Training camps are in full swing, bringing with them the official start of “peak” fantasy football draft season. Running backs have been in the news in recent weeks given the controversy over disproportionate pay: as teams are granted higher salary cap numbers by the league, the comparative value of running back salaries continues to drop.
Saquon Barkley and the New York Giants avoided a lengthy impasse with a recent one-year deal that pays slightly more than the franchise tag. However, as of this writing, one of last year’s top fantasy running backs, Josh Jacobs, remains unsigned after refusing to sign his franchise tag. Jacobs has not yet reported to camp with his Las Vegas Raiders teammates. Meanwhile, star running back Jonathan Taylor is still at odds with Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, so his prospects for 2023 are likewise in flux.
Contract situations aren’t the only challenge to those compiling rankings: despite the recent signings of Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook, a number of high-profile running backs remain unsigned, including Leonard Fournette, Kareem Hunt, and Frank Gore. Just kidding about the last one, but rest assured that Kenyan Drake has signed on with his fifth NFL team. Okay, before we get chippier than Deebo Samuel answering questions about the Philadelphia Eagles, let’s dive right into our 2023 Running Back Draft Rankings.
The first tier is a party of one: the 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey is the undisputed top running back in this year’s class. Barkley headlines the next group, followed by Nick Chubb, rookie Bijan Robinson, and veteran pass-catcher extraordinaire, Austin Ekeler, who led the NFL in touchdowns over the past two seasons. While touchdown regression is possible for Ekeler in a new offense, a solid case can be made for him or anyone else in this tier to challenge McCaffrey as the overall RB1 this season.
Just below this group is another tier led by Tony Pollard and future Hall of Famer Derrick Henry, with Rhamondre Stevenson, Najee Harris, and Jonathan Taylor rounding out both the tier and the Top Ten at the position. Some may wonder why Taylor isn’t near the top of this list, but a bitter holdout is weighing down his prospects, as is the presence of a rookie quarterback who’ll likely display a tendency for scrambling instead of checking down in passing situations.
Two high-upside options kick off the next tier. Former Clemson standout Travis Etienne should handle the bulk of the work in a Jacksonville Jaguars offense on the rise. Meanwhile, Jacobs (mentioned above) is higher on most boards, but he carries substantial risk at this stage in the draft given both his contract situation and the pounding he took last year from logging nearly 400 touches.
This time last year, Andy Richardson of Fantasy Index analyzed data for all running backs with 350 or more touches over a 15-year period. He speculated that Jonathan Taylor and Najee Harris, the only two running backs to cross that threshold in 2021, wouldn’t perform at a level commensurate with their expectations in 2022. Those two players subsequently finished as the RB33 and RB14, respectively, and neither provided a desirable return on the extremely high draft capital invested by their fantasy managers.
Inclusive of these two, there were 43 running back seasons with 350 or more touches between 2007 and 2022. Slightly more than half (23, or 53.5%) saw follow-up finishes as an RB1 (Top 12) the following season. However, since 2015, only 5 of 14 (35.7%) of these players have been able to repeat the feat. Jacobs (390), Derrick Henry (382), and Barkley (352) have the dubious distinction of appearing on this year’s “350-Plus” watch list.
Below are Drew DeLuca’s Top 40 running back rankings as of August 15, 2023, complete with a few notes on each player. His up-to-date rankings are available on FantasyPros.com, where our updated QB List Staff Rankings will likewise soon be available. Both sets of rankings appear in the Top 25 of FantasyPros’ Multi-Year Accuracy Rankings (2020-present). Be sure to bookmark them to find the latest updates as we update our rankings in lockstep with training camp injuries and depth chart changes going forward.
| Rank | Name | Team | Tier | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christian McCaffrey | SF | 1 | McCaffrey is unquestionably the top running back in any format and occupies a tier of his own. He is one of three players in NFL history to tally 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in the same season. This year, he’s aiming to be the first player in history to accomplish the feat twice. Who are we to doubt? He should be one of the first two players drafted in just about all redraft leagues in 2023. |
| 2 | Nick Chubb | CLE | 2 | Chubb finished third in broken tackles and was a Top 5 RB last year despite the presence of Kareem Hunt, who’s now gone. Jerome Ford played a total of 14 snaps last season, resulting in 8 carries for 12 yards and zero. I have a hard time believing he’s going to steal a ton of work from Chubb in passing situations. Expect a career year from Nick Chubb in 2023. |
| 3 | Bijan Robinson | ATL | 2 | We’ve seen enough of Arthur Smith offenses to know the score here: in a role in which Derrick Henry feasted and Tyler Allgeier was a weekly fantasy starter, expect the 8th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to flourish behind an above-average run blocking unit. Robinson offers far more as a receiver than any lead back Smith has ever employed. Given the insanely large size of Atlanta’s rushing volume pie, Bijan is a near-lock for a Top 5 finish in his inaugural NFL season, even if Allgeier and 32-year-old Cordarelle Patterson carve out anything more than rotational roles. |
| 4 | Saquon Barkley | NYG | 2 | This offense still runs through Barkley, whose contract dispute is settled (for now); don’t expect any relevant negative impact on his 2023 production. His high workload remains a concern, but the addition of Darren Waller should help keep defenses honest, especially in the red zone. This should open up even more room for Lord Saquad to pile up touchdowns on top of his elite rushing and receiving utilization. |
| 5 | Austin Ekeler | LAC | 2 | I’m willing to bet that we just saw Austin Ekeler’s career season. I wouldn’t bet on him repeating his overall RB1 finish in a completely different offense, but betting against Ekeler in general in an ascending offense is inadvisable, especially with the aging Keenan Allen and mercurial Mike Williams manning lead WR roles while rookie Quentin Johnson acclimates to the NFL. Ekeler has finished as WR4 or better in each of his last three full seasons, so RB5 is a conservative ranking for a 28-year-old who has led the league in touchdowns from scrimmage for two consecutive seasons. |
| 6 | Tony Pollard | DAL | 3 | Pollard’s 2.6 Yards After Contact per attempt was tops among all running backs with 100 or more attempts last season. The Cowboys have reportedly been flirting with the idea of bringing back Ezekiel Elliott, which did not happen, so the addition of another high-profile veteran like Kareem Hunt or Leonard Fournette would not be a total shock. If this happens, bump Pollard down a couple of spots. If they don’t, consider moving one of the NFL’s most efficient and explosive running backs up a spot or two. |
| 7 | Derrick Henry | TEN | 3 | King Henry still reigns supreme as one of the most fearsome offensive weapons in the game and has shown no signs to date of abdicating his throne. He finished 2022 as the RB4 in fantasy football and led the league in broken tackles last season, so we can bury the narrative that he has lost a step. He’s a physical freak, so a Top 5 finish from the 29-year-old Henry should surprise absolutely no one. |
| 8 | Rhamondre Stevenson | NE | 3 | Stevenson tallied over 1,000 rushing yards last season despite the presence of Damien Harris for most of the season. He also showed tremendous growth as a receiver, hauling in 69 of his 88 targets. With Harris gone, Rhamondre offers clear Top 5 upside, though he slides down a couple of spots thanks to the signing of Ezekiel Elliott. The former Dallas Cowboys star will steal several red zone opportunities as Harris did last year, but he isn’t a major upgrade over Damien Harris at this stage of their careers. |
| 9 | Najee Harris | PIT | 3 | A wild narrative propagated throughout the offseason in the fantasy football community: some were suggesting that Jaylen Warren is the RB to own in Pittsburgh, not Najee Harris. It’s easy to forget that Harris, one of the better running back prospects to enter the league over the last decade, turned in an RB1 finish as the RB12 in fantasy while playing through a significant foot injury all season. Assuming Najee is back to full strength, he could very well finish in the Top Five behind an improved offensive line. |
| 10 | Jonathan Taylor | IND | 3 | Taylor is embroiled in a nasty contract dispute with Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay that seems to be growing more acrimonious by the day. Taylor could hold out for up to six weeks of the NFL season without losing an accrued year of service, and this ranking reflects that we even have to mention as much for a player who has the undeniable upside to finish as the overall RB1. It’s also understandable to pump the brakes a bit on an offense that will be led by rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, who threw fewer passes in his collegiate career than 19 NFL quarterbacks attempted in 2022 alone. |
| 11 | Travis Etienne Jr. | JAC | 4 | No running back with 100 or more attempts tallied more Yards Before Contact per attempt than Etienne in 2022. The very thought that rookie Tank Bigsby is a threat to Etienne’s role as the unquestioned lead back in this offense as some suggest is laughable. Etienne, a unicorn of a prospect and possessor of rare Round 1 draft capital as a running back, was extremely effective and efficient in his first year back from a major injury. Any positive regression whatsoever in either passing game utilization or touchdown volume in an ascending offense easily moves Etienne into the ranks of the Top 10 at the position. Upticks in both areas could vault Etienne higher than most are ready to admit. |
| 12 | Josh Jacobs | LV | 4 | Only Derrick Henry broke more tackles than Jacobs in 2022, the reigning overall RB1 in fantasy. Jacobs also finished second among all running backs with 100 or more attempts last season in Yards After Contact per attempt last season. However, Jacobs is embattled in a nasty contract dispute and has yet to report to training camp. His heavy usage (390 touches) last season is also a significant cause for concern. |
| 13 | Miles Sanders | CAR | 4 | Sanders is the unquestioned lead back for the Carolina Panthers and figures to be featured more heavily in the passing game than he was in Philadelphia. Combining Carolina’s above-average offensive line with a steady diet of carries and targets is a recipe for a fringe RB1 finish. |
| 14 | Joe Mixon | CIN | 4 | Mixon’s efficiency metrics were less-than-stellar in 2022, but the departure of Samaje Perine keeps him in a tier of low-end RB1 and high-end RB2 options. Keep an eye on brewing legal issues stemming from two separate pending legal incidents; a suspension would cause his value to plummet. |
| 15 | Jahmyr Gibbs | DET | 4 | Gibbs was a surprise Round 1 selection by the Detroit Lions in April, making former 35th overall pick D’Andre Swift expendable. Gibbs should be featured heavily in the passing game, especially out of the gate with wide receiver Jameson Williams serving a six-game suspension. Gibbs carries some risk, but his ceiling is undeniable. |
| 16 | Aaron Jones | GB | 5 | Concerns regarding the consistency of Jones’ usage persist; while Jones should earn the lion’s share of the passing down work, no one would bat an eye if A.J. Dillon ended the season with more carries. This caps Jones’ upside somewhat, though he remains a safe RB2 or a great “soft RB1” target for those who choose to go “wide receiver crazy” in the first few rounds. |
| 17 | James Conner | ARI | 5 | Conner will toil in an abysmal offense, but the good news is that he’ll be getting volume regardless of game script. He’s not the sexiest RB2 option, but given his utility in the passing game on a team that’s going to be playing from behind a ton, he’s one of the better values at the position in Round 6 or later. |
| 18 | J.K. Dobbins | BAL | 5 | Every year since he was drafted by the Ravens in the 2nd Round of the 2020 Draft, the consensus tells us that the “Dobbins Breakout Season” is coming. I’m wondering if it ever truly will. Perhaps Todd Monken’s new pass-friendly offense will carve out a role for the former Ohio State standout, but Dobbins has offered little in the passing game to date, and he loses precious red zone totes to Lamar Jackson. |
| 19 | D’Andre Swift | PHI | 5 | Swift was acquired by the Eagles via trade with the Lions during the 2023 NFL Draft, a homecoming for the Philadelphia native who now operates in one of the league’s most prolific offenses behind the NFL’s best offensive line. There are whispers around the NovaCare Complex that the Eagles plan to motion Swift out of the backfield at times, chess moves that would result in more targets than most believe he’ll receive. His upside at this stage of the draft makes him an enticing pick, but remember: he’s still sharing a backfield with Rashaad Penny and Kenny Gainwell. |
| 20 | Alexander Mattison | MIN | 5 | For the past few years, many fantasy analysts urged the community to spend significant draft capital in the neighborhood of Rounds 7-8 on Mattison as a high-end handcuff to Dalvin Cook. Now that Cook is gone, the natural assumption would be “Mattison to the Moon” as a Top 12 RB! However, many are concerned by some dips in his efficiency metrics last season that were not reflected in Cook’s production. Nevertheless, Mattison is the lead back in a high-powered Vikings offense and deserves at least a low-end RB2 ranking. |
| 21 | Cam Akers | LAR | 5 | Akers has the misfortune of playing behind one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines and in an offense littered with question marks about the health of its key skill position players (Matt Stafford and Cooper Kupp, in particular). However, he was productive down the stretch last year without Stafford in the lineup, so perhaps we’re too low on Akers, who has thrived behind terrible offensive lines since his days at Florida State. |
| 22 | Kenneth Walker III | SEA | 6 | Walker was slowed by a groin injury this summer, but appears to be on track to be 100 percent in time for Week 1; he has put on the pads and practiced with the team. Walker was impressive in his rookie campaign last season, but the selection of Day 2 running back Zach Charbonnet in the 2023 NFL Draft puts a damper on his ceiling for this season. |
| 23 | David Montgomery | DET | 6 | Montgomery is a terrific value, especially in half-point PPR leagues. He inherits the role vacated by Jamaal Williams, who led the NFL in rushing touchdowns last season. Montgomery was productive in a miserable Chicago Bears offense behind a subpar offensive line but now benefits from upgrades in these areas. Montgomery should lead the Lions in carries and should post one of the best seasons of his career from an efficiency standpoint. |
| 24 | Rachaad White | TB | 6 | White, a gifted receiver out of the backfield, is well-positioned for a breakout after the departure of Leonard Fournette. However, White was not impressive from an efficiency standpoint as a runner, and the Buccaneers signed UDFA Sean Tucker from Syracuse, who was a potential Day 2 selection before concerning medicals about a cardiac condition caused his draft stock to free fall. Tucker, who is frankly a more physically-talented running back, has been medically cleared and could very well pose a threat to White’s workload between the tackles. |
| 25 | James Cook | BUF | 6 | Dalvin’s younger brother has been creeping up boards in recent weeks. He’s explosive with the ball in his hands and a better athlete than consensus believes. The former Georgia star is a 5’11”, 200-pound back who runs a 4.42 (84th percentile, per PlayerProfiler). He’s well-positioned to carry a significant workload in one of the league’s most potent offenses and is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. He’s a great RB1 target for Zero RB drafters and a terrific upside RB2 for those who go “Hero RB” in drafts and load up on wide receivers. |
| 26 | Dalvin Cook | NYJ | 7 | We find Dalvin right behind little bro in the rankings: an established role in a Buffalo Bills offense offers more upside. However, the former Minnesota Viking was very productive last season, amassing 10 touchdowns and compiling nearly 1,500 total yards. While Dalvin’s 4.8 yards per touch was significantly lower than it was two years ago, it was still over a half-yard higher than Alexander Mattison’s, whose metrics also fell off a cliff (nearly a full yard from where he was two years ago). Those in-tandem drops suggest that the statistical droops may have more to do with the offense/blocking than the running backs themselves. |
| 27 | Breece Hall | NYJ | 7 | I wrote this before the recent Dalvin Cook signing, but I’ll leave it here so you know where I stand on him this year in a bubble: I am much lower than consensus on Hall, who will have his workload managed in a best-case scenario, assuming no compensatory injuries or setbacks in his recovery from an ACL tear that ended his impressive rookie season in 2022. Hall is an elite talent, but the track record of running backs not named Adrian Peterson in Year 1 of a post-ACL tear is far from encouraging. |
| 28 | Dameon Pierce | HOU | 7 | Pierce is one of the most polarizing players in all of fantasy football, as evidenced by FantasyPros Expert Consensus Rankings. Derek Brown (FantasyPros), who’s a tremendous analyst, has Pierce as his RB13. Dave Kluge (Footballguys), likewise sharp, is precisely as low on Pierce as I am (RB28). The mean ECR on Pierce is RB22. I’m in the camp that believes Devin Singletary, who averaged over 200 touches per year on the Buffalo Bills, is a significant upgrade over Rex Burkhead. Singletary led the Bills in running back targets in each of his four years in Buffalo, and is a lock to play a large enough role to chip away at the value of a volume back like Pierce. |
| 29 | Isiah Pacheco | KC | 7 | Pacheco endured two offseason surgeries, one on his thumb that is in his rearview, and another on his shoulder that is still limiting his participation. Pacheco should return before long, so the 2022 7th Round pick will aim to be the first running back to repeat as the Kansas City Chiefs leading rusher since Kareem Hunt did so five years ago. Pacheco is a piece of a potent offense that will frequently find itself in the red zone, so his injury discount is one I’m happy to pounce on in the middle rounds of drafts this year. |
| 30 | Samaje Perine | DEN | 7 | In a worst-case situation, Javonte Williams returns to near-100-percent form after tearing multiple knee ligaments last season. Even in that scenario, Williams, who has been a committee back going back to his days at the University of North Carolina, will have his workload managed more so than usual. Williams’ most reasonable range of outcomes, given all of the above, simply does not justify his current ADP (RB28). Perine, who will play a significant role in the Denver offense no matter what, is the Denver Broncos running back I want shares of. |
| 31 | Zach Charbonnet | SEA | 7 | One year after the Seattle Seahawks invested significant draft capital in Kenneth Walker III, they selected Charbonnet in Round 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Charbonnet profiles as a complete, three-down running back in a desirable offense. He offers stand-alone value even when Walker is healthy, and offers Top 12 upside if anything happens to his backfield mate. Charbonnet is currently limited by a shoulder injury, but assuming he returns to top form in the coming weeks, he’s a terrific value as the consensus RB38 on FantasyPros. |
| 32 | Antonio Gibson | WAS | 7 | Fool me once, shame on me…fool me twice, and it’s because I want to see if Antonio Gibson can thrive in the Jerick McKinnon role in a new offense installed by incoming offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. With J. D. McKissic finally gone, Gibson should handle the bulk of the passing game work in Washington, so the former wide receiver at Memphis becomes an interesting target in PPR leagues. |
| 33 | De’Von Achane | MIA | 7 | Achane moves up a few spots after Dalvin Cook signed with the New York Jets; had Cook signed with Miami, Achane’s stock would’ve sunk instead. The diminutive rookie is explosive and a threat to score on any play, but many wonder if he can hold up to 17 weeks of pounding from tacklers in the NFL. |
| 34 | Alvin Kamara | NO | 7 | Kamara recently received a three-game suspension stemming from his February 2022 altercation, so he’s unavailable for the start of the fantasy football season and can’t be stashed in an Injured Reserve slot. The New Orleans Saints added NFL rushing touchdown leader Jamaal Williams and 2023 Round 3 selection Kendre Miller to a crowded red zone package that already includes noted touchdown vulture Taysom Hill, so counting on Kamara as anything more than an upside flex option might be a mistake. |
| 35 | Brian Robinson Jr. | WAS | 7 | Head Coach Ron Rivera showed his hand last year in terms of running back deployment, trusting Robinson with the bulk of the team’s carries mere weeks after the Alabama product was shot in the lower body! Even with Bieniemy running the show this year, Robinson should once again lead Washington in rushing attempts while commanding the majority of goal line carries. If Gibson flops again, Robinson could provide a significant return on investment in Round 9 or later of drafts this season. |
| 36 | AJ Dillon | GB | 7 | Few would be surprised if the former Boston College standout led the Green Bay Packers in carries this season. However, unlike backfield mate Aaron Jones, Dillon’s value is very much dependent on game script. The entire profile of the team’s offense is very much in question following the departure of Aaron Rodgers, so if Jordan Love proves more than capable of handling the reins, Dillon will be a serviceable weekly flex option for his fantasy managers this season. |
| 37 | Jamaal Williams | NO | 7 | Williams led the NFL in rushing touchdowns last season, but now finds himself mired in a far more crowded backfield that features Alvin Kamara and rookie Kendre Miller. However, Williams’s role is arguably the most secure as the player best suited to handle short-yardage and goal line work. Williams’s fantasy managers shouldn’t expect much in the way of PPR contributions, nor is a repeat of last year’s touchdown performance in the cards. However, a double-digit tally is not out of the question if Taysom Hill’s role in goal line packages is reduced this season. |
| 38 | Damien Harris | BUF | 7 | Some will argue that Harris is a better option than Williams given that he has less competition in the running back room, but the presence of Josh Allen could eat into Harris’s volume in the red zone. A bright spot for Harris managers: the team significantly upgraded the interior of the offensive line by acquiring Conner McGovern (free agency) and O’Cyrus Torrence (NFL Draft). Expect the Bills to be more efficient in converting goal-to-go opportunities, and Harris stands to benefit as much as anyone. |
| 39 | Rashaad Penny | PHI | 7 | No one really knows for sure how the Philadelphia backfield will shake out, but the upside Penny offers as one of the NFL’s most efficient running backs on a per-touch basis is obscene, especially when considering that he’ll work behind Planet Earth’s best offensive line. Jalen Hurts will rack up double-digit touchdowns, siphoning more value from Penny than any other Eagles running back. However, there should be plenty of scoring opportunities to go around thanks to the high-flying Eagles offense. |
| 40 | Javonte Williams | DEN | 7 | I am much lower on Williams than consensus this season. While I advocate buying his stock in dynasty formats, I don’t understand the attraction to Williams in redraft for two reasons. First, he has never proven to be more than a rotational back at any point in his career going back to the University of North Carolina, where he shared a backfield with Michael Carter. Additionally, he tore not one, but *two* knee ligaments during the 2022 NFL season. Generational freaks of nature like Adrian Peterson aside, the track record of running backs in Year One who tore *only one* knee ligament is far from stellar. We should be exercising restraint instead of smashing the “DRAFT” button. |
Below are the best of the rest of this year’s running back. Be sure to pay special attention to the players highlighted below. Jeff Wilson, Jr. in particular rockets up the list after the New York Jets signed Dalvin Cook, ending speculation that the former Pro Bowler could end up in Miami, rendering Achane (above), Wilson, and Raheem Mostert (below) essentially useless for fantasy purposes. Achane offers the highest upside of any Miami back, but Wilson is the best “floor” bet for consistent production.
Roschon Johnson is one of the highest-rated pass blockers in this year’s draft class, and his PFF Elusiveness score ranked in the Top Three in this draft class, even higher than Bijan Robinson’s. Granted, many of his touches came later in games against demoralized, worn-down opponents, but his talent shines through on tape nonetheless. However, Johnson enters a crowded backfield: he needs to beat out incumbent Khalil Herbert, who hasn’t shown he can carry the load for long stretches, as well as free agent addition D’Onta Foreman, who was productive in Carolina after the Panthers traded away Christian McCaffrey.
While pending legal issues swirl around Joe Mixon (see above), Chase Brown is vying with Chris Evans and Trayveon Williams for the RB2 role in Cincinnati. Neither Evans nor Williams was able to leapfrog Samaje Perine for meaningful playing time last season. Evans saw only three touches in 12 games last year for the Bengals, and Williams has earned only 55 total touches and ten targets in four NFL seasons. With Perine now a member of the Denver Broncos, an opportunity exists for Brown to slide into a highly-productive supporting role with standalone value.
Three other rookies to watch are Tyjae Spears, Kendre Miller, and Tank Bigsby. Spears is well-positioned to inherit a large chunk of carries in a high-volume Tennessee Titans rushing offense should the aging Derrick Henry break down or show signs of wear. Miller’s path is more convoluted, as mentioned above, and he’s currently dealing with a minor injury that’s hampering his acclimation into the Saints’ offense. Bigsby is higher on many analysts’ lists, and while I don’t believe he offers much standalone value, he’s certainly a priority handcuff target in later rounds who could be highly productive in the event of an injury to Etienne.
Another interesting late target is Leonard Fournette, a familiar name who needs only a team to play for. Some believe Fournette’s best days are behind him, but he powered through a foot injury last year behind an abysmal offensive line and can still offer passing game utility at a minimum to a team in need later this month. Meanwhile, former Georgia Bulldog Zamir White played sparingly for the Las Vegas Raiders last year, but he could skyrocket up draft boards if Josh Jacobs continues to hold out (or breaks down after compiling 390 touches last season).
Kenneth Gainwell is getting a lot of buzz right now, but he’s a rotational back for the Philadelphia Eagles who’ll play a larger role at the start of the season as Rashaad Penny or D’Andre Swift become more familiar with the offense and its blocking schemes. Gainwell does offer incremental potential value in the event of an injury to Penny or Swift, a scenario that would surprise no one.
Other late darts to consider include Joshua Kelley of the Los Angeles Chargers, who could play a larger rotational role in Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore’s new scheme. UDFA (undrafted free agent) Sean Tucker from Syracuse is an explosive player who could carve out a huge role for himself on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team strapped for draft capital and cap space that has a bare cupboard at the running back position. Tucker was viewed by many scouts as a potential Day 2 pick in this year’s draft before a cardiac condition caused many teams to take him off of their boards entirely. Tucker has since been medically cleared and is participating in practices and games this preseason.
Dallas Cowboys second-year running back Malik Davis is another player to watch; he is going undrafted in many leagues. There were whispers about Ezekiel Elliott rejoining the Cowboys, which did not happen. This potentially opens the door for Davis to play a meaningful role and offer standalone value. Also, keep an eye on rookie Evan Hull from Kentucky, who could step in and spell Jonathan Taylor for the Indianapolis Colts. If Taylor’s holdout persists, or if he’s bitten by the injury bug for the second consecutive season, Hull could potentially play a much larger role.
Feature image by Michael Packard (@CollectingPack on Twitter) / Photography by Dustin Bradford, Frank Jansky & Ken Murray / Icon Sportswire