2024 FTN NFL Power Rankings Through Week 15: Who Takes Over the Top Spot?
Daniel Kelley
Next up in our position group rankings we have a list of NFL backfields.
The running back position may be losing value with each passing year, but it’s far from dead yet. Running the ball is forever going to be a staple for NFL offenses, and the guys who are best at carrying the rock will always find ways to get on the field and make life difficult for opposing defenses.
While the running back position is typically the first that comes to mind when thinking of the backfield, this list goes beyond just one position. Modern NFL offenses have gotten more and more creative with how they move the ball on the ground. Quarterback runs are becoming increasingly popular, and in many offenses, their presence has a significant impact on an offense’s entire ground game. We wanted to take this into account when developing these rankings, so this list is more than just a look at which teams have the best running backs. On rare occasions, the occasional FB/joker-type player will influence where a team falls on this list, and the wide receivers who occasionally find their way into the backfield and play a role in the ground game can make a slight impact on these rankings as well.
Track our whole position group rankings series: Offensive Line | Pass-Catchers | Defensive Line | Linebackers | Linebacker | Quarterbacks | Secondaries | Special Teams | Coaches and Coordinators | more to come!
2024 NFL Backfield Rankings
1. Baltimore Ravens
Let’s not overthink this one. The combination of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry in the same backfield is going to be an absolute nightmare for anyone and everyone who tries to stop them. These are two of the toughest guys to tackle in the entire NFL, and their skill sets just so happen to complement each other perfectly. If they get anything out of Keaton Mitchell as he returns from an ACL tear, he’ll bring an additional speed element that will cause yet another headache for opposing defenses.
Fun Stat: Derrick Henry’s 280 rush attempts led the league in 2023.
2. Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts’ presence alone has made the Eagles backfield one of the scariest in the league these past few seasons. Now with Saquon Barkley in the mix, they’ll pair Hurts with the best running back Philadelphia has seen since LeSean McCoy left. Outside of Hurts and Barkley, the Eagles don’t have another option in the backfield that strikes fear in the eyes of opposing defenders, but those two alone are going to be tough to stop, and I’m not sure the league is ready for what they’re capable of.
Fun Stat: Jalen Hurts’ 15 rushing touchdowns tied for second in the league with Josh Allen (Raheem Mostert had 18).
3. Indianapolis Colts
If there’s a new team that claims the No. 1 spot in next year’s rankings, the Colts may just be the favorite. At quarterback, Anthony Richardson showed immense upside, even though his shortened season makes him somewhat of a question mark entering year two. If nothing else, we feel confident that when healthy, Richardson will bring a dynamic rushing element to the quarterback position. Of course we can’t talk about the Colts backfield without mentioning Jonathan Taylor. At 25 years old, Taylor is in the peak of his prime and remains one of the most talented backs in the league. This dynamic duo will make Indianapolis one of the scariest backfields in the league for the next few seasons.
Fun Stat: If he had had enough attempts to qualify, Richardson’s 5.4 yards per attempt would have tied for second last season.
4. San Francisco 49ers
The first team without a true dual-threat quarterback has officially entered the chat. Christian McCaffrey alone is talented enough to have the 49ers in contention for the top overall spot, and his versatility helped unlock yet another layer in an already dominant 49ers offense. He’s the rare MVP-caliber running back who you can build an entire offense around. While Brock Purdy’s rushing element doesn’t move the needle much in this backfield, the 49ers do get a slight boost due to having the best fullback in the game in Kyle Juszczyk, and they also get a sprinkle of Deebo Samuel in the backfield from time to time as well.
Fun Stat: McCaffrey led the league with 83 first downs on the ground in 2023; 15 more than No. 2 (Hurts).
5. Detroit Lions
Jahymr Gibbs alone is talented enough to have the Lions highly ranked on this list, but it’s the pairing with David Montgomery that makes this a top-five backfield in the league. The Lions have a true thunder and lighting approach where Montgomery’s power and Gibbs’ speed complement each other perfectly. Their skillsets provide Detroit with arguably the most dynamic backfield in the league when looking purely at the running back position.
Fun Stat: Through Week 7 last year Gibbs, averaged 48.9 rush YPG; from Week 8 onward, that number jumped up to 69.8 (via FTN Splits Tool).
6. Atlanta Falcons
It may surprise some that the Falcons are this high on the rankings, but those who are surprised don’t appreciate the greatness of Bijan Robinson just yet. It’s just his second year in the league, but Robinson has already shown an ability to absolutely dominate in many facets of the game. He’s an electric runner who’s also an adept receiver with the ability to be a matchup nightmare in the passing game. In addition to Robinson, Tyler Allgeier makes for one of the stronger backup options in the league, which helps nudge Atlanta slightly higher on this list.
Fun Stat: Bijan Robinson fell just shy of the 1,000 rushing yard mark his rookie season (976).
7. Jacksonville Jaguars
Despite finishing with over 1,000 rushing yards and double-digit TDs in 2023, Travis Etienne hasn’t gotten as much praise as he may deserve. He’s not atop the elite tier of NFL backs, but he’s lived up to his first-round draft capital and provided a ton of value to this Jaguars offense in the two seasons he’s been healthy. Jacksonville also has some respectable depth behind him, most notably with Tank Bigsby, who the team spent a third-round pick on in 2023. Rounding out this backfield is Trevor Lawrence, whose rushing ability is frequently underrated. He’s not a guy who’s going to light up the stat sheet on the ground, but he’ll consistently do just enough damage to cause opposing defenses to hesitate.
Fun Stat: Etienne led the league with 31 broken tackles in 2023.
8. New York Jets
The Jets are the first team on this list who are truly carried by one back and one back alone. Breece Hall has been a monster for this offense when healthy, and now that he’s two years removed from his season-ending knee injury, he should be at peak form in 2024. However, there’s no one else in this Jets backfield who has proven they can add anything to an NFL rushing attack. Even if Hall is as good as many think he will be, it’ll still be hard for the Jets to move up much higher in these rankings due to their lack of optionality. The team did invest both a fourth- and fifth-round pick in their backfield in this year’s draft though, so there’s hope that one of Braelon Allen or Isaiah Davis help add that optionality, but they both have a lot to prove before they impact these rankings.
Fun Stat: Hall was one of just 18 RBs to average more than two yards after contact per attempt (2.2) last season.
9. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers offense caught a lot of flak last season, but if there’s one thing they should be able to hang their hat on in 2024, it’ll be a potent ground game. Both Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are tackle-breaking machines who could serve as workhorse backs in a number of other offenses. They bring an extremely physical approach to the run game that can really wear down opposing defenses. Throw in the possibility of Justin Fields bringing an additional rushing element at the quarterback position, and the Steelers sneakily have a top 10 backfield in the NFL.
Fun Stat: Harris and Warren both averaged 2.4 YAC/rush attempt last year, which had them tied for third in the NFL.
10. Seattle Seahawks
In both the 2022 and 2023 drafts, the Seahawks invested second-round picks in the running back position. That’s a significant investment in today’s NFL, and the Seahawks find themselves with a top-10 backfield accordingly. Kenneth Walker is the lead back on the team, and the explosive element he brings to this offense makes him a big play waiting to happen. While 2023 rookie Zach Charbonnet didn’t see the field much in his debut season, he flashed impressive potential in his limited action.
Fun Stat: Walker’s 22 broken tackles ranked eighth in 2023.
11. Buffalo Bills
I think people tend to forget just how good of a runner Josh Allen is. He’s not a guy who will log a 1,000-yard rushing season anytime soon, but his size, strength and athleticism make him a handful for defenders to bring to the ground. The perfect complement to Allen’s powerful running style might just be James Cook. Cook possesses the versatility to cause matchup problems for opposing defenses, as his ability to win through the air or on the ground makes him a valuable chess piece out of the Buffalo backfield.
Fun Stat: Allen’s 524 rushing yards ranked fourth among QBs in 2023.
12. New England Patriots
There’s not a ton of reason to be optimistic about what the Patriots offense is going to produce in 2023, but the backfield is an exception there. Rhamondre Stevenson is one of the more well-rounded backs in all of football and is more than capable of serving in a workhorse role. In addition to Stevenson, New England brought in Antonio Gibson this offseason to add value as a change-of-pace back. Drake Maye may not be the team’s starter right out of the gates, but when he eventually takes over, he’ll add a slight bit of rushing upside at QB too.
Fun Stat: When Stevenson played a full 17 games in 2022, his 1,461 scrimmage yards ranked 13th in the NFL.
13. Green Bay Packers
The Packers had a great backfield last year with Aaron Jones leading the way for the past few seasons, and that doesn’t change now that he’s out of the picture. The addition of Josh Jacobs was one of the more surprising changes of the offseason, and he should have a fantastic first season in Green Bay in 2024. In addition to Jacobs, the Packers also have AJ Dillon who brings a powerful presence to the backfield in short yardage situations.
Fun Stat: Jacobs’ 1,653 rushing yards led the NFL in 2022.
14. Miami Dolphins
If there’s one word to describe Miami’s backfield (and really their offense as a whole) it has to be speed. Last year, Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane teamed up to form one of the speediest backfields the NFL has ever seen. Both will be returning to Miami this year, and the team also added Jaylen Wright in the fourth round of this year’s draft to bring even more juice to the table. Tua Tagovailoa won’t add much of a rushing element at the quarterback position, but the sheer speed alone of the running back room has Miami inside the top 15 of these rankings.
Fun Stat: Mostert’s 18 rushing touchdowns led the NFL in 2023.
15. Tennessee Titans
Despite moving on from Derrick Henry, the Titans are still going to enter the 2024 season with one of the more intriguing backfields. The addition of Tony Pollard will bring a solid, well-rounded lead back to the group. Alongside Pollard, Tyjae Spears flashed some intriguing upside in his debut season, and should serve as a great No. 2 – maybe even a 1B – in this backfield. Then there’s also the minor boost the Titans get from Will Levis at quarterback. Levis isn’t a world beater on the ground, but he’s a solid athlete who can catch defenses off guard when he decides to run.
Fun Stat: In 2022, Pollard’s 5.2 yards per carry ranked third among running backs.
16. Los Angeles Rams
Kyren Williams broke out onto the scene in a major way in 2023. The young running back served as the workhorse of all workhorses in Sean McVay’s offense, and he finished the season with an extremely impressive 1,144 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground. In fact, the Rams loved Williams so much that they essentially drafted his clone in the 2024 draft. The addition of Blake Corum in Round 3 will ease the burden on Williams moving forward, and hopefully provide the Rams with a two-headed monster in their backfield that will only improve what their entire unit is capable of.
Fun Stat: Kyren Williams led the league with 95.3 rushing yards per game last season.
17. Chicago Bears
The signing of D’Andre Swift was one of the more peculiar moves of the offseason given the Bears already seemed to have a decent running back room prior to his arrival. 2023 rookie Roschon Johnson showed a ton of promise as a bigger back, and he slotted in well alongside Khalil Herbert, who has been a solid yet unspectacular runner since joining the league. At quarterback, Caleb Williams should come in and add a decent amount of rushing upside. Overall, the Bears will have a lot of bodies who can be solid contributors on the ground, even though they lack a true super star in the backfield.
Fun Stat: Swift’s 1,046 rushing yards were a career high last year.
18. New Orleans Saints
Alvin Kamara may not be the same caliber of player he once was, but he’s still a great back, and the Saints have a few intriguing options around him. 2023 second-rounder Kendre Miller’s rookie season was a wash due to injury, but he was drafted with the intention of serving as Kamara’s heir apparent. If he flashes at all, that would be the Saints’ best shot at getting ahead of the average range in these rankings. Throw in a sprinkle of Taysom Hill, and this backfield has a few intriguing options.
Fun Stat: Alvin Kamara’s 5.8 receptions per game led all running backs in 2023.
19. Minnesota Vikings
Ty Chandler had an interesting second half of the season once he took over as lead back in Minnesota. Still, despite Chandler’s fun stretch, the Vikings felt the need to add more to their backfield, and they did so in a big way by adding former division rival Aaron Jones. At 29 years old, Jones’ best days are likely behind him, but in a split backfield with Chandler, he should still be able to add plenty of value.
Fun Stat: Over the last three games of the season, Aaron Jones averaged 116.3 rushing yards per game.
20. Cleveland Browns
It wasn’t long ago that Cleveland was home to what was quite possibly the best backfield in the entire NFL. Now, with Nick Chubb’s status in question due to a combination of age and injury, it’s easy to be nervous about the Cleveland backfield entering the 2024 season. Jerome Ford was a solid fill-in last year, but he’s not a guy who Cleveland necessarily wants to rely on heavily this upcoming season. D’Onta Foreman makes for an interesting depth piece, and Nyheim Hines will add an interesting change-of-pace element, but there’s no denying this is a backfield that’s fallen off in recent years. There is the added bonus of Deshaun Watson’s rushing ability as well, but his performance is certainly a question mark entering the season.
Fun Stat: Despite the injury to Chubb, Cleveland still finished the season top half in the league (13th) in rush yards last season.
21. Arizona Cardinals
James Conner is no longer the back he once was, but he should still have a bit of juice left in the tank in 2024 to add some value in what will now be a shared backfield with incoming rookie Trey Benson. Given his draft capital (second round), the Cardinals likely have high hopes for Benson to make an immediate impact. The pairing of these two backs, plus the rushing upside Kyler Murray brings to the table makes Arizona one of the sneakier backfields entering the 2024 season.
Fun Stat: In 2023, Conner eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the first time in his career (1,040).
22. Washington Commanders
The most exciting component of the Commanders backfield this year is far and away Jayden Daniels. Daniels should come in and provide an immediate boost to the Washington rushing attack. Joining him in the backfield will be Austin Ekeler, who has definitely lost a step at this stage in his career but will still provide a solid veteran presence. The guy who may lead the running back room in yardage this year though is Brian Robinson Jr. who had a great 2023 season in his own right. Robinson is a powerful back who should serve as a solid option for Washington on early downs.
Fun Stat: Austin Ekeler’s 5 fumbles led all running backs in 2023.
23. Houston Texans
We’re entering the point in these rankings where we start to see a lot of familiar names that are a bit past their athletic primes. Joe Mixon has had a fantastic NFL career, but I’m not so sure he has a ton left in the tank. The Texans certainly hope he does, because there isn’t a ton of depth behind him in the backfield. Dameon Pierce is a guy who had a fantastic rookie season then completely disappeared from the team’s game plans in year two. There’s still a tiny bit of upside there with Pierce, but the odds of him adding substantial value in 2024 are certainly slim.
Fun Stat: Mixon’s 1,034 rushing yards ranked eighth in the league last year.
24. Kansas City Chiefs
It’s no secret that the Chiefs’ offense is based around their aerial attack rather than their ground game. Despite this, they’ve still gotten solid production these past few seasons out of Isiah Pacheco and his hard-nosed running style. Pacheco’s not a world beater by any stretch of the imagination, but he plays a good role in this backfield and serves as a great complement to the passing game. Patrick Mahomes himself adds a sprinkle of rushing upside at the quarterback position as well. The rest of the running back room is filled with guys who are best equipped for complementary or change of pace roles.
Fun Stat: Pacheco finished tied for second in the league with 6 rushes of over 30 yards last season.
25. Denver Broncos
If there’s one player on a team outside the top 20 who could vault his team up these rankings next season, my money would be on Javonte Williams. The third-year back got off to an electric start to his career where he served as a tackle-breaking machine in Denver’s offense. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending injury early in his second year and hasn’t been the same since. He’s now two years removed from that injury though, and if he returns to form he could provide this Denver offense with a massive boost. Around Williams there are some intriguing complementary pieces in Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estimé. Bo Nix is also an underrated athlete when he decides to tuck and run.
Fun Stat: During Williams’ rookie season (2021) he led the league in broken tackles (31).
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Rachaad White had a great 2023 season, which may lead many to wonder why the Bucs find themselves so low on this list. Despite some of White’s impressive stats (especially from a fantasy football perspective), he was a fairly inefficient runner who didn’t add a ton of upside to this rushing attack on his own. Outside of White, there aren’t any guys in this backfield who have proven capable of handling a significant NFL workload. There’s some intrigue in incoming rookie Bucky Irving – an undersized back with some explosiveness to his game – but that’s all speculation at this point, and his fourth-round draft capital means expectations should be tempered.
Fun Stat: White’s 3.6 YPC were the lowest of any player in the top 25 in rushing yards last season.
27. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals didn’t make a splashy move to replace Joe Mixon this offseason. Instead, they opted to keep the running back room relatively cheap, and Zack Moss will likely enter the season as the team’s RB1. Moss had a solid 2023 season, but he’s far from a plus player at the position. Second-year player Chase Brown did flash some intriguing upside in his rookie season though, and there’s plenty of opportunity for him to carve out a significant role in a backfield that severely needs a spark.
Fun Stat: Moss’ 794 rushing yards last season were a career high.
28. Carolina Panthers
The Miles Sanders addition last offseason proved to be a total bust, so the Panthers re-invested aggressively in the position in the 2024 draft. Assuming he enters the NFL at full health, second-round pick Jonathon Brooks should lead this backfield right out of the gates. He has a lot to prove before the Panthers find themselves any higher on this list, but at least Carolina will have the benefit of knowing both Sanders and Chuba Hubbard are there to help ease the burden a bit if Brooks needs more time to develop.
Fun Stat: Hubbard’s 238 attempts ranked ninth in the NFL last season.
29. Las Vegas Raiders
Zamir White showed some promise as a fill-in back last season when Josh Jacobs missed time. Still, White’s far from a proven thing at the NFL level, and it remains to be seen how he’ll hold up in what will likely be more of a full-time role. Alexander Mattison and Ameer Abdullah add some depth to the backfield, but unfortunately not much more than that. The Raiders also likely won’t get any rushing production out of the quarterback position this year as well, so this is a team that finds themselves near the bottom of these rankings accordingly.
Fun Stat: With Dalvin Cook out of the picture last year in Minnesota, Mattison averaged a career-low 3.9 YPC.
30. Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers essentially stole the old Ravens backfield and will hope they can replicate a similar level of success on the nation’s other coastline. Unfortunately, that formula doesn’t inspire much excitement as this is a backfield that lacks a ton of upside in its current state. The likely starter in Week 1 will be 29-year-old Gus Edwards, who has been a fine yet unspectacular player throughout his career. The other Raven the Chargers took a flier on is J.K. Dobbins, who has shown elite upside but has had his career completely derailed by injuries. Outside of these two, there’s no proven talent on the roster, as sixth-round rookie Kimani Vidal may be the third-most intriguing option in the backfield.
Fun Stat: Edwards’ 13 rushing touchdowns tied for fifth in the league last season.
31. Dallas Cowboys
Ezekiel Elliott may bring some exciting name value to the Cowboys’ backfield this year, but he likely won’t bring much else. We’re starting to see the wheels fall off for Elliott, as he showed significant signs of decline his past two seasons. He’ll likely enter the season as the Week 1 starter, and there won’t be any options behind him with a ton of experience. Rico Dowdle looks to be the No. 2 on the depth chart right now, but he has just 385 rushing yards in his entire three-year career. Royce Freeman is an uninspiring veteran depth piece who may not even make the roster, and rounding out the backfield will likely be Deuce Vaughn, whose size will limit him to a complementary role in the offense.
Fun Stat: Elliott’s 3.5 yards per carry in 2023 were the lowest of his career.
32. New York Giants
Even the rushing element Daniel Jones brings to the table isn’t enough to keep the Giants out of the basement here. The decision to move on from Saquon Barkley was a tough one for the people of New York, but it may have been the right business decision for the Giants. While Devin Singletary and Co. likely won’t excite the fans much this year, this is a team with far bigger needs than running back right now, and they approached their offseason accordingly.
Fun Stat: Devin Singletary’s 898 rushing yards in 2023 were a career high.
