Before the 2025 NFL Draft kicks off, I want to share my running back rankings for this year’s class. It’s a deep and talented group and the Pittsburgh Steelers are surely to come away with a new back after doing extensive homework on the position.
Below are my own rankings of the backs I’ve watched. I couldn’t watch every single prospect and there are a handful of names missing from my list. SMU’s Brashard Smith and Oregon’s Jordan James are two examples. But others profiled them and in total, we’ve written 35 scouting reports on running backs this offseason.
Here’s my ranking and explanation for each.
1. Ashton Jeanty – Boise State
Despite the depth and talent that floods this year’s running back class, there’s no debate over who is No. 1. Ashton Jeanty. “Generational” might be pushing things but he’s as good as any back to come out since Saquon Barkley in 2018.
One of college football’s dominant players in 2024, Jeanty’s production was video game-esque. Despite being the focal point of every defensive game plan, he rushed for an incredible 2,601 yards with 30 total scores (29 rushing, one receiving) in 2024. His finished second in college football history in single-season rushing yards, narrowly falling short of Barry Sanders’ record.
On tape, Jeanty’s contact balance is elite. His 5-8 frame and tree trunks for legs give him a low center of gravity and the ability to bounce off tacklers and stay on his feet. He blends power with burst and though he may lack ideal long speed, he declined to run a 40 throughout the pre-draft process, he has all the traits needed to be an impact NFL back. Jeanty’s receiving numbers were light in 2024 but in 2023, he caught 43 passes with five scores.
While I didn’t write the Steelers Depot report on Jeanty, he reminds me of a souped-up Kareem Hunt. That may sound like a low comparison for a No. 1-ranked back but Hunt’s contact balance at Toledo was among the best I’ve seen from a runner. Still, Jeanty has earned loftier comparisons to LaDainian Tomlinson and Marshall Faulk.
If Jeanty doesn’t become an NFL star, it’ll be a shame. And probably something related due to injury, not a lack of talent.
2. Omarion Hampton – North Carolina
There is a clear drop-off from Jeanty to Hampton. But Hampton still brings an attractive blend of size, power, balance, and burst. I wrote Steelers Depot’s scouting report on Hampton and didn’t come away overly impressed, but he just edges out TreVeyon Henderson and Kaleb Johnson, backs lumped together with similar grades.
A strong Combine workout gave Hampton the nod. At 221 pounds, he ran a 4.46 40 with a 38-inch vertical and 10’10” broad, giving him a 9.70 RAS. Premium production was also there, Hampton rushing for over 3,100 combined yards and 30 touchdowns in his final two years with the Tar Heels.
Hampton could be an every-down running back who may not be a star but a solid starter for his NFL team.
3. TreVeyon Henderson – Ohio State
In my reports, I gave Henderson a higher grade than Hampton. But Hampton’s report was written before his Combine performance, giving him the slight edge. But Henderson still has impressive traits and is a different back than Hampton.
The true home run hitter of this year’s class, Henderson is a classic “angle buster” who erases angles from defensive backs in the third level. His 4.42 40 testing translates to the field and his game speed might even be faster. It’s how he generated a sizzling 7.1 yards per carry in 2024, rushing for over 1,000 yards despite playing in a committee with Quinshon Judkins.
Despite spending four years at Ohio State, Henderson is just 22 and doesn’t come with overwhelming tread on his tires. Versatile, he’s a capable receiver and strong pass protector. His tape against Penn State is clinic-worthy. He’s also regarded as high-character and a “clean” prospect. However, a history of injuries is concerning, including a broken foot and torn ligaments in 2022.
The reason why Henderson isn’t second on this list is because he’s unlikely to be a workhorse back. It’s not a requirement in today’s committee-happy NFL, but it dings him just enough to put him in third place. Henderson also lacks power and impressive running between the tackles.
My NFL comp is Raheem Mostert.
4. Kaleb Johnson – Iowa
I didn’t write the Steelers Depot report on Johnson but went through his tape throughout the pre-draft process. His size is impressive, and he possesses burst and more explosiveness than commonly seen for his build. He’s able to run through open-field arm tackles and carries his weight well.
There’s some lateral quickness coupled with vision to pick and find the hole. Johnson showed reliable hands and is a good receiver with a breakout 2024 season, rushing for 1,537 yards and 21 rushing scores.
However, his game is more finesse than you’d expect, and Johnson doesn’t play with as much power as is ideal. In pass protection, he ducks his head too often and could improve as a blocker. His long speed is ordinary, reflected in his 4.57 40 time.
My NFL comp is Joe Mixon.
5. RJ Harvey – Central Florida
Harvey has fun tape. Short at 5-8 but compact, he shows contact balance and long speed, running a 4.4 flat at 205 pounds at the NFL Combine. He consistently displays plus burst with the lateral acceleration to jump down a gap and in open grass, though he wasn’t quite the open-field burner Henderson was despite the slightly faster 40 time.
He’s an additive in the passing game and plays with an edge similar to Jaylen Warren, willing to throw his body in front on blocks. A former quarterback, there’s even gadget value in his game.
However, his power isn’t punishing, and while he steps out of tackles, he struggles getting back up to speed. In pass pro, he gets overwhelmed 1v1 and could improve his ball security. My NFL comp is Chase Brown, though I think Harvey is a slightly tougher and harder runner.
6. Devin Neal – Kansas
I guess I’m just higher on Devin Neal than everyone else. He has size, production, and speed, a combination that could make him an NFL starter.
In my report, I gave him a third-round grade. His tape against Colorado is as good as you’ll see from any running back not named Jeanty. Neal shows vision, change of direction, power, and drive. He is a workhorse back capable of shouldering the load, though his 760 career carries will create concerns over the tread be brings to the NFL.
Consistent pass protection is Neal’s biggest problem, and he didn’t run well at the Combine. But he’s faster on tape and a plus athlete (he briefly played baseball while at Kansas). His plus ball security, four fumbles on over 800 career touches, will endear himself well to NFL coaches too.
My NFL comp is D’Andre Swift.
7. Quinshon Judkins – Ohio State
Where I’m higher on Neal than most, I might be lower on Judkins. At least the 2024 version of him. If he can become the player he was at Ole Miss, I’ll like him a lot more. But after transferring to Ohio State, he added weight. At Ole Miss, he was listed at 210, at Ohio State he was listed at 219, and 221 at the Combine.
It made him slower without the burst to get into the second level. While he ran with moderate power, he wasn’t a punisher. And just okay as a receiver, he is prone to dropping his eyes in pass protection.
Perhaps playing alongside Henderson made Judkins seem slower, but he simply didn’t look dynamic in open grass in the Ohio State tape I watched.
My NFL comp is Melvin Gordon in style. That sounds pretty good, but Gordon was more of a volume runner who averaged more than 3.9 YPC in just three of his nine NFL seasons.
8. DJ Giddens – Kansas State
Another player I’m higher on than the consensus. Giddens runs tall and doesn’t play to his low-4.4 speed, but I really like his lateral quickness and change of direction. Few made defenders miss in a phone booth like Giddens. The word “slalom” consistently came up in my notes while watching Giddens. He rushed for more than 2,500 yards over the past two seasons. In 2024, he rushed for 100-plus yards in seven of 12 games.
He showed vision to find the hole and patience to set up his blocks. Pass protection is his chief concern and could be an issue early in his career, limiting him to early down work. I compared him to Tevin Coleman.
9. Dylan Sampson – Tennessee
Pivoting to someone I’m not as high on as the consensus. Maybe I just didn’t watch the right tape, but I didn’t see it with Sampson. His speed is real and in space, Sampson makes plays. But he needs a runway to produce those big plays, making him difficult to rely on.
His game often went quiet until he could bust a 50-yard run as his marquee moment of the game. His vision underwhelmed and he ran into blocks too often. Also, he had just one year of top-end production, never rushing for more than 610 yards until 2024.
Sampson is versatile and has formational flexibility to split out. But I like running backs who can create and didn’t see it with him.
10. Bhayshul Tuten – Virginia Tech
Another speedster in a class full of them, Tuten’s speed is legit and an asset as a runner and – don’t forget – a returner. He has two career kick-return scores. He displays good vision as a runner and can drop his hips to make players miss, though he’s not quite as elusive as you’d hope for an undersized back.
He’s a strong receiver (50 receptions over the past two years) who works well in scramble drills with plus hands. Coming off a 1,100-yard season, Tuten is productive. He shows better contact balance than his frame suggests though true power is absent from his game.
The biggest concern is an alarming number of fumbles, eight over the last two seasons. I went back and watched all of them. Tuten works to keep multiple points of contact on the football and his fumbles weren’t from holding the ball loosely or carelessly. At least one came on a squib kickoff that wasn’t a true carry or rush.
But he had a habit of losing the ball after being initially knocked off balance and then hit again on the way down. It just seems to be a lack of size/strength problem with him that may be more difficult to correct than simply displaying better technique.
Either way, Tuten’s fumbles make him tough to trust. His speed is impressive but he’s not an every-down runner. My NFL comp is the late Ronnie Hillman.
11. Cam Skattebo – Arizona State
Skattebo is fun to watch and easy to root for. True meaning of “leave it all out on the field” and his performance against Texas in the CFB playoffs embodied that. He does it all. He runs hard. He catches the ball. He blocks. He even throws the ball and is a left-footed punter. Put a leather helmet on this guy and he’d still be a star.
Still, Skattebo comes with athletic limitations. His game is similar to Jaylen Warren but he’s not as explosive and lacks a true second gear. There is also concern over his violent playing style leading to injuries and potentially shortening his career (though to his credit, he was healthy in 2024).
Skattebo could be a quality rotational piece with a more power/short-yardage role. He’s just not going to be a lead back.
12 Jaydon Blue – Texas
Blue’s speed is off the charts, running in the 4.2s during his Pro Day. A similar home run hitter like Henderson, Blue is a strong receiver who often was split out in the Longhorns’ offense.
But a slight build, lack of heavy production, and nasty fumbling problem (he cited security issues with the ball in his left hand) all hold him back. Blue was a big-time recruit who struggled to find offensive footing until 2024 and even then, he still only rushed for 730 yards with just two 100-yard performances.
He’s faster but has a similar game to Kenneth Gainwell. Versatile with open-field potency but won’t offer much between the tackles.
13. Tahj Brooks – Texas Tech
It almost feels wrong to have Brooks this low and I tried to be largely consistent with my draft grades. I gave him a 6.8, a fifth-round slotting. I like Tahj Brooks and think he can carve out a real NFL role. He’s thickly built, productive, high-character, and could be a very good receiver and blocker. His hands are underrated and he’s a reliable and above-average receiver.
His vision has been compared to Le’Veon Bell’s, and he indeed shows unique patience to wait and hit the hole.
A lack of burst and speed are the biggest problems holding him back. A college workhorse who left as the school’s career leader in rushing yards and touchdowns, Brooks also has a lot of wear and tear on him with nearly 900 carries and almost 1,000 touches.
If the class wasn’t so deep, Brooks would be ranked higher. He looks like an ideal third-down back and I think he sticks in the NFL for awhile, even if he won’t be a true starter who racks up big numbers for fantasy football owners.
14. LeQuint Allen – Syracuse
Allen is a high-legged runner and one of the better receivers in this year’s class. He rushed for 16 scores and caught 64 passes for the Orange in 2024. He’s durable and plays with good leg drive and finish despite not being built or having plus power.
He didn’t run the 40 during the pre-draft process, and I imagine his time would’ve been just average. Allen runs tall and a little stiff, hurting his NFL projection, and his pass protection must iron out to offer true third-down value. Still, I liked his overall tape, and he could carve out a role as a pass-down specialist at the next level.
15. Trevor Etienne – Georgia
Etienne will go higher than my ranking and grade on him. In his favor, he had a strong Combine workout with a fast 40 and caught the ball well in on-field drills. Also, his Florida tape was stronger than his time at Georgia.
But a lack of size and power combined with medical and off-field concerns ding him big-time. He’s not as big or as dynamic as his brother. Etienne just isn’t a clean prospect with a limited ceiling who wasn’t overly productive in college. I don’t see that suddenly changing at the next level.
