But he still can hurt you out of the backfield, at times, as much as any running back in the league. Vaughn played just 39 special teams snaps last season. Troymaine Pope. What Kamara gives the Saints as a receiver is very difficult to replace. Tony Jones Folks get hung up on statistics and focus more than they should on the pass catching aspect. section: | slug: nfl-jersey-numbers-heres-a-running-list-of-players-who-have-decided-to-make-a-switch-beginning-in-2021 | sport: football | route: article_single.us | Its imperative to note that we havent seen enough from the rookies slated to see action this year. Allen made huge jumps in his on-field production, confidence and command of the offense last season. He very well could be the starter in 2021. Michael Carter led film session with running backs as RB coach Taylor Embree and wife welcomed baby . His power is perfect complement to Williams' speed. It is important to note that Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers will not be on the list, as he tore his Achilles and will not play this coming season. 6. DAndre Swift, Detroit Lions Qadree Ollison Unfortunately for Barkley, since playing in all 16 games during his rookie year in 2018, hes had some trouble staying on the field. Fournette had an attitude change after his chatRead more . The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. At 28 years old, Davis will be entering an NFL season as a teams feature back for the first time in his career. I would take our 3rd guy (Gio) and likely 2nd guy (Fournette or Rojo) over any other teams backups. By all accounts, Elliott has looked great during training camp. They did. The sky is the limit for Jones as the clear No. Jacobs is a skilled runner in space, losing very little speed through his breaks. 11. Carolina was held below 100 yards rushing seven times last season and went 2-5 in those contests. //]]> Roland Frederickson Koy Sayers Anderson Butler Osborn Tucker Willard Kurek Edwards Garrison Grabowski Granger Reeves Reed Harraway Farr Lindsey Baker Cunningham Hull Jones Ellison Shy Explore Who had the best record against the spread last season? 50 percent of the Panthers offensive plays went through him the prior season and when a player starts getting injuries from overuse, they generally don stop or go away. Though his days as an elite runner may be behind him, Zekes durability and well-rounded ability were on display in 2020. Hes recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and combined for 25 rushing touchdowns the past two seasons. Odds & lines subject to change. 4. He had a brief fumbling problem but is consistent. In 2020, it looks a little different as Todd Gurley and David Johnson are no longer in the division. South Florida: Johnson, David: New Orleans Saints: Northern Iowa . Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals It's that time of year again, when NFL players cast their votes to identify the best in the league heading into the 2022 NFL season. The NFC West has a number of talented running backs. He caught just 28 passes for 197 yards and failed to score a touchdown through the air. Expect him to be an even bigger part of Tampa Bay's . 2021 Fantasy Tight End Depth Charts: NFC South, Free Agent Tight End Predictions for 2023, Superflex Dynasty Rankings: 2023 Offseason Update, Dynasty Football Rankings: 2023 Offseason Update, Free Agent Wide Receiver Predictions for 2023. James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars Give him 325 carries and he'll give you 1,500 yards. Oct 6, 2019; New Orleans, LA, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones (27) runs the ball against New Orleans Saints defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (22) in the second quarter at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Jan 5, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) runs the ball for a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings during the second quarter of a NFC Wild Card playoff football game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. KeShawn Vaughn But it remains to be seen, after he's missed time each of the last two seasons, if Freeman can stay on the field. The 2019 NFL MVP is a nightmare for defenses as a phenomenal rusher and improving passer, and we should see him make a leap in the passing game with more weapons around him in 2021. McCaffrey only played three games last season, and his loss was felt more acutely in the pass game than the run game. He also has quads you should google right at this moment. Where do the two Arizona Cardinals lead backs in James Conner and Chase Edmonds . 16. Its for this reason that my favorite strategy is to draft a running back with my first 4 picksregardless of league style (redraft, dynasty, etc.). Even with an injury-shortened season, McCaffrey has recorded 3,145 rushing yards, 29 rushing touchdowns, 2,672 receiving yards, and 16 receiving touchdowns in just four years. Despite splitting carries in the Packers backfield, Aaron Jones easily lands on any list of top running backs in the NFL. 7. Chase Edmonds, Arizona Cardinals Its taken him a couple seasons, but hes our best pure runner. To go from barely average regular season play to elite in the playoffs was one of the weirdest things Ive seen in my time watching football. Bernard is easily the most reliable back on the roster thanks to his sure hands and pass protection skills, which should be a huge boost to the Bucs in passing situations. Fantrax was one of the fastest-growing fantasy sites of 2020, and were not stopping now. Alvin Kamara and Christian McCaffrey have been stars . Atlanta also drafted Qadree Ollison and Marcus Green, further bolstering their depth. The Panthers' overall rushing production dropped in 2019 because of the loss of QB Cam Newton and an offensive line that struggled. NFL Network's 'Top 100 Players of 2022' has been unveiled. Hubbard was a solid mid round choice and could prove to be a capable #2but hes just that right now: an unproven mid-round rookiebasically their version of KeShawn Vaughn last season. Needing to replenish depth, the Cowboys should look into free agent defensive lineman Arden Key. 14. 25. LB Von Miller, . He hauled in 33 receptions out of the backfield and scored 5 more touchdowns on the ground than his rookie season. Alright, let's get into who is set to sport a new number! And you nailed it, RoJo comes back every year improved. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts The addition of Cam Akers shows the Rams arent sure they can count on Henderson as more than a committee running back. He tallied 7.5 sacks, 12 QB hits, 10 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles for Washington's top-five unit last season. NFC South. The Buccaneers had the worst rushing attack in the division last year, averaging 95.2 yards per game, which were the fourth-fewest among all NFL teams. Rodney Smith His greatest attribute might be his ability to make defenders miss. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports. GO HEAD, @saquon!159 Total Yards, 2 Touchdowns, and a souvenir for a fan in the 1st half! He was a mere 4 yards away from 1,000 yards in his rookie season, but more impressively, has averaged 5.2 yards per carry for his entire career. Carolina Panthers. 8 overall draft pick, assets required to get better fast. 3. Kamara gained 1,592 combined yards last season and scored 18 touchdowns. A year without Drew Brees will ultimately be the telling chapter of Kamaras career. The 27-year-old Fournette is a 6-foot and 228-Lb. Darius Clark However, he has yet to play a full 16 games for the Vikings and has missed 23 career games in his first four seasons with a variety of injuries. An elusive rusher, Hunt is perhaps even better through the air and after the catch. Jul 18, 2020 12:41 PM EDT. It's not far-fetched to think the best two receiving backs in the league reside in the NFC South. Alvin Kamara We are looking at overall depth right not starters? They also look for improved play from their young offensive line to establish their running game and have a more balanced offensive attack. Davis finished the year with career highs in snaps, carries (165), yards (642), touchdowns (six) catches (59), receiving yards (373) and receiving touchdowns (two). 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, at His importance to the Panthers' offense can't be overstated. Chubb is no stranger to big plays and has scored 30 total touchdowns in just three seasons. Matt Brown. Not bad for a guy who has bounced around the league for six seasons. Damien Harris, New England Patriots He really found his groove as the complement to Nick Chubb in Cleveland a season ago, rushing for 921 yards and 9 touchdowns. Sign up for the 2021 NFL preseason Week 1: What we learned about each NFC team, 2021 NFL preseason Week 1: What we learned about each AFC team, NFL player cuts tracker: Team-by-team roster moves, NFL's 30 best players over 30 entering 2021 season. New Orleans Saints defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) and defensive end Carl Granderson (96) defends on the play at Bank of America Stadium. Pro Football Network strives to passionately deliver purposeful, captivating, and exceptional football content. I tend to avoid taking either of them, but you cant deny there will be weeks that one of them will win you matchups. During Barkleys last extended action in 2019, he was able to have an extremely productive season despite being a part of one of the worst offenses in the NFL. Cooks 2019-2020 stretch is among the best two-year stretch of RB performance weve seen in recent memory. The third-round pick had a very productive rookie year in 2020, rushing for 795 yards and scoring an extremely . Dillon is waiting in the wings in the Green Bay running backs room. The running back appears to be in great shape, revealing during the Hall of Fame Game last week that he has lost 10lbs in preparation for the upcoming season. His value to this offense can't be matched. But I think he's going to be the primary ball carrier in an offense that runs often. Something went wrong. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs Its fair to question if this drop in pass-catching production was more due to the instability and poor play at the quarterback position rather than Sanders individual production. . 32. Edmonds will be the unquestioned No. Mikey Daniel Where do the two Arizona Cardinals lead backs in James Conner and Chase Edmonds rank? Love they guys commitment and work ethic. CMC is absolutely this years RB1. His downfield passing improved immensely in 2020, when he completed 26 passes of 20-plus yards, per Next Gen Stats, while also continuing to be a threat in the run game, with at least eight rushing TDs in each of his first three seasons. While Mike Davis played well in McCaffrey's absence last season, no one can really replace CMC. He has terrific vision, amazing balance, incredible speed, and plenty of elusiveness. Continuing my NFC South position group rankings, I've dug into each team's current crop of running backs to determine how they stack up. Like, in terms of entire unit, I cant in good faith grade the Panthers #1. Since 2019, he's posted a 24-6 regular-season record as a starter and helped the Ravens to three straight postseasons, including his first playoff victory last January. It seems like Tony Pollard will be with the Cowboys at least through 2023. The crazy thing is, it feels as if Mahomes is just getting started. Say what?! Hell turn a routine carry into a long touchdown within the simplest crease in the offensive line. You can almost guarantee a youngster will step up this season that isnt on our preseason list of top running backs. Would love your thoughts, please comment.