Updated 2025 NFL Draft Rankings: Running Backs

With the college football regular season now over and most of the tape in the books, it’s time to revisit my summer scouting rankings and update them as we turn the calendar to 2025. Much can still change with the all-star circuit and Combine yet to go, but final tape evaluations are now complete for most of these players.

We’re starting with the running backs, and fantasy football players should be excited by this class. There is a lot of high-end talent in this draft, with at least four players I’d take in the top 50 and one standout in particular. The depth is excellent, as well, with valuable players available deep into Day 3.

If you want to see how these rankings compare to how I ranked this class over the summer, check out the link below. As always, stay tuned for more 2025 draft content, as I’ll be looking to update all my position rankings before the Senior Bowl at the end of January.

Summer Scouting: Running Backs

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’s still working on a 2,497-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 5-9, 215-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 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, 208, 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.

And boy, did he ever do that. 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.

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 likely keeps him out of the Round 1 conversation, but Henderson should be a priority second-round add. A true homerun 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: Dylan Sampson, Tennessee

Surprising some by officially declaring for the draft last week, 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 reported 40-times under 4.35 and a 5-11, 190-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. But it’s rare to see a prospect with his combination of vision, agility, and breakaway speed. Sampson is a guy I’d be thrilled to draft in the second round, knowing my offense just got a lot more dynamic.

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 reported 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 separates Tuten from his fellow draft prospects. 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. 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.

For Tuten, the Senior Bowl will be an important marker for his draft stock. He’s a strong candidate to go in the top 50, but he’ll need to prove his medicals are clean to do so. As long as all that checks out, Tuten is an eye-catching prospect with immediate starter potential.

5: Omarion Hampton, North Carolina

With two of the most impressive back-to-back seasons you’ll see, Hampton is a really 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 6-1, 220, Hampton oozes athleticism. He might be the most freakishly athletic back in this class, and that shows up on the field. With reported 40-times in the 4.4 range, 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 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. Additionally, he’s a capable and willing pass blocker, giving him additional versatility.

As a receiver, Hampton has a lot to work on. He struggles to catch passes cleanly on the move, needing to slow down and secure the catch before moving upfield. Though he’s not useless as a receiver, his utility will mostly come in the screen game, rather than as a dynamic downfield threat. His pass-blocking chops give him some third-down capability, but Hampton profiles as more of a two-down NFL back at this stage.

Hampton is an impressive athlete with a rare size/speed combo. Throw in his agility and toughness, and he’s a coach’s dream. 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.

6: Nicholas Singleton, Penn State

A five-star recruit in 2022, Singleton burst onto the scene as a freshman for Penn State with over a thousand yards, winning him Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. Since then, he’s been a bit quieter, with the wealth of talent in the Nittany Lions’ backfield meaning he’s never had the volume to put up the gaudy stats of his peers. At 6-1, 226, he possesses ideal size and athleticism for the position, making Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks List” with good reason.

When I watch Singleton’s tape, two things stand out immediately. First, the combination of his vision and acceleration. He has real 4.39 speed and can get into top gear in a flash. With three years of Power 4 experience, he knows how to wait for plays to develop and hit the hole in an instant. Once in the second level, he plays with a low pad level and strong lower half, taking on contact and delivering the blows as much as taking them.

The second is how he was utilized in the Penn State offense. Singleton was targeted 90 times in 2024 with a whopping 60 of those targets coming on plays he was lined up as a wide receiver. While his route tree is still more limited than those numbers would suggest, he does demonstrate the potential for a lot more. Regardless, he’s got the hands, quick feet and vision to be exceptionally dangerous in the receiving game.

Singleton is another standout in pass protection, utilizing his bigger frame well to halt blitzers on contact. He knows how to win with leverage when running in the open field, punishing defenders who overpursue or take bad angles. As a short-yardage back, Singleton’s power and determination allow him to finish runs strong and plow through congested lines.

What holds Singleton back from being a first-round prospect is his average lateral quickness. He doesn’t possess the same wiggle as other guys in this class, meaning he doesn’t force missed tackles at the same rate as some of his peers. That does limit his ceiling in the NFL, probably preventing him from being an elite every-down back in the league. Additionally, his lack of a true workhorse role at Penn State is worth monitoring as he heads to the professional ranks.

With a well-rounded skillset ideally suited to the modern game, Singleton combines productivity and athleticism in every aspect of his game. He’s experienced and durable, with true three-down capability at the next level. I see him being the lead in a two-back system, something the NFL is gravitating towards more and more.

7: Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State

A former Ole Miss standout, Judkins was a three-star recruit from Alabama. He transferred to Ohio State this offseason, looking to use his talents to compete for a national championship, and racked up 839 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, to go with 118 receiving yards and another touchdown through the air.

At 6-0, 219, 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’ burst is, he doesn’t have the top-end speed to truly be a game-breaker in the NFL. He’s not slow by any means, he just doesn’t stand out the way others do in this class. Additionally, 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.

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. It highlights just how strong this running back class is that a player as good as Judkins is this far down the list.

8: Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State

The 2023 FBS rushing champion, Gordon had a quieter junior season for the Cowboys but still put up solid numbers. A four-star prospect in the 2022 class, Gordon made an impact as a true freshman before winning the Doak Walker Award in 2023. Though Oklahoma State struggled in 2024, Gordon was still their most consistent player.

At 6-2, 225 pounds, Gordon has a unique build. He’s a bit tall and high-waisted, which means he can struggle getting a low pad level. But his frame has its advantages, too. Defenders are often surprised by his burst and agility. He can make tacklers miss in a phone booth, often dancing in the backfield to try and salvage a busted play. When he makes his initial cut, he explodes through the hole, rapidly accelerating and hitting the second level of the defense.

Backfield vision and the patience to allow plays to develop are a big part of why Gordon is such an effective runner. He can plow through arm tackles and maintain his balance in traffic, generating extra yardage. There’s some potential here for a three-down back, as well. He needs to improve his technique, but both as a receiver and a pass blocker, he has shown flashes.

Though Gordon didn’t have the season he wanted in 2024, that shouldn’t take away from what’s a sound prospect with some real big-play ability. He can be a three-down back in the NFL, with some seasoning, and at worst projects as a solid early-down contributor. I think opinions on Gordon have reacted too strongly to the lack of elite production in his junior season, and he should have a strong case to be one of the more productive backs in this class.

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 lit the Big 10 on fire, 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 best 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 getting to the second level. Iowa’s offensive scheme utilized a lot of zone and gap schemes, and Johnson was equally effective in both.

Johnson has an uncanny ability to keep 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: 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 a bit undersized for the NFL at 5-9, 208 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.

Harvey is a player who could rise up this list in the next few months. Strong showings in the all-star circuit, as well as formal testing numbers, would make me feel better about projecting his production to translate in the NFL. I see him contributing right away as a change-of-pace back and homerun threat, but he has the potential to be much more than that. I’d categorize him as a solid third-round prospect right now, but it wouldn’t shock me if he ends up going in the top 50.

The next five

11: Jordan James, Oregon — Powerful, compact running back with twitchy athleticism and a versatile skillset. Quality production in both rushing and receiving for the best team in college football is a good sign for his NFL potential.

12: Raheim Sanders, South Carolina — Nicknamed “Rocket” for his exceptional burst and speed, Sanders is a bowling ball in the backfield. He lacks some discipline in his running style, but he’s a homerun threat with the ball in his hands and a patient, crafty runner.

13: Cam Skattebo, Arizona State — A fan-favorite who puts up his best performances on the biggest stages, Skattebo is a tough runner with an innate feel for getting the most out of every play. He’s a versatile back with the chance to produce early in his NFL career.

14: DJ Giddens, Kansas State — Patient runner with the vision and burst to punish undisciplined defenders. Giddens has true three-down potential in the NFL though his average speed may cap his potential at the next level.

15: Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech — A true three-down back with disciplined fundamentals, Brooks has proven production in all three phases of running back production. He lacks top-end speed but makes up for it in power and contact balance.