1. Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks
Snaps: 1,586 | PFF grade: 93.2
Walker currently leads all running backs in PFF grade (90.7) in what has been a career year. He has also been one of the league's best at creating beyond his blocking, ranking third at the position in missed tackles forced (65).
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2. Breece Hall, New York Jets
Snaps: 2,026 | PFF grade: 84.4
Hall has earned PFF grades above 80.0 in two of the past three seasons and ranked eighth among running backs in PFF grade (83.5) in 2025. He will be just 25 years old when the 2026 NFL season begins and has established himself as a top-10 player at the position.
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3. Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
Snaps: 2,069 | PFF grade: 77.9
Etienne bounced back from a disappointing 2024 season and looked closer to his best this year. His 46 missed tackles forced tied for 14th among all running backs, and he remained effective in creating explosive plays, with his 28 rushes of 10 or more yards tying for 10th at the position.
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4. Rico Dowdle, Carolina Panthers
Snaps: 1,516 | PFF grade: 72.5
Dowdle replicated his final season in Dallas during his lone year with the Carolina Panthers, further establishing himself as a capable starting running back at the NFL level. While he is not a true game-breaker, he has averaged more than 3.0 yards after contact per carry over his career and profiles as a strong fit for a team with a solid offensive line.
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5. Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons
Snaps: 973 | PFF grade: 90.2
Much has been made of Allgeier's potential to lead an NFL backfield on his own after he played second fiddle, and very well at that, to Bijan Robinson for the past three seasons. His average of 3.1 yards after contact per attempt in that span is a top-30 mark among running backs.
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6. Javonte Williams, Dallas Cowboys
Snaps: 1,866 | PFF grade: 71.3
Williams' one-year, prove-it deal in Dallas couldn't have landed him in a much better situation. He recorded career bests in rushing yards (1,201), rushing touchdowns (11), yards after contact per attempt (3.56) and several other categories. The 25-year-old has plenty of tread left on his tires.
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7. Najee Harris, Los Angeles Chargers
Snaps: 1,236 | PFF grade: 84.0
Harris enters free agency for the second straight year, but this time, he's working his way back from a torn Achilles. He didn't get a chance to show much with the Chargers, so his body of work in four seasons with the Steelers — an 86.0 PFF rushing grade and the fourth-most yards after contact in the NFL — will have to suffice.
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8. J.K. Dobbins, Denver Broncos
Snaps: 939 | PFF grade: 73.0
J.K. Dobbins was excellent through the first 10 weeks of the season, earning an 80.8 PFF rushing grade with 32 missed tackles forced and 21 explosive carries before a season-ending foot injury. He has been consistently effective when healthy, grading above 66.8 in every season with more than 100 snaps while averaging 3.18 yards after contact per attempt for his career. Dobbins also brings strong efficiency and ball security, ranking in the 86th percentile in PFF grade on zone runs. Over his last four seasons, he has logged 448 carries without a fumble, with his most recent coming in 2020.
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9. Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Snaps: 2,142 | PFF grade: 79.7
White put together the best season of his career heading into free agency, ranking fourth among running backs in PFF rushing grade (87.2). After fumbling multiple times in each of his first three seasons, he cleaned up the ball-security issues entirely in 2025, going without a fumble and recording zero drops on 42 targets. While he doesn't offer much as a true receiving threat, White graded in the 98th percentile on gap runs and the 94th percentile on zone runs, putting strong tape on file in a contract year.
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10. Kenneth Gainwell, Pittsburgh Steelers
Snaps: 1,351 | PFF grade: 64.6
Gainwell stepped into a larger-than-expected role for Pittsburgh in 2025, producing a career-high 1,023 scrimmage yards while earning a 72.6 overall PFF grade, his best mark since 2021. The former Eagle averaged 3.13 yards after contact as a runner and was efficient as a receiver, averaging 1.44 yards per route run with just three drops. At 26, Gainwell could be positioned to pursue a more consistent role after his breakout season.
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11. Brian Robinson, San Francisco 49ers
Snaps: 1,326 | PFF grade: 77.5
Robinson saw a reduced workload after being traded to the 49ers, logging a career-low 212 snaps as Christian McCaffrey's backup. Across 95 carries, the former Commander averaged 3.03 yards after contact per attempt and forced 22 missed tackles. With a career PFF rushing grade of 82.7, the 26-year-old could compete for another committee-type role in 2026.
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12. Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings
Snaps: 1,562 | PFF grade: 81.5
Jones' performance dipped during his second season in Minnesota. His PFF rushing grade fell to a career-low 69.5 as he averaged just 2.67 yards after contact per attempt. He also averaged only 1.07 yards per route run, producing a 46.1 PFF receiving grade. Now 31, Jones may be best utilized as part of a committee backfield moving forward.
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13. Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs
Snaps: 1,481 | PFF grade: 74.5
Pacheco was a revelation in the Chiefs' backfield after assuming control as a seventh-round rookie in 2022. But since his initial heroics, Pacheco hasn't been quite the same, securing a 68.1 PFF rushing grade over the last two years with only 14 runs of 10 or more yards. The 25-year-old is, at minimum, an intriguing complementary piece for backfields looking for a short-yardage option.
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14. Joe Mixon, Houston Texans
Snaps: 1,395 | PFF grade: 78.1
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15. Jeremy McNichols, Washington Commanders
Snaps: 611 | PFF grade: 73.2
McNichols carried the ball only 104 times with the Commanders, but the results were very favorable. Across that limited sample size, the former Titan earned an 88.2 PFF rushing grade with 3.6 yards after contact per attempt. McNichols' poor pass protection generally keeps him confined to a depth role, but the 30-year-old has proven that he can still bolster a rushing attack.
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16. Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs
Snaps: 1,444 | PFF grade: 78.7
Hunt turned back the clock in his second stint with Kansas City, producing an 80.8 PFF rushing grade across the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Although he isn't as explosive as before — totaling just five carries of 15 or more yards in that window — he can still gain new sets of downs, as evidenced by his 105 first downs gained. The 30-year-old should find work in a committee or backup type of opening.
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17. Raheem Mostert, Las Vegas Raiders
Snaps: 998 | PFF grade: 81.8
Mostert received only 22 carries with the Raiders in 2025 while working as Ashton Jeanty's backup. While he registered a 52.4 PFF rushing grade, 79 of his 104 yards came after contact. Now 33 and toting the ball just 107 times over the last two years, Mostert projects as a backup rusher for 2026 and beyond.
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18. Nick Chubb, Houston Texans
Snaps: 657 | PFF grade: 71.7
Chubb rebounded solidly after a down 2024 season, earning a 76.4 PFF rushing grade with the Texans. His long speed and home run ability has dwindled after major leg injuries, accumulating only 14 explosive rushes across the last two years, but he's still evasive — sitting in the 73rd percentile in missed tackles forced per attempt. The 30-year-old could be a frontline part of a running back tandem in 2026.
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19. Khalil Herbert, New York Jets
Snaps: 545 | PFF grade: 71.3
After operating as a committee member of the Bears' backfield from 2021-23, Herbert has tallied only 52 carries with three teams over the last two years. With the Jets in 2025, Herbert produced a 67.3 PFF rushing grade with only two missed tackles forced. The 27-year-old enters this upcoming season as a player likely to compete for a spot on a roster.
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20. Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns
Snaps: 1,468 | PFF grade: 69.6
After accumulating 213 carries in 2023, Ford's workload has fallen over the last two seasons. In the Browns' crowded backfield in 2025, Ford toted the ball just 24 times for 73 yards on a 59.5 PFF rushing grade. But in 2024, Ford was impressive with an 80.3 rushing mark and 3.50 yards after contact per carry. The 26-year-old could be a buy-low candidate for organizations looking for more depth at running back.
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21. Michael Carter, Arizona Cardinals
Snaps: 750 | PFF grade: 68.9
Carter's career pattern of alternating production continued in 2025, yielding a 71.2 PFF rushing grade with five runs of 10 or more yards on 100 snaps. He also showed growth as a receiver with a 67.6 PFF receiving mark and 1.18 yards per route run. As alluded to, the big question for the 26-year-old will be consistency, which likely sets him up for a committee or backup type of role.
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22. Miles Sanders, Dallas Cowboys
Snaps: 695 | PFF grade: 65.8
Sanders played just 65 offensive snaps after inking a one-year contract with the Cowboys, ceding starting time to Javonte Williams. Across 20 carries, Sanders sported a 65.9 PFF rushing grade and forced three missed tackles, but only notched one explosive gain. Receiving just 75 totes across the last two years, Sanders' career appears to be on the downswing.
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23. Austin Ekeler, Washington Commanders
Snaps: 1,214 | PFF grade: 65.5
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