The NFL is a passing league — but having a sound ground attack remains an asset for franchises with Super Bowl dreams.
In some cases, they’re a mechanism to create space for the dynamic throws of an MVP quarterback. In others, they’re the balm to soothe a shaky passer and keep defenses from jumping all over his dropbacks. In either case, finding the right running backs can be the difference between a playoff bid and sadly trudging to beautiful vacation destinations come January.
With that in mind, let’s take a too-early look at where each team stands when it comes to their running back rotations. While we don’t know exactly how each team’s handoff share and passes from the backfield will work out, we’ve got a solid, if rough, estimation of what each group will be. And now we’re gonna rank them based on talent and depth.
A stud Pro Bowl at the top of the depth chart helps, but in these rankings experience and mileage matters. Having a stable of younger, more explosive and less likely to be injured tailbacks gave several teams an edge over more established backfields.
Please note there’s not a lot of separation between teams. Several platoons, particularly those loaded with young backs, will rise up the ranks throughout 2023. There’s a glut of running back talent in the NFL right now, which is how a player like Austin Ekeler can hold out for a contract extension or trade and only walk away with an extra $1.75 million in incentives.
That means your favorite team’s tailback rotation is probably pretty dang good. But some are better than others. That’s what we’re here to work out.
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