Day: August 16, 2020

Top 48 RB’s of 2020

Each Player’s Potential Outlook

Before beginning this list, Damien Williams of the Kansas City Chiefs should be mentioned. Ordinarily, Williams would be ranked pretty high on this list (the Super Bowl Champion would be higher on this list than his counterpart Clyde Edwards–Helaire under normal circumstances). Williams has made the decision to opt out of the 2020 season, and he has chosen to publicly share the reason – being that his mother was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer.

It’s an amazing story that Damien Williams came into the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma in 2014 and has ultimately risen to become a Super Bowl champion. He played his first four seasons with the Miami Dolphins before signing as a free agent again with Kansas City on March 22, 2018, where his role would unexpectedly increase after the abrupt release of Kareem Hunt. Williams has never been a high–volume back in the NFL, but he experienced his best season with the most productivity of his 6-year career in 2019 with 498 rushing yards.

Williams also experienced some adversity before he entered the NFL. He was originally expected to play college football at Arizona State but failed to meet the ACT test score requirement. As a result, he played football at Arizona Western College before transferring to Oklahoma and 2012. Williams rushed for about 1500 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns in two seasons at Oklahoma before going to the NFL as an undrafted free agent.

  1. Ito Smith, Atlanta Falcons

The 2018 fourth round pick out of Southern Mississippi had a more productive rookie season than year two, however it might be reasonable to assume that a heavier workload will be placed on him in his third year given that Todd Gurley is clearly not the same back given the arthritis in his knees. Gurley mentioned that this was starting to become an issue right around the time of Super Bowl LIII, and as a result one could tell he looked a step slower in 2019. Because of this, the Rams decided his production was not worth quite as much as they committed to paying him a couple of years prior, so Gurley was released.

This might mean a significantly heavier workload for Smith, who had a very solid amount of production each of his four years at Mississippi State.

  1. Rex Burkhead, New England Patriots

the 2013 sixth round draft choice is very versatile, and that is most likely what Bill Belichick likes so much about him. Burkhead was used more often as a wide receiver in his first four years in Cincinnati, but he is also a very capable runner, blocker in pass protection, and he can even be used as an effective special teamer. He is somewhat reminiscent of Kevin Faulk – New England’s smaller and more versatile presence in the backfield from 1999 – 2011 with whom the Patriots won their first three Super Bowl championships.

Burkhead signed with New England as a free agent in March 2017 where proved his value more simply because he was used more. The Bengals were somewhat unsure of how exactly to best utilize a talent like that who was so versatile. Fortunately, Burkhead’s versatility as a runner, receiver, blocker, and special teamer plays directly into coach Belichick’s scheme and how he wants to manipulate defenses.

Burkhead had a tough time getting on the field during his first two years at Nebraska because of the fact that there was a talented upper classman already starting at running back. However, once he did he get on the field he didn’t disappoint. Burkhead rushed for well over 1000 yards as a junior in 2011. He was unfortunately injured a couple of times during his senior season at Nebraska in 2012 but made the most of his time on the field – rushing for over 600 yards and averaging almost 7 yards per carry.

  1. Zack Moss, Buffalo Bills

Moss is coming into Buffalo as a third-round draft choice in 2020 out of Utah. He will be splitting carries with Devin Singletary and served as the number two back in Buffalo. He will be replacing Frank Gore’s role for the Bills, so his production could be expected to be similar to what Gore’s was in 2019 (588 rushing yards).

The previously mentioned Singletary was originally expected to be the backup to Frank Gore going into the 2019 season but was simply too talented to ignore after about 8 games.

Moss had an extremely successful college career at the University of Utah, becoming the first running back in school history to have three 1000-yard seasons. He is also an all-time leader in carries and rushing yards at Utah (touchdowns as well).

  1. Dion Lewis, New York Giants

The veteran running back will serve as the second stringer to Saquon Barkley in 2020. He will be going into year 10 as an NFL running back, playing in games for his fourth team. He is recognized most for his time with the New England Patriots because that’s the only team he has won a Super Bowl with (Super Bowl LI against Atlanta).

Lewis was drafted in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. Prior to that, he had an excellent college career at Pittsburgh, where Lewis had an incredible freshman season in 2009 with 1799 rushing yards – the University of Pittsburgh was very fortunate to have Dion Lewis right after LeSean McCoy left. Lewis struggled a little more in his redshirt sophomore season at Pittsburgh in 2010, but still managed to rush for over 1000 yards in his final collegiate season before leaving for the NFL.

  1. Frank Gore, New York Jets

Gore is very familiar with the AFC East because this is his third team in the division he has played for (he has also spent time in Miami and Buffalo just last year). This will give Gore somewhat of an advantage because he is so familiar with each teams’ tendencies.

Gore’s resume speaks for itself because he is ranked no. 3 on the all-time rushing list behind only Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton. He spent his first 10 years in the NFL – after being drafted in the third round in 2005 out of Miami (FL), where he did win a National Championship in 2001 – with the San Francisco 49ers, becoming the franchise’s all-time leading rusher and playing in Super Bowl XLVII against Baltimore (the 49ers lost).

Gore did most of his damage in the NFL with San Francisco – rushing for eight of his nine 1000-yard seasons, but proves he had plenty in the tank for three solid seasons in Indianapolis with the Colts – from 2015 – 2017. As mentioned earlier, Gore has spent the last two seasons in the AFC East – one with his hometown Miami Dolphins and he spent 2019 with the Buffalo Bills. He will begin the 2020 season, year 16 for Gore which is unheard of for an NFL running back, for the third consecutive year with a new team learning a new system, but this time it will be the New York Jets – same division, so there is familiarity there.

  1. Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys

Pollard was drafted in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL draft to be a backup running back for Ezekiel Elliott. He turned out to be way more talented than the Cowboys were anticipating, so Dallas gave him a heavier workload as a result. Elliott will still be the starter for the Cowboys, however Pollard might see a little more playing time in 2020 given that he rushed for over 450 yards in his rookie season when Dallas intended to only use him a couple of times per game to give Ezekiel Elliott some rest periodically – he turned out to be way better which is always a good thing.

The 2019 fourth-round draft selection out of Memphis could cause a bit of controversy among RB’s in 2020 as far as the timeshare in the backfield between he and Zeke. Pollard was used as a hybrid running back/wide receiver/kickoff returner in college at Memphis (he was most effective as a kickoff returner – leading the FBS in yards per return as a sophomore and being named American Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Year as a Freshman and Sophomore. Pollard additionally tied an FBS record with 7 kick-return touchdowns in his three seasons at Memphis).

  1. Bo Scarbrough, Detroit Lions

When Scarbrough started taking some carries at Alabama in 2016 to make up for the loss of Derrick Henry, it would have been reasonable for one to think “that guy looks like another version of the Heisman Trophy winner from last year.”

It was somewhat surprising to see that it took until the seventh round for anyone to muster up the competence to take Scarbrough in the 2018 NFL draft. While he still has not found an official home yet, the team he does wind up staying with could be coming away with a steal. The one game in which he played nearly all of it – he looked great, running over defenders with his 235-pound body on Thanksgiving Day 2019 against the Chicago Bears.

  1. D’Andre Swift, Detroit Lions

The only reason Swift is so low on this list is because 2020 might be a tough year for rookies in general with him having to learn an entirely new system in a completely unfamiliar environment – on a computer screen. So he would be higher if this list was purely based on talent alone, but he might struggle a little bit familiarizing himself with the playbook.

Swift’s most impressive season at Georgia came in his freshman season in 2017 when he rushed for almost 600 yards even with two other future NFL running backs in front of him – Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. He followed that with two consecutive 1000-yard seasons – always impressive in the SEC, a conference with an abundant amount of NFL defenders.

  1. Alexander Mattison, Minnesota Vikings

Mattison was drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft out of Boise State, where he rushed for over 1000 yards in two of his three seasons. Mattison was known for being extremely durable during his time at Boise State, never missing a game (although he did need offseason surgery on two different body parts. After college, his reasoning for coming out early was “you can only play as long as your body lets you, and at this position, you can’t assume it’ll last forever.” That’s a hard statement to argue with.

Mattison was in a similar boat to Tony Pollard in 2019, in which he was the backup to one of the top running backs in the NFL in Dalvin Cook. Mattison and Pollard both produced eerily similar numbers in 2019 in terms of rushing yards (462 to 455).

  1. James White, New England Patriots

White’s college career was inconsistent at Wisconsin only because he was balancing carries with multiple other future NFL running backs; however he still managed to record to 1000-yard seasons – in his freshman year in 2010 and his senior year in 2013.

When White was drafted by the Patriots in round 4 of the 2014 NFL draft – most likely due to the versatility Bill Belichick envisioned he could provide – he was not used very much in his rookie season. White was gradually integrated into the Patriots offense each year after that, peaking in productivity in terms of rushing in 2018. He has always been used as more of a threat as a receiver being a runner. However, over half of his yards come from scrimmage since entering the NFL that came in the passing game.

White was Tom Brady’s second most trusted target in 2019 next to Julian Edelman. His role will not change much as he will do the same task for Cam Newton in 2020 – serving as somewhat of a security blanket.

  1. Latavius Murray, New Orleans Saints

Murray will be entering his eighth NFL season in 2020, and his second with New Orleans. He rushed for 637 yards in 2019, which is excellent for a second string running back who served as the backup to a top running back in Alvin Kamara.

Murray was a sixth-round draft choice in 2013 to the Oakland Raiders. His best season with the Raiders came in 2015 when he showed his talents in the only 1000-yard season of his career. Murray’s second-best season as a pro came in 2017 with the Minnesota Vikings when he rushed for 842 yards.

Murray’s college career was finished the right way with an excellent senior season in 2012 at UCF in which he rushed for over 1000 yards; however, his NFL career was postponed because of an injury he suffered before the start of his rookie season with the Oakland Raiders, so he was placed on injured reserve for the entirety of the 2013 season.

  1. Todd Gurley II, Atlanta Falcons

Gurley was slightly slower in 2019 as opposed to his first four years in the NFL, but there was not a drastic difference. It is a very common occurrence for running backs to develop arthritis in their knees at some point during their careers. It began for Gurley towards the end of the 2018 season.

He did produce his lowest totals in terms of carries and yards (223 attempts, 857 yards) after producing well over 1000 yards each of the previous two seasons. However, this number was not drastically low; Gurley is still a very productive and capable of running back. He just needs the right amount of opportunities; he also has plenty of mileage left on his tires, since he will be going into just his sixth season.

  1. Tarik Cohen, Chicago Bears

Cohen was a fourth-round draft pick in 2017 out of North Carolina A&T – where he produced four consecutive 1000-yard seasons. He has had a somewhat up-and-down first three years in the NFL, with his best season coming in 2018, when he rushed for 444 yards and was named First-Team All-Pro (primarily as a returner).

The Chicago Bears are still figuring out how exactly to integrate Cohen into the offense, but once they do he could turn out to be a Darren Sproles threat who can do a little bit of everything as all-purpose back (even if Cohen’s career has half the longevity as that of Sproles it will prove to be a wise investment on the part of the Chicago Bears.

  1. Matt Breida, Miami Dolphins

Breida most likely caught the eyes of NFL scouts because he had such a high yards per carry average in his sophomore and junior seasons in college at Georgia Southern (8.7 and 7.9). This may have been the reason he was invited to camp for the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2017 out of Georgia Southern. His best season in the NFL came in 2018, when Breida rushed for over 800 yards.

He was traded to the Miami Dolphins during the 2020 NFL draft just a couple months after signing a restrictive free-agent tender with San Francisco. He will be thrust into a backfield this season to alternate carries with Jordan Howard, who is also new in Miami.

  1. Tevin Coleman, San Francisco 49ers

It appears that Coleman will be the number two running back for the 49ers in 2020 because Raheem Mostert has officially taken over the primary duties in the backfield. However, Coleman is still an integral part of the 49ers backfield, compiling 544 rushing yards in 2019.

Coleman will be entering his sixth NFL season in 2020. His draft stock rose so much to the point where he was drafted in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft because Coleman rushed for over 2000 yards in 2014 at Indiana. His most productive season in the NFL came in 2018 when he totaled 800 rushing yards.

  1. Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles

Sanders amassed a solid rookie season in 2019, rushing for over 800 yards and 500 yards receiving. He was drafted in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft out of Penn State. He would have been a Starter for all three years in college but sat behind Saquon Barkley during his first two years at Penn State.

When Sanders did get the opportunity to shine, he did just that by rushing for over 1200 yards (which was obviously good enough to get him drafted in the second round to the Philadelphia Eagles).

  1. Adrian Peterson, Washington Football Team

Adrian Peterson has earned a major amount of respect after being drafted seventh overall by the Minnesota Vikings in 2007, after finishing as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in his freshman season at Oklahoma in 2004. Peterson ranks number five on the all-time rushing list, amassing 8 1000-yard seasons in his career.

His best season came in 2012 with Minnesota when he won the NFL MVP award and rushed for 2097 yards and came within last stand 10 yards of breaking Eric Dickerson’s record for most ever in a single season. Peterson’s production has not been quite as consistent as someone like Frank Gore – as there have been a few dismal years where he did next to nothing – but Peterson’s greatness needs to be appreciated and enjoyed while we still have it.

Peterson rushed for over 800 yards in 2019 and might be in for even more work with the recent release of Derrius Guice in 2020. His most impressive accomplishments, however, might be having earned First-Team All-Pro honors on four occasions and Second-Team All-Pro three times; that strikes me as being more impressive than the seven Pro Bowls because those honors are only given to the very best NFL players of the previous season by the Associated Press.

  1. Kenyan Drake, Arizona Cardinals

Drake was drafted in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins, where he had moderate success until he was traded to the Arizona Cardinals in October 2019, where he rushed for 643 yards and 8 touchdowns in just 8 games. 2020 is looking to be a productive season for Drake after the Cardinals organization placed the transition tag on the fourth year running back in March.

Who can forget the Miracle in Miami in week 14 of the 2018 season when the Miami Dolphins defeated the New England Patriots on the final play of the game with seven seconds remaining? Quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw a pass over the middle of the field to Kenny Stills who threw a lateral pass to DeVante Parker – who then lateraled back to Kenyan Drake, who ran 52 yards to seal the victory for the Dolphins. Essentially, the reason anyone watches sports is for indelible memories like that which remind us that the human spirit is capable of virtually anything.

Drake was a backup running back for most of his time at Alabama, serving as the backup to Eddie Lacy, T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry. Drake won a CFP National Championship with Alabama in January 2016 (celebrating the 2015 season)

  1. Jordan Howard, Miami Dolphins

Howard’s most successful season in the NFL came during his rookie season in 2016, in which he rushed for over 1300 yards with the Chicago Bears. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL draft out of Indiana.

Howard played his first two years in college at UAB but transferred to Indiana in 2015 after UAB shut down its football program (which has since returned). Howard made a smart decision to transfer to Indiana because they had an opening given that Tevin Coleman had just left for the NFL. Howard took full advantage of the opportunity, rushing for over 1200 yards in one season at Indiana.

Jordan Howard should be able to have a productive 2020 campaign, as he is probably slightly more talented than fellow backfield mate Matt Breida.

  1. LeSean McCoy, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – McCoy has accounted for an amazing 11 years and counting in the NFL, accumulating six 1000-yard seasons (2010 – 2011, 2013 – 2014 with the Philadelphia Eagles, 2016 – 2017 with the Buffalo Bills). Shady is ranked number 22 in rushing all-time – less than 200 yards behind Corey Dillon for 20th and is ranked third, on active players.

The Super Bowl LIV Champion, two-time First-Team All-Pro (2011, 2013) and Philadelphia Eagles all-time leading rusher preceded Dion Lewis at the University of Pittsburgh, where he had two incredible seasons in 2007 – 2008 and was recruited by legendary coach Dave Wannstedt.

McCoy will serve as the change-of-pace back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020, with Ronald Jones II carrying the load in the backfield. Tom Brady has found receiving running backs very helpful in the past (just ask James White), and a veteran presence like McCoy in that role might give Brady a certain comfort level.

  1. Ronald Jones II, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jones had a forgettable rookie season in the NFL in 2018, with fewer than 100 rushing yards. He turned it around in 2019 due to the fact that he received more opportunities. He took over duties in the backfield towards the end of the season, as Peyton Barber was the number one running back for the Buccaneers (he is with Washington in 2020). Ronald Jones accumulated 724 yards rushing along with 6 touchdowns in 2019, and he should be in for an even heavier workload in 2020, as head coach Bruce Arians has publicly talked about how much he will be leaned on to be the primary running back for the Buccaneers.

Tampa Bay’s primary strength of their offense will be their passing game – with new QB – and the G.O.A.T. – Tom Brady, and a top wide receiving duo in the NFL in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, along with tight end O.J. Howard and Rob Gronkowski who might primarily be used as a red zone target.

Back to Ronald Jones – his college career at USC progressed very nicely, and he improved each of his three seasons (2015 – 2017). His career at USC was capped off when he rushed for over 1500 yards in 2017. It was a positive scenario that there was no other great running back at USC during that time to beat Jones out for the starting job. It was somewhat unfortunate, however, that he played for two different head coaches in Steve Sarkisian and Clay Helton – USC was not a powerhouse during these years because of inconsistency at quarterback.

  1. J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens – 2020 is all about redemption for the Ravens, having been knocked out of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2018 and the Tennessee Titans in 2019 in their first two seasons under Lamar Jackson at quarterback. The entire team, including the 2019 MVP, will be more motivated than ever to reach the promised land after failing twice and being embarrassed both times by not even winning a playoff game.

Dobbins may not have been a part of those two failures (he was busy compiling three 1000-yard seasons at Ohio State – including 2003 yards in 2019), but he will still be asked to buy into the concept that the Ravens are attempting to redeem themselves in 2020. Dobbins was drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft. Speaking of Ohio State, the Big Ten Conference – specifically the presidents of the universities – have elected to postpone the 2020 college football season until at least January 2021 – massive loss for college football. No Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, or Penn State.

  1. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs – This guy doesn’t have a lot of the natural gifts that a lot of other running backs possess, but he simply has an innate feel for the game of football. He doesn’t run a particularly fast 40-yard dash – 4.6 s – and he is not a huge guy at only 5 ft 7, but he has great vision and is a very instinctual player.

Edwards-Helaire is coming into a nearly perfect situation. His team just won the Super Bowl, has the best quarterback in the NFL by far in Patrick Mahomes, and his exact skillset might be the only thing the Chiefs were missing. Edwards-Helaire should be able to fit into Kansas City’s offensive scheme relatively easily as a receiving running back who is also very capable of running the ball. He is somewhat reminiscent of Maurice Jones-Drew, who retired from the NFL in 2014 and now works for the NFL Network.

He made his name in his junior season at LSU in 2019 by rushing for over 1400 yards and racking up 453 yards receiving on 55 catches in the Tigers’ National Championship season. Because of his incredible 2019, he was drafted with the final pick in the first round by the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

  1. Devin Singletary, Buffalo Bills – Singletary might be utilized more heavily in the Buffalo Bills backfield after producing 775 yards in 2019. What stands out most from his rookie season is his 5.1 yards per carry average, so when he does touch the football Singletary makes the most of the opportunity. Frank Gore will not be in the backfield, so the load will fall on Singletary and rookie Zack Moss in 2020.

Singletary rushed for well over 1000 yards in each of his three seasons at Florida Atlantic. His NFL draft stock fell some due to the fact that he ran such a slow 40-yard dash (4.66 s). Otherwise, Singletary would have most likely been drafted in the first round, but because of his slow 40 time he was not taken until round three.

  1. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts – Taylor is making a concerted effort to put in the extra hours to adequately learn the offense. He will go from one of the best O-lines in college football at Wisconsin to the No. 1 O-line in the NFL (at least according to Pro Football Focus, PFF). It will be comforting for Taylor to note that he will be running behind the best guard in football in Quenton Nelson (and arguably the best offensive lineman in the NFL).

Taylor will not be the primary running back for the Colts in 2020, however he should see plenty of action, after rushing for 6174 yards in three years at Wisconsin – second in Big Ten history and sixth in FBS history. Taylor should definitely get a significant amount of playing time as the Colts gave up two draft picks to get the former Badger, and may look to trade Marlon Mack mid-season as the franchise could be looking to the future with Jonathan Taylor at running back.

Taylor was not the first running back taken in the 2020 NFL draft, but there is a good chance he might turn out to have the best career.

  1. James Conner, Pittsburgh Steelers – It’s a miracle that Conner is even in the NFL after winning the battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2015 – 2016. His college career looked to be very promising going into the 2015 after rushing for over 1700 yards in 2014, but he tore his MCL during the first game in 2015. Shortly after that Conner was also diagnosed with cancer. He would ultimately move past the cancer and keep moving forward with his life by returning to Pittsburgh in 2016 to produce another 1000-yard season before declaring for the 2017 NFL draft, where he was drafted by the Steelers in the third round.

Conner’s most productive season in the NFL came in 2018 when he produced 973 yards and 12 touchdowns. The Pittsburgh Steelers could lean on Conner significantly in 2020 with Ben Roethlisberger back. The Steelers were in positions where they were playing from behind quite often in 2019, so they had to throw the ball more often. As a result, the Steelers used their more effective receiving running back more often, Jaylen Samuels.

  1. Philip Lindsay, Denver Broncos – Lindsay is from Denver and has lived in Colorado his entire life. He attended the University of Colorado Boulder and set the school record for all-purpose yards. He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2018, rushing for over 1000 yards and becoming the first undrafted rookie to ever make the Pro Bowl. Lindsay followed that in 2019 with very similar numbers. It helped his stock that he ran a particularly fast 40-yard dash (4.39 s). Lindsay is set to split time with Melvin Gordon in 2020. This should work because both men have proven to be solid team players by splitting time with other running backs in the past.
  2. Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns – Hunt proved to be a nice complement to Nick Chubb in the final 8 games of 2019, so more of that can be expected in 2020 in their first full season together in the backfield for the Browns. He could very well be a candidate to be the top number two running back in the NFL.

Hunt was on track to become a star in the NFL, totaling over 1300 yards rushing and almost 5 yards per carry in his rookie season for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017. He was on pace to have even better numbers in 2018 but was abruptly released after 11 games after a videotape surfaced of him physically assaulting a woman. Hunt was still able to produce over 800 rushing yards in 2018 in only 11 games.

For that reason Hunt is the top-rated number two running back in most fantasy football drafts in 2020. He attended the University of Toledo, where he amassed his best season in 2014. Hunt was drafted in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft.

  1. Sony Michel, New England Patriots – Bill Belichick surprisingly drafted a high-profile running back out of the SEC in 2018, which he does not often do. Michel delivered a solid and consistent amount of production in his first two NFL seasons, with nearly 1000 yards in each. He is most likely remembered best for scoring the only touchdown in Super Bowl LIIII when the Patriots defeated the Rams to clinch Tom Brady’s sixth victory in The Big Game.

Nick Chubb was Michel’s running mate during his tenure at Georgia, but even so they both still had much success together in the backfield. Michel managed two 1000-yard seasons (2015, 2017).

  1. Marlon Mack, Indianapolis Colts – The fourth-round draft pick in 2017 out of South Florida has experienced improvement each of his three years in the NFL (all with the Colts). He struggled somewhat to get consistent playing time in his rookie year, but saw the field an adequate amount in 2018, rushing for almost 1000 yards. In 2019 this situation improved slightly more for Mack (he saw an increase in his number of carries by about 50 and rushed for 1000 yards – almost 200 more than the previous year – for the first time in his career.

Despite the fact that Mack has improved each of his three seasons in the NFL, the Indianapolis Colts could look to trade him and just see what the market for him looks like. The only reason I think this is because the Colts would not have given up two future draft picks to acquire Jonathan Taylor in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft if GM Chris Ballard did not believe in Taylor’s ability to be the man in the future. There is a small possibility, however, that the Colts will look to run the football a significant amount to take the pressure off of an aging Philip Rivers (in which case Marlon Mack and Jonathan Taylor would prove to be an excellent combination in the backfield).

Mack produced three consecutive 1000-yard seasons at South Florida from 2014 – 2016 and became the school’s all-time leading rusher with 3609 yards.

  1. Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers – Ekeler proved in 2019 that he was capable of carrying the load in the Chargers backfield by starting out running back without the presence of Melvin Gordon. Ekeler proved he is more than equipped to handle the duties of being a fall-time starting running back in the NFL.

He is more of a receiving threat than a traditional running back, but he is more than capable of fulfilling both roles.  Ekeler totaled over 1500 yards of total offense in 2019 (537 rushing yards, 993 receiving yards on 92 catches) and 11 total touchdowns. He should be in for as much work as he can handle in 2020, catching plenty of short passes in order to make the new quarterback for the Chargers comfortable. He also signed a four-year, $24.5 million contract extension with the Chargers in March 2020. The running back will finally get an opportunity to be the man in the Chargers backfield in 2020, and because of that he has a legitimate opportunity to be the pop guy in terms of running backs with a potential breakout season in 2020.

Ekeler had a successful college career at Western Colorado but was most likely overlooked in the 2017 NFL draft because he played at such a small school and probably was not very high on the radar of most NFL scouts. This is most likely why he entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent, but the cream always rises to the top eventually.

  1. Raheem Mostert, San Francisco 49ers – Mostert went through a carousel of six different NFL teams after coming out of Purdue as an undrafted free agent before he finally found a home with the San Francisco 49ers. He had a slow start to his career – not getting many opportunities from 2016 – 2018. He had his breakout season in 2019, proving to be an integral part of the 49ers backfield in 2019 (Mostert’s best performance of the year came in the NFC Championship Game against the Green Bay Packers, in which he accumulated 220 yards rushing – the most in San Francisco 49ers post-season history.

He was able to produce 772 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns while averaging well over 5 yards per carry. He might be the 49ers No. 1 running back in 2020 because of his performance in 2019. Col. Mostert’s contract is also restructured after he requested a trade on July 8, 2020.

He was most likely not drafted to the NFL in 2015 because he was used mostly as a kick returner at Purdue, never producing more than 529 yards rushing.

  1. Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders – Jacobs produced 1150 yards and 7 touchdowns on 4.7 yards per carry in 2019 and could very well be in for an even better year in 2020. He was drafted number 24 overall out of Alabama with one of the draft picks the Raiders received in the Khalil Mack trade the previous year.

Derek Carr is a top 10 – 12 QB in the NFL and Josh Jacobs is exactly the type of running back he needs to complement his game. The Raiders are an extremely fast team – as the 2020 NFL draft indicated – and will have the luxury of being able to reply on a power running back like Jacobs whenever they choose to relax in terms of throwing the ball.

Jacobs never rushed for more than 640 yards in three years at Alabama because he never got the opportunity to be the workhorse in the backfield. But once he did get that opportunity in the NFL, he delivered by becoming the first Oklahoma Raiders running back ever to rush for 1000 yards in his rookie season.

  1. Melvin Gordon, Denver Broncos – One might say Melvin Gordon is a bit overrated as a pure runner when looking at his career statistics for the first time, but that’s just because they are not taking a hard – enough look. He has only played 16 games one time in his career – and he had over 1000 yards rushing in that one season. Gordon is also used as somewhat of a dual-threat running back, never totaling fewer than 33 catches in a season.

Gordon will split carries with Philip Lindsay in Denver in 2020 after signing a two-year, $16 million contract with the Broncos in March (it became official in April).

Gordon rushed for over 1500 yards twice at Wisconsin (2013 – 2014) but exploded in 2014 with over 2500 yards rushing and perhaps should have won the Heisman Trophy in 2014 (but narrowly lost to Marcus Mariota). He is second all-time in FBS history in single-season rushing yards (51 behind Barry Sanders’ 1988 record of 2628 at Oklahoma State). Gordon was drafted No. 15 overall by the San Diego Chargers in 2015 – and was the second running back taken at that point in the draft next to only Todd Gurley II out of Georgia (it makes total sense that the SEC and Big Ten produced the top two running backs in 2015 because those are the most physical conferences on defense with the most future NFL prospects).

  1. Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks – The seventh-round draft selection in 2017 was an absolute monster over the last two seasons – accumulating well over 1000 yards in 2018 and 2019, his second and third seasons respectively. Carson is also elite in terms of breaking tackles, ranking third among NFL running backs in broken tackles over the last two years behind only Nick Chubb and Derrick Henry.

Carson was named to the 2020 Pro Bowl as an alternate, but he and backfield mate Rashaad Penny both suffered season-ending injuries just as they were both starting to hit their stride (Penny tore an ACL and Carson injured his hip). There is no doubt that the unfortunate timing of the injuries to the Seahawks’ backfield leaders significantly contributed to Seattle’s 1 – 3 record in their final four games of 2019. They were extremely fortunate to be able to win a playoff game (it was partially due to Carson Wentz sustaining an injury that forced him to leave the game).

Head coach Pete Carroll confirmed that Carson did not require surgery for his injury and is expected to be full-go for 2020, and will be looking for his third consecutive 1000-yard season. Carson was drafted out of Oklahoma State in 2017 but went to Butler Community College in Kansas for two years before transferring. As of August 12th,  Coach Pete Carroll mentions Carson’s now away indefinitely after a family death.

  1. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals – Mixon is a slightly better all-around running back than Chris Carson. Carson might be slightly better as a pure runner, but Mixon is such an incredible receiver and that is where he puts himself above Carson. Mixon is no slouch running the ball either as he has also accumulated over 1000 yards in each of the last two years – leading the AFC in rushing in 2018.

Mixon typically gets better as games progress and he gets more carries – as is characteristic of many running backs – so Joe Burrow could lean heavily on the 2017 second round draft choice as he acclimates to the NFL in his rookie season. He might be recognized little more than he normally is for his talents because many eyes will be on the Bengals in 2020 because almost all NFL fans will be watching to see how the No. 1 pick performs this season.

Joe Mixon historically has not received as much recognition in his career for how great of a running back he is – he might if he played for a winning franchise – say San Francisco, Kansas City, Baltimore or even Seattle. The Cincinnati Bengals do not often make headlines across the NFL either because they don’t reside in a particularly glamorous city. It doesn’t help matters that they have struggled in the last four seasons since making five consecutive playoff appearances from 2011 – 2015. Hopefully Zac Taylor will prove to be able to turn those fortunes around.

Mixon had a few character issues in college at Oklahoma, so that is the only reason his draft stock fell to the second round – otherwise he was clearly a first round talent. He was suspended for the entire 2014 season at Oklahoma due to an assault charge.

  1. Mark Ingram, Baltimore Ravens – Let’s start by saying that Lamar Jackson should probably be on this list despite being a quarterback (he simply moves at a different speed than everywhere else; Jackson is very comfortable playing at that speed and everywhere else is trying to catch up. He moves more like Barry Sanders than anyone who has played in the NFL since Sanders retired.

Moving on to Mark Ingram – the number 64 all-time leading rusher and fifth among active players. Ingram is the only Heisman Trophy winner on this list so far (2009) – becoming the first player in Alabama Crimson Tide history to win the Heisman. He was drafted number 28 overall by the New Orleans Saints in 2011, where Ingram stayed through the 2018 season. His most productive season in New Orleans came in 2017 in which he accounted for 1540 yards from scrimmage (Ingram rushed for 1000 yards on two other occasions in his career – 2016 with New Orleans and 2019 with Baltimore).

Mark Ingram will be looking to replicate his production from 2019 in his second year with the Baltimore Ravens. The 12th-year veteran will serve once again as a great mentor to Lamar Jackson – showing him how to conduct himself as a professional and providing constructive criticism along the way. Head coach John Harbaugh is behind Lamar along with the entire Ravens organization and they are determined to give Jackson all the pieces he needs to become one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL.

Obviously, the Baltimore Ravens are primarily focused on making a deep playoff run in 2020 after losing their first playoff game each of the last two seasons (to the Chargers in 2018 and Titans in 2019).

  1. David Johnson, Houston Texans – David Johnson was drafted in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals outside of Northern Iowa. He played for five seasons in Arizona – being named First-Team All-Pro in 2016 and accumulating 5945 all-purpose yards in his career (rushing, receiving and kick returning) – before being traded to the Houston Texans in exchange for DeAndre Hopkins among other draft picks.

Johnson has only rushed for over 1000 yards one time in his career, but the essential aspect of his game is that he is such a prolific wide receiver that he will often line up as a receiver before a play. Johnson has produced over 1000 scrimmage yards three times in his career (2015 – 16, 2018, with 2000 scrimmage yards in 2016). Deshaun Watson will be heavily reliant on David Johnson and Will Fuller to remain healthy for the entirety of 2020 and provide him with sustainable targets in the Texans offense.

David Johnson set numerous records at Northern Iowa, including all-purpose yards and rushing yards. He produced well over 1000 total yards in all four years in college – including over 2000 in his senior season in 2014.

  1. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints – The 2017 third round draft pick out of Tennessee is similar to David Johnson in that he is an all-purpose back and is every bit as dangerous as a receiver out of the backfield as he is a runner. He has accounted for well over 1300 scrimmage yards in each of his three NFL seasons. The 2017 Second-Team All-Pro will be the man again in New Orleans in 2020 as he has earned the right to have that accolade.

Kamara has received at least 200 touches combined receiving and running in each of his three years in the NFL. His college career got off to a bit of a rocky start, as he spent his redshirt freshman season at Alabama – where he did not get along very well with head coach Nick Saban, who claimed he had “behavioral issues.” As a result, Kamara transferred to Hutchinson Community College to play the 2014 season before transferring to Tennessee to play for Butch Jones for 2015 – 2016.

  1. Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars – One could tell that Leonard was different physically than every other player coming out of St. Augustine High School in New Orleans when he was named the 2013 USA Today High School Football Offensive Player of the Year because of how quickly his body matured. Fournette had an unbelievable college career – setting LSU single-season records in rushing yards with 1953 and touchdowns with 22, leading the nation with 162.8 rushing yards per game in his sophomore year of 2015.

Leonard Fournette has produced a solid NFL career in his first three seasons even though he has played for a losing franchise. He has produced over 1000 yards rushing twice, with his best season coming in 2019. Fournette also expanded his game receiving, accumulating 76 catches for 522 yards last year.

There’s a good chance he could be traded sometime during the 2020 season (because the Jaguars don’t have the potential to be a very competitive team), and the man has proven he has the potential to be utilized as a dual-threat running back – similar to a David Johnson or Alvin Kamara. The skills Fournette has shown as a receiver out of the backfield as well as a runner should increase his potential trade value – the Jaguars have also declined on his fifth-year option which will make him a free agent in 2021 even if Jacksonville does not trade him.

  1. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers – The fifth rounder out of UTEP in 2017 had his best season by far as a professional in 2019 – rushing for 1084 yards for the Packers and co-leading the NFL in rushing touchdowns with 16. Jones was not very high on the draft board of most NFL scouts in 2017 because he played in college at such a small school (so he was not watched as much as he would have been if he played for a school like Alabama, LSU, or Ohio State) and was therefore the 19th running back drafted that year.

Essentially, the only reason Jones got an opportunity to play during his rookie season is because Ty Montgomery and Jamaal Williams happened to both sustained injuries in week 4 of 2017. Jones took full advantage of that opportunity and finished that season second on the team in rushing with 448 yards. He continued to progress in 2018 despite being suspended for the first two games, finishing the season with 728 rushing yards before exploding for over 1500 scrimmage yards in 2019. 2020 is looking to be another great year for Jones as he is the lead running back without question in Green Bay, and most importantly he has the trust of quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Aaron Jones will also be running behind a top five offensive line in 2020 which should stand solid for both he and Aaron Rogers this year.

  1. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns – Chubb will be the lead running back for the Cleveland Browns in 2020. He finished the 2019 season with 1494 rushing yards, good enough for second in the NFL behind Derrick Henry. That gives Chubb even more motivation to take the rushing title in 2020 (which will be his third year).

The 2019 Pro Bowler accumulated three 1000-yard seasons at Georgia (and was drafted No. 35 overall in 2018 as a result), including one as a true Freshman behind Todd Gurley II. The only reason he did not produce 1000 yards in his Sophomore year in 2015 was because he suffered a “grotesque knee injury” on October 10 against Tennessee, preventing him from breaking Herschel Walker’s record of 13 consecutive 100-yard games. Chubb missed the rest of the 2015 season but returned in 2016 to play for new head coach Georgia Kirby Smart (2016 – present).

However, Browns fans should expect Kareem Hunt to also see a good chunk of the running back workload for the Browns, as new head coach Kevin Stefanski balanced the work well between the top two running backs in Minnesota – where he was the offensive coordinator in 2019. Dalvin Cook produced his best season as a professional while only receiving 52.5% of the team’s carries at running back (missing two games). Alexander Mattison was used as the number two running back in Minnesota in 2019.

  1. Le’Veon Bell, New York Jets – Bell will be looking to take the role of a veteran leader in 2020 for the Jets. He undoubtedly served as a mentor to Sam Darnold throughout his second NFL season. The New York Jets offensive line used 11 different starters in 2019 and nine different starting combinations (so the Jets essentially threw together a hodge podge of whichever O-lineman they had available each week).

Because of this, Bell produced the worst season of his career in 2019 – averaging just 52.6 rushing yards per game on 3.2 yards per carry. He is not making any excuses, however, and has acknowledged that he left some yards on the field in 2019. Bell is determined to be a more productive running back for the Jets in 2020 and has spent this entire offseason self – reflecting to make himself a better player as well as a better human being – which is extremely commendable.

Le’Veon Bell was simply taller and/or bigger than most defenders in college at Michigan State, with his best season coming as a junior in 2012. He entered the 2013 NFL draft and was a second-round pick by the Pittsburg Steelers. Bell would stay in Pittsburgh for six years – although he refused to play under the franchise tag in 2018 (taking a year off right in the middle of his career might promote longevity) – before he went to the New York Jets in 2019. His best season as a pro came in 2014 in which he totaled over 2000 scrimmage yards and his worst season came last year – although it was not that bad because he still accumulated over 1200 yards of offense.

  1. 5. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants – Barkley was drafted No. 2 overall by the Giants in 2018 – the year before franchise quarterback Daniel Jones was drafted – after producing 2557 all-purpose yards in three seasons at Penn State and being named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year twice.

Barkley was named to the 2018 Pro Bowl as a rookie for the Giants and also set many NFL and Giants records, such as the NFL record for most receptions (91) by a rookie running back and the New York Giants franchise records for rushing touchdowns, rushing yards, and total touchdowns.

Saquon’s second season in 2019 was not quite as impressive, but he still totaled over 1500 yards of total offense and eclipsed 1000 yards rushing. His role will be crucial in 2020 in terms of aiding the development of Daniel Jones as the Giants’ quarterback and the face of the franchise.

  1. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys – (Another NFC East running back) Zeke was drafted No. 4 overall in 2016 – the year before Leonard Fournette was taken with the exact same draft pick – after an excellent career at Ohio State in which he was named Big Ten MVP in 2015 and won a CFP national championship in 2015 (celebrating the 2014 college football season). Elliott ran for over 1800 yards in each of his two years as the starter at Ohio State.

Throughout his NFL career, Elliott has accounted for over 7500 yards of total offense (rushing and receiving) in just four seasons. Zeke is already No. 115 on the all-time rushing list with 5405 rushing yards. He has been selected to three Pro Bowls (2016, 2018, 2019) as well as leading the NFL in rushing in 2016 and 2018.

Dak Prescott has proven to struggle in the past without Zeke in the lineup, so hopefully Elliott can stay healthy in 2020 as is the hope every year. My own personal perception is that Ezekiel Elliott is an integral piece of the culture in Dallas – the glue that holds the team accountable and united in their mission if you will.

  1. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings – Cook will be going into the final year of his rookie contract, while the media is trying to make a big deal out of nothing. Cook absolutely has earned a contract extension and he will get one when the time is right. He has expressed how much he loves being in Minnesota – the Vikings are even considering making him a captain in 2020.

However, it is understandable why the Vikings might be hesitant to give him a contract extension. He has been somewhat injury prone since being drafted into the NFL out of Florida State – where Cook is still the university’s all-time leading rusher – in 2017, missing 19 of 48 regular-season games due to injury. Cook was taken out in 2017 due to a torn ACL after just four games and was hampered for much of 2018 by a lingering hamstring injury. 2019 was his first full year of being completely healthy – and he delivered in a big way by accounting for over 1100 yards rushing and 519 receiving yards.

Mike Zimmer will be looking for similar production out of Cook as well as the rest of the Vikings in 2020. One other interesting note about the 2019 season is that Cook was able to be so productive despite only receiving 52.5% of the workload in the backfield for Minnesota.

  1. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans – Henry has improved each of his four years in the NFL since 2016 – his number of carries, yards, and touchdowns have increased each year – and in 2019 he led the NFL in rushing with 1540 yards and also co-led the league in touchdowns with 16. Derrick won the Heisman Trophy in 2015 at Alabama, breaking Herschel Walker’s single-season SEC rushing yards record in the process with over 2200.

Henry will absolutely be a leader on the Titans in 2020 along with quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who both signed four-year contract extensions this offseason. Derrick’s running style is reminiscent of Eddie George (who also played running back for the Tennessee Titans in the early 2000s) – an elite athlete who happens to be bigger than most defenders who are attempting to tackle him (hopefully Henry will prove to have more longevity to his career than a George, who played for just 9 years. Those years were extremely productive, however, because George produced over 12,500 total yards from scrimmage in his career – including over 10,000 yards rushing. George also ranks number 28 on the NFL all-time career rushing yards list).

Derrick Henry can only hope to be as consistent as a George was during his career. The 1995 Heisman Trophy winner for Ohio State rushed for over 1000 yards in 7 of his 9 years in the NFL (1996 – 2004) – including becoming the first running back since Eric Dickerson to rush for at least 1200 yards in his first five seasons. George carried the ball 300 times in 8 of 9 years (something that is unheard of for a running back now. It’s impressive if someone does that even once). Personally, I respect this man so much because he knew when to call it quits in the NFL and move on to something different (becoming a successful actor).

  1. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers – McCaffrey is capable of doing anything and everything he is asked to do. He may be short, but his lower body is extremely powerful. He is a very effective runner between the tackles as well as using his speed in the open field.

McCaffrey is also a truly special talent as a receiver with no fewer than 80 catches in a season. His best season in the NFL came in 2019, when he rushed for over 1300 yards for the Panthers, as well as catching 116 passes (NFL record for a season) for over 1000 yards (and in the process becoming the third running back to ever accumulate 1000 yards rushing and 1000 yards receiving in a season – along with Marshall Faulk and Roger Craig). McCaffrey also earned First-Team All-Pro honors in 2019. As a result of all this hard work, McCaffrey armed a contract extension in Carolina – making him the highest- paid running back in NFL history (four-year, $64 million contract – which will keep him in Carolina through 2025).

CMC did the same stuff in college at Stanford for three years, where he finished the 2015 season with the NCAA record for most all-purpose yards in a season with 3864 and finished as the runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting.

 

Honorable Mentions

  1. Lamar Miller, New England Patriots: The only reason I did not include Lamar Miller on this list originally is because he was not with a team when I first started it. Miller was, however, picked up by New England earlier this month to add to the Patriots’ running back depth chart (which was already pretty deep). Miller will provide a veteran presence – which Bill Belichick likes at any position – who can provide consistent and reliable pass protection for Cam Newton.

Belichick wanted to sign Miller as an insurance policy because the Patriots’ No. 1 back Sony Michel is still recovering from offseason foot surgery and reliable backup Brandon Bolden opted out of the 2020 season. Lamar Miller missed the 2019 season after tearing his ACL in the third preseason game for the Houston Texans. He will be going into his ninth NFL season, but he still feels he has plenty of juice in the tank to contribute to helping a franchise win games.

The 2018 Pro Bowler has been a reliable presence for Miami and Houston since coming into the NFL in 2012 out of the University of Miami (FL) in 2012. Miller will run into some competition for playing time with pass-catching running back James White, veteran Rex Burkhead who can do a little bit of everything, 2019 third rounder Damien Harris out of Alabama who the Patriots are still keeping around to see if he turns into a reliable presence, and undrafted rookie J.J. Taylor from Arizona.

Belichick may have had his eye on Miller because the 29-year-old free agent has worked closely with Bill O’Brien over the last four years (O’Brien was an assistant in New England from 2007 – 2011 (including offensive coordinator in 2011). Bill O’Brien derived much of his philosophy regarding football from Bill Belichick, so Belichick likely signed Miller because of his excellent ability in pass protection – which O’Brien has raved about in the past.

To provide historical context, Lamar Miller is in the top 100 on the NFL all-time career rushing yards list and is ranked eighth among active players. He will play under a $1.5 million base salary in 2020.

  1. Carlos Hyde, Seattle Seahawks: Hyde just missed the cut for this list. In terms of historical reference, one would think someone like him would easily make this list. Many running backs in the NFL have more talent than Hyde simply because they are younger and don’t have quite as much wear and tear on their bodies. However, they have yet to receive the adequate number of opportunities.

I talk about Carlos Hyde like he is so old, but he is only 29 years old (basically 30) and has several more years left in his career. Chris Carson, the starting money back for the Seahawks, is out indefinitely dealing with family matters, and backup Rashaad Penny is on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list. Therefore the 175th all-time leading rusher is the Seahawks’ primary running back right now – which he is capable of handling considering he posted a 1000-yard season in 2019 for the Houston Texans – with Travis Homer, the 2019 sixth-round draft choice who did start a game for the Seahawks in December, as the backup.

Hyde has had a wonderful NFL career for four different franchises (Seattle well be the fifth), with his most successful season in terms of total yards from scrimmage was in 2017 with the San Francisco 49ers when he produced 940 yards rushing and 350 receiving to total 1290. The 2014 second round draft pick out of Ohio State accumulated the highest rushing total of his career just last year in Houston with 1070 yards.

  1. Marshawn Lynch, Free Agent: “Beast Mode” seems to be open to the possibility of returning to the NFL – preferably with Seattle – but he seems to be in a state of mind where he is detached and doesn’t feel like he absolutely needs to. It seems like Lynch is in a state of mind where he is thinking to himself “if it happens, that’s okay and same thing if it doesn’t.”

Lynch has had an absolutely fantastic career and has truly given it his 100%. He has left everything on the field and that is all anyone can ask. Lynch is second all-time in rushing at California, Berkeley and was a teammate of Aaron Rodgers during his freshman season in 2004. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2007 and spent a little over three seasons in Buffalo, rushing for 1000 yards in his first two seasons and being named to the Pro Bowl in 2008.

The most successful portion of Lynch’s career was during his first tenure in Seattle, where he rushed for no less than 1200 yards per year from 2011-2014 (Pro Bowl each year), earned First – Team All-Pro in 2012 and Second-Team All-Pro in 2014. Most importantly, Beast Mode (the nickname tells you all you need to know about his running style – powerful, always breaking tackles – relentless) won Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seattle Seahawks against the Denver Broncos – and came within an inch of winning a second consecutive Super Bowl the following year, but for whatever reason Pete Carroll decided to throw the ball rather than give it to Marshawn Lynch from 1 yard out. It was not a particularly bad throw by Russell Wilson, simply better defense by Malcolm Butler.

Lynch has rushed for 1000 yards six times in his career (in which he retired only to come back to the NFL twice thus far) and has a sense of charisma about him that leaves an indelible mark on nearly every human being whose life he touches – that is the primary quality that has to be respected about this man. Marshawn has an innate ability to bring smiles to peoples’ faces everywhere he goes, and that is something that will always be needed.

  1. Devonta Freeman, Free Agent: Freeman had an excellent college career at Florida State (2011 – 2013), culminating with a BCS (the final one before the CFP was established) national championship in his junior season in 2013. He was named First-Team All-ACC that year and became the first Florida State Seminole running back to rush for 1000 yards in a season since Warrick Dunn in 1996. What is even more impressive is that he was able to accomplish that while sharing the backfield with two other running backs (James Wilder Jr. and Karlos Williams).

Freeman left college after his junior season and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth-round of the 2014 NFL draft. He has had a successful NFL career thus far in six years (basically five because he only played 2 games in 2018) – accumulating nearly 5000 total yards and making 2 Pro Bowls. The 2015 Second-Team All-/Pro has rushed for 1000 yards twice in the NFL and was released by the Falcons in March 2020.

Freeman is clearly a much better receiver out of the backfield and a consistent running back at this stage of his career. He averaged just 3.6 yards per carry in 2019, while catching 59 passes for 410 yards. Freeman has made it abundantly clear that he is looking to sign with an organization that fosters a “dog mentality” in which every player works conscientiously to make each other better each day.

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