The Ground Index presented by FedEx ranks NFL running back performances all season long. 1. Mixon was a pivotal piece of a Bengals offense that finished 12th in points per drive (2.40) in 2021 and I do not foresee that changing in the near-term, even with the flashes from 2021 6th round pick Chis Evans. He has 3 seasons over 1,000 yards and had a break out year last year with 13 rushing touchdowns. Second, Johnsons elusiveness takes him to another level. Evans is a great receiver out of the backfield who is also strong as an ox, able to withstand punishment between the tackles should he be asked to handle that role. But where do they fall from there? Along with the return of Dobbins, the Ravens also added veteran running back Mike Davis in free agency, bringing in a veteran running back who has gotten better as hes aged, rushing for more than 500 yards in three of his last five seasons in the NFL. The Raiders declined his fifth-year option, so it's curious as to what the future holds for him under Josh McDaniels. On three occasions, teams have made it to at least the divisional round. Henry led the NFL in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in 2019 and 2020, and Taylor took over that crown in 2021 while Henry was sidelined due to injury. Since coming into the league in 2018 Chubb has made his presence felt. Gibson has already proven he's a talented back, but how Washington handles its rotation will be something to watch this upcoming season. We all know Kamara is one of the best in the game, but this division is a little tricky to rank because of McCaffrey. On three occasions, teams have made it to at least the divisional round. As a rookie, Dobbins averaged six yards per carry. 2021 Season Stats 228 carries 1,259 yards 8 touchdowns 5.5 ypc. As such, these rankings will attempt to be as objective as possible and provide a guide for where Browns players are currently among their peers in the division. Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community! Having him back healthy for 2022 will only help Sean McVay in his mission to run it back. The Browns' offense may favor the pass at a higher clip in 2022 with Deshaun Watson under center (6th lowest passing play percentage in 2021 at 54 percent), but Chubb will still get his fair share of carries and further cement himself among the elite at the position. There is a clear go-to rusher in Las Vegas: Josh Jacobs. He was on the field for only one snap in the postseason. 1. AFC North Ranking: 3. Maurice Jones-Drew spotlights three teams who will be looking for a new primary RB in 2023. J.K. Dobbins missed the entire 2021 season due to a torn ACL suffered late in the preseason, resulting in the Ravens attempting to patchwork the position behind Lamar Jackson in the backfield. The defeat marked the fourth time this season that the Ravens failed to hold onto their lead in the fourth quarter. 1) Cleveland Browns. Before diving into the fantasy season, RotoBaller has you covered with some last-minute running back depth chart recaps for each team, including some useful bits of analysis for players you want to keep on your radar. Nick Chubb finished first the AFC North in 2021 with 1,259 rushing yards, despite finishing third with 228 carries. This is going to mean Najee should be around the same touches as last year(381) if not more. Dobbins proved to be elusive, finishing 2nd among qualifiers at the position in breakaway percentage (39.1 percent), which is a PFF metric that measures rushing yardage on designed attempts that gained more than 15 yards. Jalen Carter absent from combine media amid charges, Gardner-Johnson calls out former Eagles coach, Report: Snyder charged team $4.5M for logo on his jet, Pete Prisco's top 100 NFL free agents of 2023, Ex-groundskeeper 'Sodfather' blasts Super Bowl field, Javon Hargrave free agency: Landing spots, prediction. Stay in touch with our site and follow all AFC North news here. . Sanders did score seven of his 11 touchdowns from inside the 5-yard line, which is encouraging. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus) Taylor moved from ninth on last year's list to first overall due to a season in which he took over from Derrick Henry as the NFL's leader in carries (332), rushing yards (1,811), and rushing touchdowns (18). He is an efficient, hard-nosed runner that is a solid NFL rusher, and that lands him here. He has missed some time due to injury like last year but that did not stop him from surpassing the 1,000 yard mark. Hes started six games in two different seasons (2018 and 2020), but also missed the entirety of last season due to injury. The "bell cow" running back is on the way out. Gambling problem? The Browns rely heavily on their running backs on offense and Chubb had 1259 yards rushing, 1433 yards from scrimmage, with nine total touchdowns. The value can't be higher given his ADP of 141st overall and RB41 at the time of this writing. The former Unanimous All-American and Doak Walker Award winner accounted for 75 percent of the teams rushing yards and 70 percent of the teams rushing touchdowns. Becoming one of the top 2022 true freshman running backs requires a mixture of talent and opportunity. The 3-1 Giants have a big test ahead in London, and if they want to prove they're a legitimate threat in the NFC, there's only one thing to do: Keep feeding Barkley! For one, Edwards is coming off of an ACL tear, which puts him in more contentious waters than a healthy Johnson. And let's not forget about running back Jonathan Taylor, who enjoyed a breakout sophomore season by leading the league with 1,811 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. Earlier this week, we ranked the 14 projected starting quarterbacks on the Falcons' 2022 schedule. The Commanders have an interesting situation at running back. Atlanta's Cordarrelle Patterson and Denver's Javonte Williams are top of mind, with both being regulars in my running back rankings through the first quarter of the season. The Bucs fall to 6-8 but remain in first place in the terrible NFC South. Rookie undrafted free agents Mataeo Durant and Jaylen Warren offer the most intrigue behind McFarland at the moment, and thats saying all that needs to be said. Now would be a perfect time to reflect on the . His rookie year started with 966 yards and 8 touchdowns off of 192 carries which was good for 5.2 yards per carry. The opportunities for Dobbins should be plenty on a Ravens offense that had a 56:44 pass-to-run ratio and finished 6th in rushing success rate (44.3 percent) in 2021. His 7.3 yards per total target (combined rushing and receiving) is the top of any returning back in the division. Here are the current preseason depth charts at running back for each division in the AFC. Harris has the best potential ROI among all four starters in the division (assuming Hunt is an RB2, which he is literally but not really--draft Hunt, please). Houston unearthed a gem in Pierce. In addition to the trade of quarterback Carson Wentz, Washington signed star wide receiver Terry McLaurin to an extension, drafted Jahan Dotson in the first round and re-signed running back J.D. Now, with the heat of the moment long gone and cold projections applied to Harris for his debut campaign well, things are looking even better. 57. RB2: Isaiah Spiller. All four teams (the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers) have general managers, front offices, and personnel departments that have proven more than capable of evaluating, acquiring, and retaining talent in recent years. Keep in mind, Jacobs has two RB2-level campaigns as a pro (21st- and eighth-best rusher in PPR leagues), but Drake isn't too separated from those outcomes with back-to-back-to-back top-17 finishes (RB14, RB17, and RB16 lastly). AFC North running backs rankings ahead of the start of the season. 800 yards 9 touchdowns. AFC North. The fourth-round pick runs angrily and plows through arm tackles with ease. Top Stories; . There arent many good options this far down the board, and Demetric Felton is buried on Clevelands depth chart behind three other quality rushers, but his abilities in the passing game make him an extremely valuable asset to the Browns. Like the Browns the Steelers also have quarterback uncertainty. Mike Kaye of the . Nick Chubb. ESPN's 2022 NFL depth charts are updated throughout the year with the latest news and updates from across the league: Everything you need this week: Crawling to an RB1 Role: Kenyan Drake, Las Vegas Raiders. They now come a dime a dozen, and no team has an issue finding a young athlete to pound the rock through the A-gap every given Sunday. Superstar quarterbacks undoubtedly headline the AFC Championship Game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs, but Maurice Jones-Drew explains why the running backs will actually . Henry looked like he was back to being his normal self against the Colts. The Broncos may have a dynamic duo with Gordon and Williams, who finished No. But ahead of the 2021 season suffered a season ending injury. While Walker is a worthy challenger, Breece Hall currently sits atop the 2022 NFL Draft running back class. Denver Broncos: Javonte Williams, Melvin GordonKansas City Chiefs: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Ronald Jones, Jerick McKinnonLas Vegas Raiders: Josh Jacobs, Kenyan DrakeLos Angeles Chargers: Austin Ekeler. That contract paid off during the 2022 season, where Mixon had his best season for the Queen City. You could make an argument the AFC South is the best running back division since they have the top two running backs in the NFL in Henry and Taylor. In his four-year career with the Browns, Chubb has amassed 4,960 yards on 939 attempts (5.3 yards per attempt), 36 touchdowns, and 233 forced missed tackles. Johnsons combination of easy acceleration and quick feet allow him to cut on a dime and forced missed tackles at ease. His 6 scores are the most all time by a Lions player through the first four games of a season. Can the Lions fix their defense? Chubb has been the most consistent runner this season. Brown. Bengals to keep rolling against Ravens? 2022 stats:4 games | 59 att | 259 rush yds | 4.4 ypc | 3 rush TD | 6 rec | 33 rec yds | 1 rec TD | 0 fumbles lost. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nfl | pageType: stories | The Chargers finally decided to make Ekeler the feature piece in the win over Houston. Thats truly incredible. DROPPED OUT: Cordarrelle Patterson, Falcons (previously No. 14). Just look at what Derrick Henry has done over the past few seasons, and what Jonathan Taylor did last year. In 2021, the veteran ball-carrier ranked top-15 among qualifiers in explosive runs (36), missed tackles forced (52), and rushing grade (82.1). Mixons rushing totals are productive. J.K. Dobbins 2021 season was cut preemptively short by a torn ACL injury suffered against the Washington Commanders in the final preseason game. He proved to be a versatile weapon that quite literally won a couple games for the Commanders last season. Follow us on Twitter at @GridironHeroics for more great content. Heres the final tally ofSteelers Nowsconsensus preseason 2022 power rankings of AFC North running backs. He takes advantage though, averaging more than 4.5 yards per attempt each of the last two seasons with the Bengals. Ravens 2022 Year in Review: . Full schedule | Standings 2.3 Cleveland Browns. Buy Vikings Tickets. Hes a special player. Johnsons combination of easy acceleration and quick feet allow him to cut on a dime and forced missed tackles at ease. According to Kevin Patra from NFL.com, the Texans are in the "acquire depth" portion of teams with their running back situations, and it is thanks to the fourth-round selection of Dameon Pierce in the 2022 NFL draft. He was the incumbent starter at the running back position after a fairly successful 2020 season, during which he totaled 890 yards on 153 attempts (5.8 yards per attempt) for ten touchdowns and an 82.0 rushing grade. Seeing a trend? Steelers' ground game during his rookie season in 2021, as he was the only running back to play greater than 70 percent of the teams offensive snaps. See the full pecking order. He would be the starting running back in most situations, but not in Cleveland. Behind Chubb, Kareem Hunt is a terrific backup in the league. AFC North; Baltimore Ravens; . 8); Leonard Fournette, Buccaneers (No. We still dont know if Matt Canadas offense is going to work and the play call looked stale at times last year. But in the passing game, he became a weapon, turning 21 targets into 181 yards. Joe Mixon is a borderline elite running back and greatly impacted the Bengals Super Bowl run. NOTE: Arrows reflect changes from last week's rankings. The Steelers improved the offensive line and with the mobility of whoever suits up is something teams will have to account for and not stack the box. Atlanta Falcons: Cordarrelle Patterson, Tyler Allgeier, Damien WilliamsCarolina Panthers: Christian McCaffrey, Chuba Hubbard, D'Onta ForemanNew Orleans Saints: Alvin Kamara, Mark IngramTampa Bay Buccaneers: Leonard Fournette. I expect Mixon to have another break out year for the Bengals and to make this ranking tough. . This knack for roster building has been reflected in the league standings with the division having five appearances in the playoffs over the past two seasons (Bengals x1, Browns x1, Ravens x1, Steelers x2). 2023 NFL Draft Predictions: Cincinnati Bengals Biggest Team Needs, Time To Hang It Up: Five NFL Wide Receivers That Should Retire After The Season, 2023 NFL Draft Predictions: Philadelphia Eagles Biggest Team Needs, 2023 NFL Scouting Combine Preview: Wide Receivers, 2023 Prospect Profile - C.J. 4/practice squad role in Cincinnati. Saunders, Counterpoint: Mixon has put together a very good running back resume. Baltimore Ravens. Patterson deserves credit for last season, even if he can't build on it. He forced a missed tackle on 35% of his carries this past season, 7th highest in the NFL. Can the Eagles improve their No. The DCs project the real-life pecking order expected to be used by head coaches at the respective franchises, not where RotoWire projects those players to finish in fantasy leagues. Maurice Jones-Drew assesses the Hall of Fame candidacies of Ezekiel Elliott and Derrick Henry, two running backs who could pass him on the all-time rushing leaderboard in Week 16. The Cleveland Browns were able to get four players on the list with three of them coming on offense and only one on defense. Its a star-studded position in the AFC North, which made this years version of my Ranking the Rooms: AFC North RBs series rather hard to boil down. 2022 stats:4 games | 63 att | 279 rush yds | 4.4 ypc | 1 rush TD | 9 rec | 47 rec yds | 0 rec TD | 1 fumble lost. February 24, 2023 6:55 am ET. Robinson had just 29 rush yards against a tough Eagles front. Montgomery is a legitimate RB1, Herbert shined when called upon, Swift went for over 1,000 scrimmage yards in 2021, Jones and Dillon both went for over 1,000 scrimmage yards as well and then Cook was a Pro Bowler for the third straight season. Maurice Jones-Drew evaluated every running back who started a game during the 2022 NFL regular season to create a COMPLETE ranking, from 1 to 75. The Bengals are lucky to have Perine to back up Mixon. The NFC West is arguably the best division in the NFL and had three of the top 11 rushing offenses last year. Another year, another absolutely loaded depth chart at the running back position across the AFC North. The Colts will absolutely be in the mix for a wild card spot and may even challenge the Titans in the AFC South. It's a group that should be even better in 2022. Acrisure Stadium Presser: Steelers Art Rooney II, Acrisures Greg Williams. That all changed when injuries cut his . Najee Harris' spot at the start isn't in question but the backs behind . After managing back-to-back seasons with 90+ catches and 1,100+ yards, Darren Waller was hit by the injury bug . In a game that had no quarterback presence, Barkley stepped up in a big way for the G-Men, rushing 31 times for 146 yards in the win. The Baltimore Ravens lost 28-27 to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 12. 2022 stats:4 games | 81 att | 459 rush yds | 5.7 ypc | 5 rush TD | 6 rec | 37 rec yds | 0 rec TD | 0 fumbles lost. Maurice Jones-Drew has one thought about the Cowboys' usage of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard in Zeke's return: Keep it even-steven! Williams now has 2 rush TDs in 3 of Detroit's 4 games in 2022, which puts him in elite company. However, our focus here specifically relates to the four starting backs in the division. After that, the Raiders got very little. Hes done well sharing the load with Chubb in recent seasons, though he was injured much of last year and didnt produce as much. Houston Texans: Marlon Mack, Rex Burkhead, Dameon PierceIndianapolis Colts: Jonathan Taylor, Nyheim Hines, Phillip LindsayJacksonville Jaguars: James Robinson, Travis Etienne Jr.Tennessee Titans: Derrick Henry. What I do know is Penny went off -- 17 carries for 151 yards and 2 touchdowns (8.9 yards per carry). Hines has been targeted 81, 58, and 76 times in the past three seasons, catching 78, 76, and 83 percent of those throws. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the. , teams have made it to at least the divisional round the Queen City of acceleration. Raiders declined his fifth-year option, so it 's curious as to what the future for! Second, johnsons elusiveness takes him to cut on a dime and forced missed tackles at ease if not.! And what Jonathan Taylor did last year it & # x27 ; s a group that be. Back, but how Washington handles its rotation will be something to this! 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