Tag: Melvin Gordon

Broncos RBs might be more involved in passing game this season

“When you get the ball to a back in space, we’re all very excited for that,” Hackett said of using RBs Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams in the passing game.

Before he signed with the Denver Broncos in 2020, Melvin Gordon had a pair of 50-catch seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers and four seasons with more than 40 catches.

Over the last two years in Denver, Gordon has 32 and 28 catches, respectively. Last year, Javonte Williams was the team’s top receiving back, totaling 43 catches, giving the Broncos’ top two backs 71 combined receptions in 2021.

That was under the old coaching staff. The new coaching staff is led by Nathaniel Hackett, the former offensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers.

Last year, Packers running backs Aaron Jones (52) and AJ Dillon (34) combined to total 86 receptions, 15 more than Denver’s top two backs. So it seems fair to assume Gordon and Williams might be a little more involved in the passing game this year than they were in 2021.

“If you look at the past, the experience that I’ve had with any running back — when you want to run the ball, that’s important because it helps so many different things across the board to attack a defense. But when you add them into the pass game, they’re so integral,” coach Nathaniel Hackett said last month.

“A lot of people don’t know how integral they are because they open up holes for other people and when holes close, they’re the ones that get the ball. When you get the ball to a back in space, we’re all very excited for that. I think it’s just about the quarterbacks understanding their progressions, their reads and being able to make an efficient decision to be able to get a completion. If it’s to a back, it’s usually in space and I love that.”

This is a notable development for fantasy football managers as it presumably means Gordon and Williams will both see a slight increase in value in point-per-reception leagues this season. Neither back is expected to emerge as a workhorse, so that will limit their ceilings, but both could prove to be productive RB options in fantasy football.

In real life, Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson will have two more talented weapons to work with in an offense looking to take a big step forward this fall.

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Sleepers and Value Picks: Running Backs

2022 Fantasy Sleepers – Running Backs

The Average Draft order shows a general picture of how your draft will unfold and where values/sleepers and bad values/busts likely exist. Any green highlight means the player is a good value that could be taken earlier. A red highlight signifies an overvalued player that is a bad value or just too high of a risk for that spot. No color means the pick is a reasonable value at that spot.

See also:
Sleepers and Value Picks: Quarterbacks
Sleepers and Value Picks: Running Backs
Sleepers and Value Picks: Wide Receivers
Sleepers and Value Picks: Tight Ends

Average Draft order – Value picks

ADP Tm Running Back
1 IND Jonathan Taylor Was No. 1 last year, has better schedule this year. Same system designed around him.
2 CAR Christian McCaffrey When he plays, he consistently a top fantasy play. When he plays, he’s a dual-threat and a monster weekly starter. When he plays… When he plays… feel lucky?
3 TEN Derrick Henry King Henry was mortal last year. After two seasons of historic usage, the foot gave out last October. He’s back and they’ll be significantly lightening his load to keep him fresh… who am I kidding? The only question on most plays is which side of the line he’ll be crashing through.
4 LAC Austin Ekeler He will miss one or two games. But he’ll always challenge for most receptions by a RB. Draft Spiller and sleep better.
5 PIT Najee Harris 381 touches as a rookie. New QB(s), same mediocre O-line and worse schedule but hey, may end up with another 381 touches.
6 MIN Dalvin Cook Great when healthy but always misses three or four games. New offense intends to throw more, run less. Still a safe pick but likely to take a small step back from previous seasons.
7 DET D’Andre Swift Productive when he isn’t missing three or four games per year. Great O-line and great schedule points at a career-high year if he stays on the field.
8 CIN Joe Mixon Blew up as the No. 4 RB last year. Dangerous passing offense means Mixon gets less focus. Rock-solid Top-10 with upside.
9 CLE Nick Chubb This  is about where he ends up every year. Top rusher but only around one   reception per game.
10 GB Aaron Jones Loss  of Davante Adams may mean Jones could top his career-high 52 catches of last   year, but GB has a terrible rushing schedule and AJ Dillon gets more involved. This is a little high, but his risk is balanced with minor upside   as a receiver.
11 NO Alvin Kamara This is a steal if his legal situation gets pushed out to 2023 and he plays all 17 games. He’s always a lock for Top-10 and offense remains the same from last   year.
12 DEN Javonte Williams No.17 as a rookie last year, gets a better QB in Russell Wilson. He’d be a   Top-10 lock if Melvin Gordon did not re-sign. One of the most talented young   backs.
13 NYG Saquon Barkley Third time a charm or that dog just won’t hunt anymore? This assumes that he’ll be back to form but miss a few games. Bad O-line a little better but schedule is even worse.
14 TB Leonard Fournette Oddity is that Fournette alternates great seasons with down years. Signed a big contract and is reliable for the Bucs, but 2021 was No. 6, 2020 was No. 34,  2019 was No. 7, 2018 was No. 38. Needs to break that trend.
15 DAL Ezekiel Elliott Down 2021 with a torn PCL but still his fifth-straight Top-10 season. Some believe   Tony Pollard is better, but not the DAL coaching staff. O-line still an advantage and this assumes he has the worst year of his career. Because of  voidable contract years, this is actually a contract season for him so plenty   to play for in 2022.
16 CHI David Montgomery Great 2020 was sandwiched by two years around No. 20. New offense hints more use of   Khalil Herbert, so Montgomery remains solid but less upside and runs behind arguably the worst O-line in the NFL.
17 ARI James Conner First year in ARI was best of his career. He was No. 5 last year, so this seems a   hard drop after scoring 18 TDs in 2021. Will get banged up for a game or two, but this is a great value pick for a guy that faced the No. 32 rushing   schedule strength and upgrades to only average.
18 BAL J.K. Dobbins Blew an ACL a year ago and missed last season. Was No. 28 as a rookie and still   plays in a committee backfield. Better schedule this year but O-line a little worse. Plus BAL told Lamar Jackson he can run wild again.
19 WAS Antonio Gibson Has never been worse than No. 14 in his two seasons and WAS has a nice upgrade in running strength of schedule. But Commanders leaning to more of a committee   this year with a healthy J.D. McKissic and short-yardage rookie Brian   Robinson. This is a safe spot. Maybe less upside now.
20 LAR Cam Akers Finished rookie season on a high note, but then tore Achilles. Somehow returned for playoffs but looked bad. More risk here than this spot should have. HC Sean   McVay even referred to Darrell Henderson as big factor in the backfield. Also drops from No. 3 down to No. 24 rushing strength of schedule.
21 SF Elijah Mitchell Everything they expected – from Trey Sermon. Mitchell was one of the best surprises of 2021. Was wildly productive with five 100-yard rushing games. Also missed six   games and suffered five injuries (shoulder, rib, finger, concussion, knee)   all in one year. Just very risky on an offense that changes the backfield   constantly. Raheem Mostert was a similar star in 2019.
22 LVR Josh Jacobs Always Top-20 and was No. 8 in 2020. But all new coaches bring in an RBBC history   and drafted Zamir White to help. Kenyan Drake returns from an ankle injury and worse yet, Raiders fall from No. 20 to No. 32 rushing schedule.
23 JAC Travis Etienne Love that upside. Etienne was lost for 2021 with a Lis Franc injury but in his own words, he picked a good year to take off. The 1.25 pick of 2021 is healthy   and wowing in camp. Dual Threat. Has about as much upside as any other RB.   Let him shine in a preseason game and this shoots much higher.
24 KC Clyde Edwards-Helaire No arguing that the Chiefs first-round pick of 2019 was a disappointment. And this rank is about where he landed as a rookie. He’s suffered ankle, hip, MCL and shoulder injuries over just two   years. But he’s slated to do more as a receiver with Tyreek Hill gone. There   is still upside here, but one more year of injury and under-performance will   be too much. Worth a shot at this spot.

Sleepers and overvalued players

ADP Tm Running Back
25 NE Damien Harris This seems like a steal since he scored 15 TDs last year, but OC Josh McDaniels is gone and Rhamondre Stevenson keeps getting hyped. Harris a solid pick but lacks upside.
26 GB A.J. Dillon Dillon was the No. 22 RB last year but that was filling in for Aaron Jones twice while going against the No. 2 best rushing schedule. This year it falls to No. 25. Not a bad pick, just a bit high.
27 NYJ Breece Hall Everyone loves the first RB drafted. The rookie Hall lands on one of least productive   offenses of 2021 but the NYJ schedule and O-line are much improved from last year. Prototypical workhorse back that can catch the ball.  Plenty of upside if passing game also improves.
28 PHI Miles Sanders Sanders has declined in each season and missed four games in each of the last two years. Dogged with knee, hamstring, ankle and hand injuries. Philly wants to   pass more with A.J. Brown on the team and it looks more like an RBBC involving Kenneth Gainwell as well.
29 SEA Rashaad Penny He was so great in four games at the end of 2021 – versus the worst four   defenses. Otherwise, his entire career has been the occasional rushing   attempt between injuries. Seahawks drafted Kenneth Walker as the second RB   this year, so even they don’t think Penny’s late-season burst was a new   normal.
30 CLE Kareem Hunt He gets banged up, but his moderate fantasy value skyrockets if Nick Chubb gets   hurt.
31 DAL Tony Pollard Nice spot and productive when given the chance and holds at least this much value   even with Ezekiel Elliott healthy. Expectation is that he sees more receptions since DAL receivers are banged up to start the year and Amari   Cooper is gone.
32 BUF Devin Singletary Improved all three years and turned it up nicely to finish 2021. BUF is a pass-first   offense and they added Isaiah Spiller to  their mostly committee approach, but powerful offense, good O-line and the No. 1 rushing schedule strength should see Singletary challenge for RB2   fantasy status.
33 JAC James Robinson Tore his Achilles at the end of last season but may be ready to play early in the season, if not Week 1. But scary injury to return from and Travis Etienne will drain much work. He needs to prove health in training camp or a very   risky pick.
34 MIA Chase Edmonds Okay, so he didn’t take over in Arizona and while he is listed as No. 1 in Miami, he probably won’t be more than a piece of a committee. As a late RB3 you could do worse. Marginal upside but should offer roughly this level.
35 DEN Melvin Gordon New coaches in Denver may not reprise the same committee backfield as last year. Then again, HC Nathaniel Hackett imports the GB scheme that used Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. Should be a safe pick for a back that historically has always   been Top-20.
36 SEA Kenneth Walker III The second RB drafted in 2021 is a 4.38/40 speedster out of Michigan State that ran for 1,636 yards and 19 TDs last year. The only one above him on the depth chart is the always-injured Rashaad Penny. Yeah. Love this pick and willing   to wait a few weeks for big things to happen.
36 ATL Cordarrelle Patterson Patterson made the shockingly effective switch to RB last year but then sputtered by   the end of the season. He’s 31 years old and probably even less likely to handle more than 150 carries. Worth it as an RB4 to see if he starts adding   tons of catches again as he did early in 2021.
37 NE Rhamondre Stevenson Saw much more use after Week 10 last year and even logged two 100-yard rushing   efforts. Expectations are that he will see even more action and is slated to   start catching more passes. The NE backfield has long been a source of   frustration and dashed hopes, but Stevenson as an RB4 is just too good to pass   up. Just his pace last year would have been around No. 24 had he played in   all games.
38 MIN Alexander Mattison Back up for Dalvin Cook. Three years and never better than this ranking.
39 NYJ Michael Carter Jets drafted Breece Hall and now Carter is just the No. 2 for the Jets – when has   that ever paid off? Good handcuff for the Hall owner but likely not enough production to merit a fantasy start unless Hall was out.
40 BUF James Cook Bills drafted Cook as the third RB taken this year with the plan to make him into a   pass-catching back to complement Devin Singletary as the main rusher. Anyone catching passes in the Bills’ offense needs to be owned. Reasonable handcuff   for the Singletary owner but should carry stand-alone fantasy value.
41 KC Ronald Jones II The info on Jones is conflicting. He’s said to be challenging Clyde   Edwards-Helaire to be a starter, and also speculated to not make the 53-man cut. Doesn’t help that KC has given first-team reps to undrafted Isaiah Pacheco who will also play special teams unlike Jones. As an RB4, he carries   some upside and if he flops, it won’t kill you.
42 LAR Darrell Henderson HC Sean McVay referred to his backfield as being both Cam Akers and Darrell   Henderson. Not Akers and his backup. The Rams like to pass anyway and Henderson has been around the No. 30 back for the last two years. No game   changer, but worth owning.
43 IND Nyheim Hines Was deemphasized last year but ranked No. 17 in 2020 when he caught 63 passes and   scored seven TDs. HC Frank Reich said he wants the 2020 version of Hines back   this year and that makes this a steal.
44 WAS J.D. McKissic Like Nyheim Hines, McKissic is not going to save your fantasy team but should see a return to an every-week value play in PPR leagues. He caught 80 passes in   2020 but missed six games last year. Nice value.
45 MIA Raheem Mostert In a best-ball league as a final pick maybe. But chances that Mostert is going to offer reliable fantasy points is too hard to buy into.
46 HOU Dameon Pierce Fourth-round pick could challenge Marlon Mack as the top back but a committee is expected, the rushing schedule is No. 30 and the O-line remains one of the worst. Upside here around the start of RB5, but not a lot.
47 HOU Marlon Mack Starting RB in Houston but virtually no upside and more likely to fall from this level.
48 SEA Chris Carson Retired. Will wash out of ADP.
49 NO Mark Ingram No. 2 in NO should be gold if Alvin Kamara is suspended, but that is no longer a  lock (at least for this year) and Ingram is 32 years old and a nonfactor since 2019.
50 LAC Isaiah Spiller Great handcuff for the Austin Ekeler owner but hard to reach since he tends to be   taken before the Ekeler owner can get there. Solid RB5 that could be huge if Ekeler missed much time.
51 CAR Chuba Hubbard Even with Christian McCaffrey flaming out last year, Hubbard only No. 36. Just a handcuff with marginal value even if McCaffrey misses time.
52 ATL Tyler Allgeier Good-sized back (5-11, 220) could beat Damien Williams out to be the No. 2 in Atlanta, and Cordarrelle Patterson faded last year. Bad schedule and bad O-line is a major challenge, but Allgeier could end up as the No. 1 RB in Atlanta this year.
53 DET Jamaal Williams D’Andre Swift tends to miss several games per year and Williams ranked No. 43 last season. DET has a great O-line and schedule, so Williams has minor value   regardless and becomes a starting consideration when Swift gets hurt.
54 PHI Kenneth Gainwell Ended as the No. 40 RB as a rookie last year and led the Eagles backfield since Miles Sanders was injured. Has minor stand-alone value and upside in this improving offense.
55 TB Rachaad White A popular sleeper-type this summer, White takes over for Ronald Jones as the   No. 2 back in TB. Worth owning in that productive offense but likely needs Leonard Fournette to be injured to offer any reliable fantasy starts.
56 ARI Darrel Williams Comes over from the Chiefs where he was the No. 21 back last year. Replaces Chase Edmonds as the No. 2 back in Arizona who was No. 33 in 2021. Should offer much more value than this spot and Conner usually misses a couple of games.
57 MIA Sony Michel Certainly Michel has value after a surprising year with the Rams, but the Miami backfield is a mess that’s hard to buy into.
58 BAL Gus Edwards Torn ACL last September and Ravens O-line not as good. Staying away from players returning from blown knees and playing in a committee backfield.
59 SF Tyrion Davis-Price Why not? SF has a tendency to make stars out of surprising players. Elijah Mitchell was the newest star last year, before that, Jeff Wilson, before   that, Raheem Mostert, before that, Matt Breida… Davis-Price was the  fifth RB drafted this year, so he’s not just a bottom of the roster filler.
60 NYG Matt Breida Handcuff for Saquon Barkley. No real value to anyone else and even if Barkley crashes yet again, Giants have a bad schedule, bad O-line and are installing a new offense.

 Best of the rest

Brian Robinson Jr. (WAS) – Firmly No. 3 behind Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic, the ex-Alabama bruiser could see short-yardage work and steps in if either starter is injured.

Hassan Haskins (TEN) – The Titans offense is meant to run and Derrick Henry proved he was not immortal last year with the foot injury. Haskins already impressed in camp and will be a hot commodity if Henry misses any time.

Khalil Herbert (CHI) – New offense in Chicago changes backfield roles and Herbert looks likely to receive more work. A needed handcuff for the David Montgomery owner, but may have stand-alone fantasy value anyway. 

LOOK: Former Wisconsin Badgers report to NFL training camp

Take a look at former Wisconsin Badgers in their first few days at NFL training camp:

Every NFL team reported for the first week of training camp earlier this week, and many former Wisconsin Badgers are getting ready to start the new season.

Related: Two Badgers Ranked in PFF’s 50 Best Players in the NFL

A few Badgers moved to new teams this offseason, including quarterback Russell Wilson to the Broncos and outside linebacker Vince Biegel to the Ravens. There were also quite a few players drafted or signed as undrafted free agents from Wisconsin this year, so it should be an exciting camp for fans to tune into.

Below are some photos of former Wisconsin Badgers in their first few days at NFL training camp:

Here are the ‘Madden NFL 23’ ratings for Broncos running backs

Melvin Gordon (83 OVR) is the top #Broncos running back in #Madden23, followed by Javonte Williams (82 OVR) and Mike Boone (67 OVR).

(Courtesy: EA Sports)

EA Sports has been rolling out ratings for Madden NFL 23 position-by-position this week, with running backs revealed on Wednesday.

For the Denver Broncos, Melvin Gordon (83 overall) is the team’s top option in the backfield, followed by Javonte Williams (82 OVR), Mike Boone (67 OVR) and Damarea Crockett (59 OVR).

Madden did not include undrafted rookie Tyreik McAllister in the game’s initial roster. Andrew Beck, the team’s fullback/tight end, isn’t in the game, either.

Gordon has a slightly better overall rating than Williams, but the second-year running back has better acceleration (91 vs. 88) and strength (80 vs. 74) ratings than the veteran. Gordon has better agility (89 vs. 85) and more awareness (83 vs. 79) than Williams in the video game.

EA Sports also released the ratings for kickers Wednesday. Denver’s Brandon McManus is 78 overall, with 96 kick power and 79 kick accuracy.

Up next are cornerback and defensive line ratings released on Thursday, followed by quarterbacks and full team ratings on Friday.

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Ranking the running backs the Chargers will face in 2022

A look at the running backs the Chargers’ defense is set to face in 2022, ranked from least to most threatening.

As part of our Chargers season preview, we’re breaking down each position unit from LA’s 2022 opponents, ranked from least to most threatening.

Quarterbacks

Today, we’ll turn our attention to the running backs, a group that includes some of the best players in the league.

14. Texans: Dameon Pierce/Marlon Mack

It’s been a while since Mack performed at a high level, as a torn Achilles in 2020 and the emergence of other players in 2021 has limited him to just seven games over the past two seasons. In 2018 and 2019, while in Indianapolis, however, Mack ran for under 2,000 yards at a 4.5 yards per carry clip. Those are no numbers to scoff at, and Texans coaches have been giving Mack rave reviews this offseason.

Pierce enters the league from Florida, where he was inexplicably underutilized for his entire career. The 218-pounder is a one-cut back with rare contact balance and surprising twitch given his size. I’d expect him to be the starter in a room full of career journeymen by the end of the season. With the Texans matchup coming in Week 4, however, Chargers fans should expect a heavier dose of a healthy Mack, with ample reps from Rex Burkhead, who dropped 149 yards and 2 TDs against the Bolts defense a season ago.

13. Chiefs: Clyde Edwards-Helaire/Ronald Jones

Leading rusher Darrel Williams is now in Arizona, leaving Edwards-Helaire and free agent acquisition Jones as the most likely candidates to take carries from Patrick Mahomes. The former LSU star has never really found a footing as a pro, and hip, ankle, and knee injuries haven’t helped him find any semblance of consistency. When healthy, Edwards-Helaire is a dual-threat back who will cause headaches for linebackers in coverage.

Jones comes to Kansas City after four seasons with the Buccaneers, where his role was diminished in 2021 due to a standout season from Leonard Fournette. He’s always been a favorite of preseason breakout lists and underrated player rankings because of his pure rushing talent, as well as recruiting and draft capital pedigree. With seven career fumbles, however, Jones will need to prove he can hold on to the rock if he wants to get most of the carries in KC.

12. Falcons: Cordarrelle Patterson/Tyler Allgeier

Atlanta is home to one of the strangest running back rooms in the league, as they’re led by return specialist Patterson, who more than doubled his previous career high with 153 carries last season. Now 31 years old, the question becomes when Father Time will come for Patterson, whose game has always relied on explosiveness.

After Mike Davis underperformed to the tune of 3.6 yards per carry in 2021, the Falcons cut bait and replaced him with BYU’s Allgeier in the fifth round. He fell that far because of a questionable pass game profile, as neither receiving nor pass protection are his strong suits. However, he’s an excellent zone runner with the build to bruise between the tackles and the vision to squeeze every yard out of his blocking. With a receiver as prolific as Patterson sharing the backfield with him, he doesn’t have to be a world-beater in that area. Expect him to take the early-down carries while Patterson comes in for passing and third-down situations.

11. Cardinals: James Conner/Eno Benjamin

Conner tied for second in rushing touchdowns last season despite only starting in six games, so you may be surprised to see the Cardinals unit ranked this low. However, Conner ranked third in the league in goal-line opportunities last season with 18, behind only Jonathan Taylor and Antonio Gibson. This offseason, Arizona brought in the aforementioned Darrel Williams, whose skill set suggests he’ll eat into those opportunities in 2022. Conner also only averaged 3.7 yards per carry, a career low. All this to say – Conner had a very good raw statistical season last year, but there’s reason to believe regression is coming, especially if he can’t complete a full slate of games, which he’s never done in his five-year career.

Behind Conner will be Williams and Benjamin, who will likely spend most of training camp in a heated battle for RB2. Benjamin hasn’t gotten many opportunities since being drafted in the 7th round in 2020. Still, guard Justin Pugh said that the third-year pro is the best outside zone runner on their roster this offseason and has improved his pass blocking skills tremendously. Kliff Kingsbury also told the team website that Benjamin’s running talent “has always been there” and that “he’s taken huge strides”.

10. Dolphins: Chase Edmonds/Raheem Mostert

From the Cardinals to a former Cardinal. Edmonds was Arizona’s most effective back on a per carry basis last season, averaging 5.1 a tote on 116 attempts. Still, Arizona elected to let him walk in favor of re-signing Conner. The 26-year-old took his talents to South Beach, where his fit in new coach Mike McDaniel’s offense is picture perfect. McDaniel comes from San Francisco, who ran the sixth-most zone runs last season. Your league leader in yards per attempt on zone runs in 2021? You guessed it, Chase Edmonds, with 5.8 per carry in 68 tries.

By the time the Chargers take on Miami in Week 14, Edmonds will likely be splitting early-down work with Mostert, who follows McDaniel from the 49ers but is coming off back-to-back injury-plagued seasons. In his last fully healthy season, the 30-year-old did take 137 carries for 772 yards and 8 TDs, nothing to sneeze at. Miami also has Sony Michel and Myles Gaskin under contract. Michel could rotate in on early downs, while Gaskin (if he makes the team) would eat into Edmonds’ pass-catching role.

9. Rams: Cam Akers/Darrell Henderson

After a stellar rookie campaign in 2020, many people had Akers circled as the next breakout star at RB. A torn Achilles has deferred those dreams, even with a ridiculous six-month recovery time that had Akers cleared to play by the playoffs. Reportedly 100% healthy with training camp on the horizon, Akers now seems poised to remind fans why he was considered highly entering 2021. He has star-level tools as both a runner and receiver and could pose a huge threat to the Chargers’ defense by the time Week 17 rolls around.

Beyond Akers, most carries will likely go to Henderson, who is also coming off an injury in 2021. The 2019 third-rounder has the added pressure of a contract year on a team that seems to have drafted his heir apparent in 5th rounder Kyren Williams, who will be limited for most of the fall due to offseason foot surgery. Henderson also has a nice blend of running and receiving ability, but I wonder if he’ll be used as more of a thumper for a Rams team that lacks a traditional one after trading Michel to the Dolphins. The other LA team also has a new running backs coach this season, so usage is subject to change and will likely heavily depend on training camp results.

8. 49ers: Elijah Mitchell/Jeff Wilson Jr.

If Mitchell was on any other team, I’d list him on his own, but the 49ers have become notorious for using five, six, even seven running backs in a season. Of those, Wilson seems the most likely to get a significant load of touches, but Trey Sermon, JaMycal Hasty, and rookie Tyrion Davis-Price will also be in the mix. It wouldn’t shock me if Davis-Price in particular has a big role by the Chargers game in Week 10, considering he has the speed and agility profile that Kyle Shanahan has historically preferred.

Back to Mitchell, the sixth round pick who cruised to 963 yards and 5 TDs on 4.7 yards per carry. Many people wrote the Louisiana product off because of the presence of Sermon, who was drafted three rounds earlier and had ample fans on Twitter after a stellar season at Ohio State. After averaging 5.3 yards per carry on first downs in 2021 and essentially powering the 49ers run game by himself because of injuries to every other major player, that’s not likely to happen again. Now, Mitchell did deal with durability issues as a rookie – his yards per carry dropped significantly between the first and second halves of games and he had injuries of his own that limited him to 11 games. He has reportedly been trying to get to a playing weight of 215, up from 201, to combat these issues, but there’s a chance the injury bug bites him again and he misses the Chargers contest. If that were to happen, don’t write off the other backs on this roster. 

7. Jaguars: James Robinson/Travis Etienne

The tandem of Robinson and Etienne will have their fair share of injuries to overcome, but a healthy and productive season from both of them could end up making this ranking look foolish. For Robinson, he’ll have to bounce back from an Achilles tear suffered in Week 16 last season. Reports indicate he plans to be ready by Week 1, but it’s eminently possible that he’s limited for the Chargers game in Week 3, if not inactive entirely. When healthy, Robinson is among the most underrated backs in the league, even by his own coaching staff. You may remember that among the chaos of the Urban Meyer regime a season ago, Trevor Lawrence had to beg Meyer to put Robinson in the game to give them a better chance of competing.

Etienne will return from the dreaded Lisfranc injury, but it’s important to quantify the severity before throwing him in the graveyard of talented players whose careers have been stolen by the ailment. Etienne had surgery on a Lisfranc sprain, which indicates he didn’t fully tear the ligament, nor did he break any of the bones in the area from what I could find. This is the best-case scenario, as the players whose speed and explosiveness never recovered after a Lisfranc injury almost overwhelmingly suffered full tears or broken bones. For his part, Etienne says the injury is fully behind him. If that’s the case, and he shows the same burst he did at Clemson, he and Robinson could form quite the dynamic duo.

6. Raiders: Josh Jacobs/Kenyan Drake

Jacobs recently fell out of the top 10 running backs on Jeremy Fowler’s annual poll of NFL personnel, but don’t let that fool you. His absence from the rankings is primarily because of his lack of ability as a pass catcher, which has increasingly become an important skill for NFL backs. As a runner, however, the former first rounder is the real deal. He’s also coming off an 132 yard performance in the Week 18 game that knocked the Chargers out of the playoffs.

Drake will be the pass catcher for the Raiders and should be ready for the regular season after sustaining a broken ankle in December. He’ll first have to stave off rookie Zamir White, who also has the pass-catching chops to earn a role in a new-look Raiders offense under Josh McDaniels.

5. Seahawks: Rashaad Penny/Kenneth Walker III

Penny had arguably the best last five weeks of anyone in 2021, going over 130 yards in four out of five games and scoring 6 TDs. It was a long-awaited coming out party for the former first rounder, who has spent large swathes of his three seasons on the shelf due to injury. Seattle gave him a one-year deal to show his second-half emergence was the real deal, and he should take the majority of carries in 2022.

The selection of Walker in the second round raised some eyebrows, but I’m of the belief that it likely means that Chris Carson won’t be returning in a meaningful capacity following a neck injury that ended his 2021 campaign. The Doak Walker Award winner is best on counters, a play that offensive coordinator Shane Waldron can get creative with thanks to DK Metcalf’s blocking abilities and potential misdirection with Tyler Lockett and Dee Eskridge on end arounds. He also broke the most tackles of any college runner last season with 89, so smashing him between the tackles is always an option.

4. Broncos: Melvin Gordon/Javonte Williams

Williams seems to be the next “chosen one” at running back, but Denver brought back Gordon on a reduced contract to continue to ease the second-year pro into a feature role. To his credit, the former Charger has been plenty effective in orange, posting over 900 yards in both of his seasons as a Bronco. However, he did lose three fumbles last season. Denver seems to have primarily brought him back because of his skills as a pass protector while expecting him to take more of a backseat to Williams.

A fan favorite as a rookie, Williams led the NFL in broken tackles with 31 and had plenty of highlight-reel bulldozes through opposing defenses. The pass protection wasn’t terrible, but it also wasn’t at the level of Gordon, who has years of experience to draw off of. Williams also doesn’t yet possess elite vision on outside zone, a staple of the Broncos offense in 2021 and a favorite of new coach Nathaniel Hackett. Denver’s first-year head coach went as far as to say he was “enamored” with the concept in June. Despite this, Williams simply has the power to run defenders over even if he doesn’t yet have the vision to avoid them entirely. It’s a formidable duo.

3. Titans: Derrick Henry

It’s indicative of the direction the league is going in that this is the first non-committee entry on the list, but there’s really not anyone behind Henry worth talking about. Despite breaking a bone in his foot and missing nine games in 2021, reports suggest that not only is he fully healthy, but the injury represents a very low chance of reaggravation. That’s a big deal for a 28 year old back with a downright absurd amount of tread on his tires as an NFL player. If the foot injury was truly a fluke and not a sign that his body is breaking down, I’m hesitant to suggest that Henry is on the decline. Combine that with the fact that the Titans-Chargers game is in Week 15 and it’s a scary proposition. Henry has always punished teams later in the season, when defenses are more banged up and less willing to engage with his runaway semi truck running style. Expect Week 15 to be no different.

2. Browns: Nick Chubb/Kareem Hunt

For my money, Chubb is the best running back in the league, although the player clocking in at #1 on this list is right on his heels. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry on his way to 1,259 yards last season, good for second in the league. While he’s not a prolific receiver, he does tend to get better as the year goes on. Good news for LA, who will catch him in Week 4 as he ramps up. He’ll still be a force to be reckoned with, however, as he put up 161 yards and 2 TDs against the Chargers last October.

Hunt is the ideal complement to Chubb as a receiving-first back with shifty rushing abilities, although he’s been the subject of trade rumors this offseason. That’s primarily because D’Ernest Johnson has also shown plenty of skill, especially during the five-game Hunt missed due to a calf strain last season. Personally, I think the Browns will ride it out – it’s a contract year for Hunt, and they can just as easily get a compensatory pick for him by letting him walk in free agency next year. In the meantime, breaking up one of the best tandems in the league doesn’t make much sense.

1. Colts: Jonathan Taylor

Taylor led the league in attempts (332), yards (1,811), and TDs (18) last season on his way to first team All-Pro honors. NFL personnel ranked him the second-best back in the league in Fowler’s annual survey, behind only Derrick Henry, although the two players actually tied in first place votes. Described as the “total package” by one AFC scout, the scariest part about Taylor is that he’s likely only going to get better. Just 23 years old, the sky appears to be the limit for the former Wisconsin star, and he’ll undoubtedly be the main focus of the defensive gameplan when the Chargers travel to Indianapolis for Monday Night Football in Week 16.

Broncos offseason roster: No. 25, RB Melvin Gordon

Melvin Gordon appears poised to continue splitting time with Javonte Williams in the Broncos’ backfield.

Broncos Wire’s 90-man offseason roster series continues today with a look at eighth-year running back Melvin Gordon, No. 25.

Before the Broncos: Gordon (6-1, 215 pounds) was picked by the San Diego (now Los Angeles) Chargers in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft out of Wisconsin. He went on to spend five years with the Chargers, totaling 6,113 yards from scrimmage and scoring 47 touchdowns in 67 games (62 starts).

Broncos tenure: After earning two Pro Bowl nods in San Diego/L.A., Gordon signed a two-year contract with the Broncos in 2020. Over the last two seasons, Gordon has totaled 2,275 yards from scrimmage while scoring 20 touchdowns. Denver re-signed him to a one-year extension this offseason.

Chances to make the 53-man roster: Gordon’s considered a lock to make the team and he’s expected to continue sharing touches with teammate Javonte Williams this season. Gordon and Williams were a productive one-two punch for the Broncos last year, so there’s no reason to change a working formula.

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Broncos offseason roster: No. 33, RB Javonte Williams

Javonte Williams will look to build on his impressive rookie season in Year 2.

Broncos Wire’s 90-man offseason roster series continues today with a look at second-year running back Javonte Williams, No. 33.

Before the Broncos: Williams (5-10, 220 pounds) was a standout running back at the University of North Carolina. In 2020, he rushed for 1,193 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior. Pro Football Focused named Williams its 2020 ACC player of the year due to his prowess on the field. At the 2021 NFL combine, Williams ran a 4.55 in the 40-yard dash. He was then picked by Denver in the second round of the NFL draft.

Broncos tenure: Williams made an immediate impact as a rookie last season. He would finish the season playing in 17 games and starting in one, rushing for 903 yards and four touchdowns while also catching 43 passes for 316 yards and three more scores. He crossed the 100-yard mark twice as a rusher, including 102 yards in his lone start.

Chances to make the 53-man roster: Williams’s spot is secure for the roster. But the real question will become, will the Broncos employ another two-headed rushing attack?

Williams and fellow running back Melvin Gordon both came close to 1,000 yards in 2021, with Gordon finishing with 918 yards. However, Gordon is 29 years old, and Williams is 22. Will the rushing attack slowly but surely lean more into going through Williams? Only time and his performance will tell.

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Ranking the AFC West running back duos

How do the running back duos stack up in the AFC West?

We know the AFC West is stacked from top to bottom at quarterback. But what about those fellas who accompany them in the backfield? How much help will each offense get on the ground and occasionally on a screen or dump-off? Let’s take a look.

1. Denver Broncos

Duo: Melvin Gordon, Javonte Williams

Imagine having two running backs both nearly go over 1000 yards rushing in a season. Well, it doesn’t take any imagination because that’s exactly what Gordon and Williams did last season. Gordon had 918 yards rushing while Williams put up 903 while averaging 4.5 and 4.4 yards per attempt respectively.

Each surpassed 1100 yards from scrimmage and they combined for 17 touchdowns. That’s some serious production from your running backs.

2. Las Vegas Raiders

Duo: Josh Jacobs, Kenyan Drake

Drake and Josh could be productive together if utilized properly. Jacobs has established himself as a hard runner who is tough to bring down. That earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl in 2020. That same season Drake was in Arizona where he ran for 955 yards with 10 touchdowns.

But together, they didn’t perform nearly as well. Jacobs because he was banged up much of the season and Drake because he just wasn’t used enough as a runner. He was targeted 40 times out of the backfield while seeing just 63 runs. That ratio should be closer to two-to-one.

3. Los Angeles Chargers

Duo: Austin Ekeler, Isaiah Spiller

Ekeler is one of the league’s better backs. If this ranking were about single backs, he would probably take the top spot. He is a true dual-threat back who can hurt you just as much through the air as on the ground. Thus why he had over 1500 yards from scrimmage in each of his last two full seasons.

Spiller is a rookie fourth-round pick. If he can play well immediately, the Chargers will have something here. But that uncertainty has them landing here for now.

4. Kansas City Chiefs

Duo: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Ronald Jones

CEH was a bit of a surprise as a first-round pick in 2020 and he hasn’t done much to prove he was worthy of that draft position since then. While he averages a decent 4.4 yards per carry, he has missed ten games in two seasons. His averages went down across the board last season as well.

Jones is a former second-round pick who saw his snaps cut in half in Tampa last season while his resulting stats were even worse. The Chiefs are hoping they can get the guy who averaged 5.1 yards per carry in 2020 as opposed to the guy who averaged 4.2 yards per carry in 2019 and 2021.

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Melvin Gordon can climb into top-10 of Broncos’ all-time rushing list this season

Melvin Gordon needs 750 rushing yards this season to rank 10th on the Broncos’ all-time rushing list.

Melvin Gordon has only spent two seasons with the Denver Broncos so far, but he’s already left his mark in the team’s record books.

Gordon’s rushed for 1,904 yards over the last two years, which puts him 15th on the team’s all-time rushing list. If he maintains that average of 952 yards per season this year, he’d jump into 10th place on the team’s all-time rushing list with 2,856 yards, one spot below Super Bowl champion C.J. Anderson (3,051 yards).

To be precise, Gordon is 750 yards away from jumping Jon Keyworth for the 10th spot on Denver’s all-time rushing list (2,653 yards).

Gordon’s 17 rushing touchdowns are tied with Phillip Lindsay for the 11th-most in franchise history. Gordon needs four TDs this year to jump Anderson (20 TDs) and rank 10th. A 10-touchdown season would put Gordon seventh on the team’s all-time rushing TD list, just below Clinton Portis (29 TDs).

Here’s a look at the team’s current top-10 rushing leaders.

Player Yards Touchdowns
1. Terrell Davis 7,607 60
2. Floyd Little 6,323 43
3. Sammy Winder 5,427 39
4. Otis Armstrong 4,453 25
5. Mike Anderson 3,822 36
6. Knowshon Moreno 3,468 26
7. John Elway 3,407 33
8. Clinton Portis 3,099 29
9. C.J. Anderson 3,051 20
10. Jon Keyworth 2,653 22

Gordon’s 6,144 career rushing yards and his 53 career rushing TDs both rank fourth among active players under contract in the NFL today.

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Broncos RB Melvin Gordon on Javonte Williams: ‘We try to outdo each other with everything’

“We’re gonna go crazy, man,” Melvin Gordon said about sharing a backfield with Javonte Williams.

The 1-2 punch of Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams was renewed for a second season days before this year’s NFL draft in April.

It’s a tandem that totaled 900-plus rushing yards each in 2021. Gordon totaled 203 carries for 918 yards and eight touchdowns. He added 28 receptions on 38 targets for 213 yards and another two touchdowns as well.

Williams, meanwhile, totaled 203 carries as well for 903 yards and four touchdowns. He added 43 receptions on 53 targets for 316 yards and another three touchdowns.

Gordon, appearing on Good Morning Football Tuesday, said “We try to outdo each other with everything” when referring to second-year back Williams.

Gordon actually praised both backs in the backfield, but it’s clear he’s bullish on Williams in Year 2, saying, “We’re gonna go crazy, man. We gotta go crazy. The young bull RB [Williams] got so much talent, and we push each other every day in practice. We even got RB [Mike] Boone, who’s a good player, too, that’s going to help push us. I’m expecting the run game to be a lot better than it was last year for sure.”