s a better prospect than Falcons RB Bijan Robinson was two years ago coming out of Texas. He surpasses everything you could want in a running back. These kinds of prospects don’t come along very often. Any team already operating with a competent offensive infrastructure should have him at the top of their board. He’s that good.

2: TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State

There might not be a more pro-ready back in this class than Henderson. Standing at 5-10, 202, he was a five-star recruit and announced himself as one of the best backs in football through a scintillating freshman season. Injuries hampered him throughout 2022 and 2023, leading to lagging production and a return for his senior year to revitalize his draft stock. Despite splitting the Buckeyes’ backfield with another highly-touted back, Henderson put together his best campaign since 2021 as a senior. He averaged an impressive 7.0 yards per carry, with 35 total explosive plays and eight rushing touchdowns.

Henderson truly checks every box you’d want in a featured NFL running back. He accelerates quickly, hitting the hole with power and getting upfield to maximize yardage. A strong core enables his steady contact balance, using his leg drive to power through tacklers and extend plays. Every touch is a potential big play with Henderson, as he possesses the vision to create at the second level and the breakaway speed to pay it off.

By far his best traits, however, are his balance and agility. Henderson can make anyone miss, whether that’s a blitzing linebacker in the backfield or a closing safety thirty yards downfield. He barely slows down when making a cut, using his impressive body control to keep himself on track. With legitimate versatility in the receiving game, Henderson can be deployed in the slot or out wide, running true downfield routes and collecting passes with soft, secure hands. In pass protection, he displays consistent technique and the type of savviness that comes from experience. He’s an NFL-ready pass protector from day one.

That said, Henderson isn’t a perfect prospect. His extensive injury history, particularly with lower-body injuries, raises concerns about his ability to be a workhorse in the NFL. His frame limitations show up in pass protection sometimes, when larger defenders can run through him despite his best efforts. At times, he’ll work too hard chasing a big play and bounce runs outside that should be kept inside, sacrificing yards.

Reliable and explosive, every coach’s favorite combination of traits for a running back. Henderson didn’t have any drops or fumbles in 2024, highlighting the kind of player he is. His injury history could potentially keep him out of Round 1, but Henderson should be a priority second-round add. A true home-run threat every time he touches the ball, Henderson doesn’t sacrifice his fundamentals to make those plays, and that’s what makes him such a dangerous weapon.

3: Omarion Hampton, North Carolina

With two of the most impressive back-to-back seasons you’ll see, Hampton is a fun prospect. Consistent excellence — over 1,500 yards in 2023 immediately followed by over 1,600 this season with identical 5.9 yards per carry averages and 15 touchdowns apiece — is hard to come by, and Hampton did it in a mediocre Tar Heels offense. A four-star prospect coming out of high school, he was the top player in the state of North Carolina and has lived up to the hype and then some.

Standing at 6-0, 221, Hampton oozes athleticism. He might be the most freakishly athletic back in this class, and that shows up on the field. With 4.46 speed and a bruising running style, Hampton has a unique blend of size and speed. As plays open up, he hits the hole with a burst and ferocity that surprises defenders. You’re not tackling this guy on first contact, as the strength and explosive power in his lower half is exceptional. Contact balance is the name of his game — he shrugs off arm tackles with impunity.

What makes Hampton so uniquely dangerous is his vision, especially in the open field. He’s not simply a pure athlete out there; he knows what he’s doing and is creative in space. When he breaks free from the initial scrum, he has the speed to stretch the defense and is far more elusive than you’d expect for someone of his profile. Though he’s not the most prolific receiver, he has adequate hands and can catch passes on the move. Additionally, he’s a capable and willing pass blocker, giving him additional versatility.

Though Hampton shows a lot of promise as a pass blocker, his technique leaves something to be desired. His hand usage doesn’t match his frame, letting blitzers get into his chest and neutralize his advantages. As a receiver, though Hampton is fine on screens and swing passes, that’s about all he’s done in college. He doesn’t really run routes out of the backfield or have experience catching passes downfield.

Hampton is an impressive athlete with a rare size/speed combo. Throw in his agility and toughness, and he’s a coach’s dream. Aside from Jeanty, Hampton is the back with the best chance to also go in the first round, as he profiles as a true NFL workhorse. He has proven high-end production two years in a row now. He’ll fit into any offense and be a factor in the league from day one.

4: Bhayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech

A strong candidate for the all-names team, Tuten has two exceptional years of production on tape for the Hokies. Starting his career at North Carolina A&T, he transferred to Virginia Tech after his sophomore year and immediately looked the part. With a 40-time of 4.32 and over 2,000 rushing yards during his time in Blacksburg, Tuten profiles as a legitimate three-down back in the NFL.

Elite speed and acceleration are what separate Tuten from his fellow draft prospects. At 5-9, 206, he can really fly — and that speed translates to the football field in tangible ways. Whether he’s hitting an inside hole or bouncing a run to the outside, it’s difficult for defenders to get their hands on him and slow him down. Combined with exceptional contact balance, it makes him a serious offensive weapon. He can outrun defenders or plow through them, and he never slows down once he’s gotten going.

That speed translates to the receiving game, as well. He has soft hands and catches everything thrown his way, with no drops recorded in 2024. Quality vision and the requisite patience to set up his blocks make him as dangerous when thrown a screen as he is on a toss sweep or gap-pull run. He’s a powerful runner between the tackles, as well, consistently delivering blows and gaining extra yardage.

Injury concerns are the main potential pitfall for Tuten’s draft stock. He’s an exceptionally well-rounded back with several elite traits, but he’s suffered multiple injuries at Virginia Tech, including an ankle injury that clearly hampered him down the stretch of his senior year. Ball security is of concern, as well, with a number of fumbles and near-fumbles on his tape that could get him benched at the next level. He’s also a work in progress as a pass protector, as he has a bad habit of lowering his head and lunging at blitzers instead of keeping his head up and anchoring on contact.

Most evaluators have Tuten as a Day 3 pick, and that’s insane to me. He’s arguably the best athlete in this running back class, with true home-run capabilities and the speed to threaten the defense on every snap. While he’ll probably be a third- or fourth-round pick, Tuten has a chance to earn a featured role in an NFL offense early in his career.

5: Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State

A former Ole Miss standout, Judkins was a three-star recruit from Alabama. After rushing for 2,725 yards and 31 touchdowns for the Rebels, he transferred to Ohio State this offseason, looking to use his talents to compete for a national championship. On his way to achieving that goal, he racked up 1,060 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, to go with 161 receiving yards and another two touchdowns through the air.

At 6-0, 221, Judkins is built like a prototypical NFL back. He carries a lot of power with that frame, packing a real punch on contact and delivering more hits in the hole than he takes. With quick feet and good eyes, he can cut on a dime to shake tacklers at the point of attack. Best described as a one-cut runner, Judkins possesses excellent burst and acceleration to take advantage of the smallest creases in a defense.

When he gets to the second level, he runs with good pad level and contact balance, maximizing yardage between the tackles. He runs with vision and anticipation, setting up his blocks and taking smart angles to avoid defenders. Though he never had a ton of receiving production in college, he flashes potential in that department, with strong hands out of the backfield and the ability to create after the catch.

For as good as Judkins’ vision and one-cut ability is, his missed tackles forced rate is much lower than I would’ve expected. I’m not entirely sure why he isn’t better at this, but it is something to note in his profile. After impressing at Ole Miss, he looked like he didn’t care as much this past year at Ohio State, running at half-speed all season. He turned it on in the playoffs, but his tape this year just wasn’t as good as it was in the past. Judkins tested like an elite athlete at the Combine, though, boosting his stock once again.

Judkins entered the year as the top back on most evaluators’ boards. That’s no longer the case, but he shouldn’t be viewed as a major faller in this class. Everything I liked about Judkins over the summer still rings true. He’s a three-down NFL back who can anchor an offense’s rushing attack and should be a second-round pick.

6: Dylan Sampson, Tennessee

Surprising some by officially declaring for the draft, Sampson is an elite speed threat out of the backfield. Hailing from Louisiana, he was just a three-star prospect in high school and didn’t see the field much in Knoxville until his sophomore year. That season, he had 779 all-purpose yards and eight touchdowns. With the backfield all to himself in 2024, Sampson exploded onto the national scene, rushing for almost 1,500 yards to go with 22 touchdowns.

With a 5-8, 200-pound frame, speed is the name of Sampson’s game. He had 39 explosive runs his final year alone, consistently beating defensive backs to the sideline to break open huge plays. Don’t think he’s just a jitterbug, however, as Sampson displays tremendous patience and vision when running the football. He knows how to set up blocks, wait for plays to develop, and find the ideal rushing lanes before taking off. Smooth hips and quick feet give Sampson elite lateral agility, capable of making defenders miss in a phone booth and stringing together multiple moves in the open field without sacrificing speed.

Though Tennessee’s offense didn’t ask him to do this much, Sampson is an effective receiver out of the backfield. He can split out wide and has a legitimate — albeit simple — route tree from which to attack defenses. Soft hands allow him to catch passes without losing momentum, critical for gaining first downs as a check-down option or on an underneath route. Impressive contact balance, especially for his size, lets him run through arm tackles and keep his momentum moving forward.

Like most rookie running backs, Sampson will struggle in pass protection initially. He lacks the size to properly anchor against blitzing linebackers or effectively pick up stunts in more advanced pass pro schemes. Additionally, his smaller frame doesn’t make him ideally suited to short-yardage situations in the NFL. These two factors combined mean he likely won’t be an every-down back, at least not as a rookie. 

It’s rare to see a prospect with his combination of vision, agility, and breakaway speed. It highlights just how strong this running back class is that a player as good as Sampson is this far down the list. He’s a guy I’d be thrilled to draft in the second round, knowing my offense just got a lot more dynamic.

7: DJ Giddens, Kansas State

Though he arrived late to the sport of football, Giddens wasted no time making his mark at Kansas State. After playing for the first time as a high school sophomore, he walked on to his local college as a zero-star recruit and redshirted in 2021. In 2022, he had 518 rushing yards and six touchdowns in a rotational role before exploding as a sophomore in 2023. That year, he tallied 1,226 yards and 10 touchdowns, upping his game as a junior with 1,343 yards and seven touchdowns. That performance in 2024 earned him second-team All-Big 12 honors and cemented him as one of the best backs in Wildcats history.

At 6-0, 212 pounds, Giddens has an ideal NFL frame. Breaking tackles is his bread and butter, with exceptional vision and lateral agility. He can find the smallest crease in the defense and explode through it, gashing his opponents for chunks of yardage. His ability to accelerate and decelerate on a dime makes him especially dangerous in close quarters. Making defenders miss in a phone booth is a big part of Giddens’ game, and he pays it off with the feel and patience to set up his blocks and hit the hole hard.

Giddens isn’t limited to just a between-the-tackles runner, either, as he’s a weapon in the receiving game. Plenty of college receiving production proves his capabilities, and he’s a natural hands-catcher. He can run real routes and add to an offense’s versatility, and he possesses the breakaway speed to house screens and swing passes if defenses don’t lock down. That speed extends to the run game, as well, where he can bounce a run outside and outrun the defense down the sideline. Contact balance is another plus with Giddens, as he routinely bounces off defenders, and he rarely fumbles.

There are several areas of Giddens’ game he needs to continue refining. He’s a willing pass blocker, but not a terribly effective one — his base is too narrow, and he doesn’t use his hands effectively enough to keep blitzers out of his chest, letting them knock him back. As a receiver, he has a ways to go to be a consistent NFL contributor. All the tools are there and he’s flashed the skills, he just needs to be more consistent. He has a bad drop habit and runs into coverage in zones, removing himself from the play.

Aside from Tuten, Giddens might be the most underrated back in this class. He’s a hard-nosed runner with three-down NFL upside. Not only that, but he tested extremely well at the Combine, with the athleticism to not just survive but stand out in the pros. I think Giddens can become a featured NFL back and some team is going to find their future starter in him in the third or fourth round.

8: RJ Harvey, Central Florida

A fifth-year senior, Harvey put together strong back-to-back seasons, going from a late-Day 3 pick at best into a legitimate top-100 prospect. Over the last two seasons, he has 2,993 rushing yards, 505 receiving yards and 43 total touchdowns. He’s small for the NFL at 5-8, 205 pounds, but what he lacks in size he makes up for in power and explosiveness.

With a whopping 54 explosive runs in 2024 alone, Harvey packs a serious punch with the ball in his hands. No one jump-cuts like this guy does. Elite lateral agility and burst, paired with fluid hips, make him so difficult to tackle in open space. He’s excellent at combining lots of small, quick movements to generate yards in tight spaces, creating gains for the offense that otherwise wouldn’t exist. Not only that, but his excellent contact balance combined with his naturally low pad level means he can power through traffic with ease, shedding defenders in the hole and routinely getting to the second level.

Harvey is a natural home-run hitter, adding to his impressive arsenal with lightning-quick speed. Whether he’s racing to the edge or trying to outrun the defense down the sideline, he’s rarely caught from behind. Safeties and corners need to be disciplined in their lanes and take smart angles or he’ll burn them for huge chunks of yardage. He’s a threat in the passing game, as well, with soft, reliable hands and the ability to create huge plays after the catch.

The negatives for Harvey are pretty straightforward. His undersized frame shows up in short-yardage situations, where he’s simply not as efficient as he needs to be. He’s a liability in pass protection, he just doesn’t have the mass to effectively anchor against bigger defenders. On a more minor note, he can get caught chasing big plays too often, passing up sure yards in pursuit of a breakaway run.

When Harvey backed up his tape at the Combine with great speed and explosiveness testing numbers, I was sold. He’ll probably be a mid-round pick but I’d give him a second-round grade. The tape is phenomenal and he’s built to thrive in modern NFL offenses. He’ll probably contribute right away as a change-of-pace back and home-run threat, but I see him with the potential to be much more than that. Mark my words, Harvey will be a fantasy football darling in the coming years.

9: Kaleb Johnson, Iowa

Johnson is a guy I liked more and more the more tape I watched. A true junior for the Hawkeyes, Johnson set the Iowa freshman rushing record and has grown into a larger role in 2024. With 1,537 rushing yards and a whopping 21 touchdowns, he was a consensus first-team All-Big 10 selection, and his 6-0, 225-pound frame is built to succeed at the next level.

As a pure between-the-tackles runner, Johnson is among the tops in the class. His best skill is his vision — he surveys the field quickly and identifies the hole to hit. When he puts his foot in the ground, he gets north/south in an instant, getting up to top speed and reaching the second level. Iowa’s offensive scheme utilized a lot of zone and gap runs, and Johnson was equally effective in both.

Johnson has an uncanny ability to maintain his balance with defenders grabbing at his feet. He keeps his feet high as he runs through the hole or down the sideline, offering ambitious tacklers little purchase. He’s a decent receiver out of the backfield, catching passes with his hands and turning upfield quickly.

Unfortunately, Johnson lacks the top-end speed to be a significant big-play threat in the NFL. He struggles to break away from the defense in the open field. As a receiver, he runs a limited route tree, essentially only catching swing passes and screens. He’s a liability in pass pro, getting blown up by linebackers or whiffing on blitzers. Perhaps most concerningly, he lacks the burst and lateral quickness to consistently gain extra yards.

More and more NFL teams are running a two- or even three-back system, and that’s where I see Johnson fitting best in the NFL. As a two-down bruiser, Johnson will maximize the blocked yardage. He’s powerful in short-yardage and goal-line scenarios and is an effective check-down option. Simply put, while he lacks elite speed and elusiveness, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more fundamentally sound running back.

10: Cam Skattebo, Arizona State

Originally a Sacramento State transfer, Skattebo spent two years with the Hornets, where he racked up 1,892 yards and 13 touchdowns. He became an absolute workhorse in his two years with the Sun Devils, culminating in a senior season in which he ran for 1,711 yards and 21 touchdowns. That year, he was a first-team All-American and Heisman finalist, leading Arizona State to a Big 12 championship and College Football Playoff appearance. His backstory, workmanlike attitude, and unorthodox running style endeared him to college football fans, and he’s sure to win the hearts of the fans of his new NFL team as well.

The 5-9 and a half, 219-pound Skattebo is truly relentless in his running style. His greatest strength is his motor, never slowing down or giving up for any reason. He’ll play harder than you, hit harder than you, and want it more than you for four quarters. That wears on defenses over the course of a game, and Skattebo is at his best in crunch time. Elite contact balance and a naturally forward running style always let him pick up that extra yard or two, which can be back-breaking to a defense.

Skattebo didn’t do much at the Combine, but he proved his explosiveness in the jump drills. He has an absolute unit of a lower half, charging through tackles and bursting through the hole with a suddenness that catches defenses off guard. He can jump-cut in a flash and string multiple moves together in the open field, maximizing his play-to-play effectiveness. He’s a good receiver, as well, with soft hands and over 1,300 receiving yards in college.

For all his strengths, I’m just not sure how well Skattebo’s game translates to the NFL. He’s not very fast, running a lower-percentile 40 and lacking breakaway speed on tape. Throughout his Arizona State career, he was perennially banged up, leading to longevity concerns. As a pass protector, Skattebo lacks the technique to be effective against NFL blitzers. Ball security is an issue for him, and he won’t consistently threaten the edges of a defense at the next level, bringing his role into question.

I realize I’m riding the fence a bit here with this ranking of Skattebo. It’s tough to bet against this kid, but his profile doesn’t fit a clean role in the NFL. He’s almost more of a third-down and short-yardage back than a true workhorse, but his pass protection is enough of a weakness that he may not be trusted on third downs early in his career. If you need to grind out some tough yards, look no further. He has utility in the receiving game, as well. I just don’t know how many slow backs with fumbling issues and pass protection concerns make it in the NFL. But like I said, I don’t want to bet against him, and the stuff he does well, he does really well. I wouldn’t take him before Day 3, but as a fourth-round pick, he’ll be an immediate factor in your running back rotation.

The Next Ten

11 — Brashard Smith, SMU:

A four-star recruit who started his college career at Miami, Smith is a true speedster. At 5-10, 194, he’s got the build of your typical third-down receiving backs. He goes from 0-100 in a flash and is fast enough to outrun the entire defense down the sideline. He’s a great receiver and has good vision, with the quick-twitch athleticism to pay it off for huge gains. With great contact balance, particularly for his size, Smith is a weapon in multiple phases of the offense.

As is typical of backs his size, Smith struggles in pass protection, lacking the mass to really hold up against determined blitzers. Ball security was an issue for him at times in college, and he’s not as effective on the inside. He hasn’t played running back for very long, and that shows up in his inexperience with certain rushing schemes. I love Smith as an early-Day 3 change-of-pace back who can bring the lightning to someone’s thunder, and with a little more technical refinement in the intricacies of the position, he can claim an every-down role.

12 — Jordan James, Oregon:

A 5-9 and a half, 205-pound back from Nashville, James got to shine in the Ducks’ offense this season now that Bucky Irving plays for the Bucs. Explosive acceleration lets James hit holes with a purpose, breezing through them to the second level of the defense. Quick, twitchy hips let him cut with ease, leaving tacklers in his dust. Tough yards are his bread and butter, and he has the patience and contact balance to navigate traffic in interior rushing schemes. He can hit the edge and turn upfield or turn screens and swing passes into big gains as well.

For all James brings as a receiving threat, he doesn’t run much of a route tree, and his college receiving production is limited. Combined with his underwhelming pass protection abilities, it brings his three-down role into question. He doesn’t possess true breakaway speed, although he can still house long runs. If James can develop as a receiver, he could become the focal point of a rushing attack. Even if he doesn’t, I like what he brings to the table and he can lead a committee.

13 — Damien Martinez, Miami:

The 6-0, 217-pound Martinez is an athletic, bruising running back. Great contact balance and functional power lets him rip through tackles consistently, often requiring multiple defenders to take down. With great vision and patience to set up blocks and follow them for maximum yardage, he’ll be a good fit in multiple schemes and can handle more complex reads. There’s a loud explosiveness and burst to his game that lets him hit holes with ferocity and make quick jump-cuts to get through them. He has pretty decent hands to catch passes, too.

Martinez isn’t a great pass protector and he doesn’t have breakaway speed. Most of his runs are capped at the second level, but he’s better at getting there than most. He won’t make a ton of people miss, either, as he lacks the lateral agility to force tackles in close quarters. Still, he’s the kind of early-down charger that many teams like to take the main workload in their running back rotations.

14 — Raheim Sanders, South Carolina:

“Rocket” Sanders is a 6-0, 217-pound back who started his career at Arkansas. He plays with a distinctively fast, bruising running style that earned him the nickname. Quick-twitch movements make him unpredictable and tough to tackle. He’s adept at making defenders miss in a phone booth, creating extra yards where there weren’t any. His contact balance and open-field speed a major pluses in his game, and he plays with good vision behind the line of scrimmage. As a receiver, Sanders can make catches away from his body and turn upfield to maximize the damage.

While he can create yards in the box, Sanders won’t make many tacklers miss in the open field. He doesn’t play with much lateral agility, struggling to execute jukes and spins in space. As a receiver, he’s mostly limited to screens and swings, as he’s not a route runner. Ball security is a consistent problem on his tape, and could see him in the coach’s doghouse if he’s not careful. But all that said, I like Sanders quite a bit as a versatile backfield option who should see use as a rookie.

15 — LeQuint Allen, Syracuse:

A 6-0, 204-pound back from New Jersey, Allen might be the best pure receiver in this running back class. He’s a true route-runner with great hands and awareness in space, consistently settling down in soft spots in the zone or beating his man one-on-one. Though you might not expect it, he’s a great short-yardage back, with consistent red-zone production throughout his college career. Twitchy and explosive, he’s a great interior runner, setting up blocks and navigating different schemes to find his spots. He practically never fumbles, which should help him win coaches’ confidence early.

Allen’s top speed is limited, damaging his ability to create chunk plays in the open field. He’s not a good pass protector, which draws his third-down role into question. Despite his success in the red zone, he’s not much of a short-yardage threat and struggles to generate yards against stacked boxes. That said, Allen became a fan favorite after putting on a show at the Senior Bowl, and it’s easy to see why. There’s a lot to like with his tape.

16 — Jarquez Hunter, Auburn:

A four-year standout for the Tigers, Hunter is a 5-9, 204-pound back with some juice to him. An instinctive runner, Hunter possesses the vision and explosiveness to fly through any opening his blocking scheme affords him. Elite short-area agility and lateral quickness let him maximize every opening and he’s rarely brought down by the first guy. Once he’s in the open field, it’s a track meet, and defenders have a tough time bringing him down. He has surprisingly great contact balance through traffic, as well, fighting well for extra yards.

Hunter’s ability in the passing game is limited, which makes him a tough projection at his size. He’s an inexperienced pass protector who lacks the size or technique to be effective. Though he’s a reliable receiver, he doesn’t have much production in that phase, and he doesn’t do much more than catch dump-offs. Hunter is a small early-down rusher, but his speed and power at that size make him dangerous nonetheless.

17 — Trevor Etienne, Georgia:

Younger brother of Jaguars RB Travis Etienne and a former Florida Gator, Trevor is 5-9, 198, and plays a different brand of football than his brother. Excellent vision and burst are the hallmarks of Etienne’s game, with superb lateral agility to cut through any hole presented to him. He makes people miss with ease, keeping his momentum without having to decelerate much to make a cut. Soft hands and decent route-running ability make him a weapon in the passing game, and he’s a solid pass protector as well, particularly for his size.

Contact balance isn’t Etienne’s strong suit, and it’s a little too easy for the first defender to get him to the ground. Operating in traffic is tough for him, and he’s not someone you want in short-yardage or goal-line scenarios. His production always lagged behind his apparent skill, which doesn’t build confidence in his ability to produce in the NFL. But as a receiving back, Etienne offers upside in the middle rounds.

18 — Kyle Monangai, Rutgers:

Tough and reliable are the best descriptors for Monangai. The 5-8, 211-pound bruiser is built to grind out tough yards. His contact balance is among the best in the class, burrowing through potential tackles to gain extra yards. He can cut well, creating advantages for himself in the backfield and avoiding negative plays. With the patience to wait for blocks to develop and the leg drive to power through small spaces, Monangai is perfectly suited to be a short-yardage back. He’s never fumbled in his college career, adding to his value to NFL teams.

Monangai isn’t terribly athletic, and he’s not fast. He struggles to create separation in the open field or make people miss after his initial cut. He’s not a receiver or much of a pass protector, limiting his role at the next level. Though he projects as a backup early-down back, Monangai will endear himself to coaches through his work ethic and grit, and should have no problem finding a role on his drafting team.

19 — Marcus Yarns, Delaware:

A five-year contributor for the Blue Hens, Yarns is a bit of a sleeper in this class. Checking in at 5-11, 193 pounds, he’s got great burst and acceleration with the ball in his hands. Once he’s made his cut, he’s done, breaking through the defense for huge gains. Great hands out of the backfield make him a great asset in the receiving game when paired with that speed, and the guy never fumbles. With the patience and vision to set up blocks and find the right openings, Yarns is a true home-run threat out of the backfield.

While Yarns can shrug off arm tackles, he doesn’t have the best contact balance, often going down in traffic. He’s not much of a pass protector, bringing his third-down role into question. Lateral agility isn’t a big part of his game, and his limited hip flexibility makes it tough for him to shake guys in the open field. I like Yarns as a high-upside play in the later rounds, and if he can clean up one or two of these weaknesses, there’s a world where he’s featured heavily in a running back rotation.

20 — Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech:

A Texas native, Brooks had a stretch of 11 consecutive 100-yard rushing games as a senior. At 5-9, 214, he’s yet another short back in this class. That smaller frame gives him exceptional leverage, however, and plays into his plus contact balance. He powers through defenders regularly for extra yards, churning out critical conversions. Light on his feet and with great vision, Brooks cuts well and keeps defenders guessing. He gets upfield with urgency when he picks a hole, maximizing his gains. In the passing game, he’s a reliable receiver and good pass blocker, adding to his utility.

Brooks isn’t very fast, and he seems like he knows it. There are plenty of examples on tape of him not trusting his speed and taking less advantageous routes or shying away from open space, seemingly afraid of being caught from behind. He’s a limited route runner with room to grow there, and there are times on film where he seems to hesitate in the backfield, leading to negative plays. I want to trust Brooks as a prospect more than I do, but I think he has a better chance of sticking in the league than a few names ahead of him in these rankings.