2024 Best NFL running backs: Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry lead rankings
The NFL season is almost here, with Week 1 approaching rapidly. The FOX Sports NFL staff has been rolling out their annual position rankings to get you acquainted with the biggest names in the sport.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve covered the top off-ball linebackers,cornerbacks, edge rushers, and now we’ll dive into running backs. Members of the FOX Sports NFL staff listed their 10 best in order heading into the 2024 season. A first-place vote merited 10 points in our methodology and descended from there, down to a single point for 10th place. We then combined the scores to determine our rankings.
This year’s cornerbacks list saw only four returning players from last year’s rankings, with running backs being a similar story. Six players from our 2023 list made it again, with four new faces entering the picture.
For the first time this year, all seven writers unanimously voted on the top two players, with Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry going first and second in all seven ballots.
The position is also filled with young talent, as five of the 10 are 25 or younger, with four of those players entering their second or third year.
We’ll continue to roll out the best players at other positions between now and the start of the season. For now, here are the NFL’s best running backs.
2024 Top NFL Running backs
1. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
Eric D. Williams:Already the highest paid running back in the league, San Francisco sweetened the Stanford product’s salary this offseason, signing him to a two-year, $38 million extension. The move was well worth it for the engine of head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense. McCaffrey finished with an NFL-high 2,023 scrimmage yards and 21 total touchdowns, accounting for 30% of San Francisco’s offense last year.
McCaffrey has a unique blend of physicality running between the tackles, speed and elusiveness in the open field and the ability to run routes and catch the ball out of the backfield like a No. 1 receiver. However, already dealing with a calf injury that has limited his practice time in training camp, the 49ers will need their lead running back to stay healthy for a second straight season. That could mean dialing back his touches during the regular season and leaning on a talented running back room that includes Jordan Mason, Elijah Mitchell and rookie Isaac Guerendo.
2023 rank: 1st
2. Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens
Ben Arthur: Having turned 30 this past season, Henry is officially “old” for NFL running backs. He may not be what he was just a few years ago, but he’s still elite and on the shortlist for best at his position. He’s rushed for more than 2,700 yards and 27 touchdowns the last two seasons combined, playing behind what has been one of the worst offensive lines in football. Despite leading the league in carries since 2022, don’t be surprised to see Henry’s efficiency improve in 2024, just because he’ll be playing behind a better offensive line in Baltimore and alongside two-time MVP Lamar Jackson.
2023 rank: 3rd (+1)
3. Saquon Barkley,Philadelphia Eagles
Ralph Vacchiano: The 27-year-old hasn’t had the Hall of Fame career that former Giants GM Dave Gettleman so famously predicted, but it’s not because anyone misjudged his talent. He’s been riddled by injuries and saddled behind six years of playing on mediocre-to-bad Giants teams behind awful offensive lines. Now, that’s all changed. Barkley ran for 1,312 yards in 16 games two years ago when the Giants line was approaching mediocrity. Just imagine what he’ll do behind an Eagles line that should still be one of the NFL’s best, even without retired center Jason Kelce. Even better, he’s not going to see any more stacked fronts, not with a passing game that features A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. And run defenders are going to be really susceptible to his shifty moves when they’re trying to guess whether he or quarterback Jalen Hurts is going to run it. He’s in the perfect situation for a monster season and there is no doubt he has the talent to take advantage of it. The only question mark is whether he can stay healthy. But keep in mind, for all his injury issues, he’s only missed four games over the last two years.
2023 rank: 7th (+4)
4. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Greg Auman: Running backs don’t go high in the NFL Draft much anymore, so there was understandably quite a buzz when the Falcons took Texas’ Bijan Robinson with the No. 8 pick in last year’s draft.
He’s made good on much of that excitement. As a rookie, he finished with 976 rushing yards and another 487 receiving, and his 1,443 yards from scrimmage ranked sixth among all NFL backs. He ranked 12th in the league in total touches, and his average of 5.4 yards per touch ranked third in those 12, behind only Christian McCaffrey and James Cook.
Now he has a new offensive coordinator in Zac Robinson, a much improved quarterback to work with in Kirk Cousins, and there’s talk of using him in a McCaffrey-level of do-everything that has Falcons fans and fantasy football folks equally excited. If there’s a young back capable of getting to 2,000 yards of total offense, the list might start with Robinson.
2023 rank: unranked
5. Breece Hall, New York Jets
Henry McKenna: Even with the Jets offense in total disarray for all but four snaps last year, Hall managed to put up 4.5 yards per carry. And this was in the wake of spending the offseason recovering from an ACL tear. It would’ve been easy to chalk up last season as a wash for him — and the Jets as a whole. But Hall managed 223 carries for 994 yards and five touchdowns with 76 receptions for 591 yards and four touchdowns. He’s a big-play threat in both the running and passing games. He’s a churner between the tackles. And this year, we’ll get to see him 1) completely healthy and 2) in the same offense as Aaron Rodgers. Hall is about to go off. Don’t be surprised if he’s in the running to unseat McCaffrey from the No. 1 spot next year.
2023 rank: unranked
6. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
Arthur: Taylor’s masterpiece in the Colts-Texans Week 18 thriller last season — 30 carries for 188 yards and a touchdown — was a reminder that he’s still the player that was the league’s rushing triple-crown champion in 2021. It was a slow burn to reach that point, as he began last season on PUP and battled a thumb injury late in the year. And over the last two seasons overall, he’s missed 13 games. But he’s fully healthy entering 2024. He’s not expected to have the rushing attempt numbers he had just a few years ago, but his efficiency could improve substantially with the return of quarterback Anthony Richardson, who’ll draw attention as a runner.
2023 rank: 5th (-1)
7. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
Carmen Vitali: Taking Jahmyr Gibbs 12th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft was a decision mocked by most outside Detroit. General manager Brad Holmes knew he took a risk, but he also knew what his football team needed — and it turns out, he was totally right.
Gibbs proceeded to ascend into a focal point for Ben Johnson’s offense in Detroit last season. His variable skill set is his greatest asset, as is his ability to come in clutch — especially in the low red zone. Time and time again, quarterback Jared Goff handed the ball off to Gibbs when they needed a score and, time and time again, Gibbs delivered. Ten times, to be exact. He added another one through the air against Denver last season. In all, he averaged a whopping 5.19 yards per carry in his first season as a pro, which ranked fourth among qualified ball carriers, according to Next Gen Stats. Gibbs and Devon Achane were the only two rookies in the top 10 for average, and it’s presumably only up from here for both.
2023 rank: unranked
8. Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
Williams: Entering his third season out of Notre Dame, Williams has proved a perfect fit for Sean McVay’s offense. Williams finished No. 3 in rushing last season with 1,144 yards, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl. He benefited from L.A.’s ability to spread the field with receivers like Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. According to Next Gen Stats, Williams gained a league-high 757 rushing yards against light boxes (six-or-fewer defenders) in 2023, which he faced at the highest rate of any player with over 100 carries (60.1%). Williams missed four games last season with an ankle injury. And with the addition of rookie, third-round pick Blake Corum out of Michigan, he’ll likely be sharing some of the running back load this season.
2023 rank: unranked
9. Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers
Vitali: Josh Jacobs just runs angry.
He’s an absolute bowling ball up the A-gap, with 59.2% of his rushes coming inside. Considering he did that all with a less than stellar offensive line in Las Vegas last year, I can’t wait to see how he does behind a good line in Green Bay.
Jacobs is also just a year removed from an All-Pro season that saw him eclipse 2,000 total yards from scrimmage on 393 touches in 2022. For what the Packers (uncharacteristically) paid for him, I’d bet they’re banking on Jacobs returning to that form. Jacobs will also get the benefit of a balanced offense with quarterback Jordan Love at the helm and offensive guru Matt LaFleur as his play-caller. Jacobs won’t be Green Bay’s only offense and I think it means we see a big year from him both in the rushing and receiving game.
2023 rank: 2nd (-7)
10. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
Auman: Nick Chubb has been sidelined since Week 2 of last season with a major knee injury, and he’ll miss at least the first four weeks of 2024 as he continues to recover, but he shouldn’t be forgotten on any list of the league’s top running backs.
In all of NFL history, for any running back with at least 1,000 carries, Chubb’s career average of 5.3 yards ranks as the second-best all-time, ahead of Jim Brown — only Jamaal Charles is better. He had racked up four straight 1,000-yard seasons before last year’s injury, and he’s averaged at least 5.0 yards per carry every season of his career, a remarkable consistency at such a high level.
Will he come back to be the same Chubb? We don’t know, but if Cleveland is to stay competitive in the best division in the NFL, they need him to get back to his old consistent self, and quickly.
2023 rank: 4th (-6)
Honorable mentions:
Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
Raheem Mostert, Miami Dolphins
Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs
Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings
2024 NFL Positional Rankings
These rankings were compiled by:
Ben Arthur (@benyarthur)
Greg Auman (@gregauman)
David Helman (@davidhelman_)
Henry McKenna (@McKennAnalysis)
Eric D. Williams (@eric_d_williams)
Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano)
Carmen Vitali (@CarmieV)
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