It is that point of the yr once more when our man Pete Prisco combs by way of the complete NFL and stacks up who he believes are the top 100 players heading into the upcoming season. One of many extra notable takeaways from Prisco’s 2025 participant rating is his newfound (rekindled?) love for the working again place.
Final yr, Prisco listed solely two backs inside his high 100 record. Quick ahead to the 2025 version, and a complete of eight working backs sit inside Prisco’s High 100. That features Saquon Barkley falling inside the highest 5 because the No. 3-ranked participant general, and he headlines a bunch of six working backs who’re within the high 50.
Whereas we will make a pleasant jab at our buddy Prisco and say he is getting delicate these days, inserting this many backs inside his high 100 does replicate what felt like a renaissance on the place final yr. After all, Barkley was the headliner of that resurgence as he was a key cog for the Philadelphia Eagles successful Super Bowl LIX, however Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs have been two different notable backs who modified groups final offseason and went on to have a critical influence. In the meantime, there have been just a few second-year backs who burst into the limelight with breakout years in 2024.
As is the case with each rating that has ever been printed on the web, there are some issues to nitpick right here with Prisco’s record. Whereas Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford going unranked is arguably the most important snub of all of them, there are a few working backs who even have case to have landed inside the highest 100.
Beneath, we’ll undergo every working again that Prisco ranked, the place they land inside the highest 100, after which spotlight two snubs who didn’t make the lower.
Where QBs land in Prisco’s Top 100: Patrick Mahomes No. 1 again, where Jalen Hurts ended up, who was snubbed
Jeff Kerr
- Total rating: No. 3
- Positional rating: No. 1
- 2024 rating: Not ranked
“Barkley rushed for two,005 yards in main the Eagles to a Tremendous Bowl victory. He can achieve this many issues for the Eagles offense, which is why he’s an actual MVP candidate heading into this season.” — Pete Prisco
- Total rating: No. 14
- Positional rating: No. 2
- 2024 rating: No. 91
“All King Henry did was rush for 1,921 yards in his first season with the Ravens to point out he is removed from slowing down. At 31, he’s beating again Father Time — for now.” — Pete Prisco
- Total rating: No. 32
- Positional rating: No. 3
- 2024 rating: Not ranked
“Gibbs rushed for 1,412 yards with 52 catches and 20 touchdowns in 2024, rising as a big-play menace within the Lions offense. He’s the prototypical “air” again who excels in area.” — Pete Prisco
- Total rating: No. 39
- Positional rating: No. 4
- 2024 rating: Not ranked
“In his second season within the league, Robinson was third within the league with 1,486 yards dashing. He averaged a powerful 4.8 per rush, whereas additionally catching 61 passes.” — Pete Prisco
- Total rating: No. 41
- Positional rating: No. 5
- 2024 rating: No. 8
“McCaffrey missed the primary eight video games of the 2024 season with Achilles points, then had a knee damage that ended his season, limiting him to 4 video games. He is wholesome once more, which is an important factor heading into the 2025 season.” — Pete Prisco
- Total rating: No. 50
- Positional rating: No. 6
- 2024 rating: Not ranked
“In simply 13 begins, Taylor completed fourth within the league in dashing with 1,431 yards. He averaged 4.7 yards per rush, his finest since 2021. Accidents have stored him out of 10 video games the previous two seasons.” — Pete Prisco
- Total rating: No. 66
- Positional rating: No. 7
- 2024 rating: Not ranked
“In his first season with the Packers, Jacobs rushed for a career-high 1,329 yards with 16 complete touchdowns. His toughness working the ball helped key the Packers offense.” — Pete Prisco
- Total rating: No. 94
- Positional rating: No. 8
- 2024 rating: Not ranked
“Irving began simply three video games as a rookie in 2024, and had simply 207 carries, however he nonetheless ran for 1,122 yards with eight dashing touchdowns. He averaged 5.4 yards per rush and I count on him to have many extra carries this season and for him to be increased on the record in 2026.” — Pete Prisco
Notable RB snubs from Prisco’s High 100
Jones form of will get left within the mud when it come to working backs who modified groups final offseason, however the former Packer turned Viking had great success in 2024. Jones is coming off a primary season in Minnesota the place he was simply considered one of seven working backs to complete with not less than 1,540 yards from scrimmage. The opposite six have been inside Prisco’s High 100. His 5.1 yards per contact have been additionally higher than Josh Jacobs (5.0) and Jonathan Taylor (4.9).
Cook dinner is at present amid a contract dispute with the Buffalo Payments, however there is not any denying that he was a extremely environment friendly work out of the backfield in 2024. His 16 dashing touchdowns have been tied with Derrick Henry and Jahmyr Gibbs for the co-lead within the NFL. Whereas his 1,009 yards dashing do not instantly bounce off of the stat sheet, they do while you think about his dashing makes an attempt. Cook dinner ran the ball 207 occasions final season, which is tied with Bucky Irving for the fewest makes an attempt of backs who rushed for over 1,000 yards. Cook dinner’s 4.9 yards per rush common really was higher than the Bijan Robinson (4.8), Taylor (4.7), and Jacobs (4.4).