It's often said that the Cleveland Browns have arguably the best running back in the NFL in Nick Chubb. But is it really an argument? Sure, there are a lot of very talented running backs in the league but the consistency Chubb displays is tough to beat.
As we approach training camp in 2023, let's take a look at all 32 starting running backs in the NFL and see who comes close in this 2023 NFL Running Back Power Rankings.
32. Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Bucs are going to have an interesting offense. They still have some strong wideouts but Baker Mayfield at quarterback and Rachaad White at running back won't be striking fear into opposing defensive coordinators. White enters year two with 481 yards and a touchdown under his belt while averaging 3.7 yards per attempt.
31. Brian Robinson, Washington Commanders
For some reason, the Washington Commanders were adamant about moving on from Antonio Gibson. This led to Brian Robinson being their No. 1 back and even though Gibson remains more efficient, they're rolling with Robinson who had 3.9 yards per rush and just two touchdowns as a rookie.
30. Alexander Mattison, Minnesota Vikings
There was a time when Alexander Mattison looked like one of the better No. 2 backs in the NFL. But that was in 2019 and 2020. His efficiency has dipped over the past two years, averaging 3.7 yards in 2021 and 3.8 last year. Still, the Minnesota Vikings believed in him enough to release Dalvin Cook and name him the starter.
29. Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are intent on using Cam Akers as their starting back and it's hard to see why. They added him in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft and he's been rather inconsistent with 1,414 yards through his first three seasons.
He had 786 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022 but it's hard to believe in him until we see it done with more consistency.
28. Raheem Mostert, Miami Dolphins
Raheem Mostert was actually with the Browns as a rookie back in 2015 — although he spent time with four teams that year. Eventually, the undrafted free agent broke out with the San Francisco 49ers and then followed Mike McDaniel to the Miami Dolphins.
He had 891 yards last season but could be replaced by Dalvin Cook. He also has a long injury history which is a cause for concern as well.
27. Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos
As a rookie, Javonte Williams was incredible with 903 yards and four touchdowns. In 2022, he played in just four games and had 204 yards with no touchdowns. If he can stay healthy and return to form, he could leapfrog a lot of players ahead of him. But right now, he's not too high on the power rankings.
26. James Conner, Arizona Cardinals
James Conner is one of the better goal-line backs in the NFL. He had 15 touchdowns in 2021 and another seven this past season. The problem is, he's not incredibly consistent. There's a lot to like about him as a runner but he's not an elite back.
25. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
You can see John Dorsey's fingerprints on the Detroit Lions roster. They had two first-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft and took the most replaceable positions on offense (running back) and defense (linebacker). The good news is, both players are good. Jahmyr Gibbs was a star for Alabama and can do damage both as a runner and receiver.
24. Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs
For those who think running backs need to be high-profile in order to have success, meet Isiah Pacheco. A seventh-round pick in 2022, Pacheco outperformed Clyde Edwards-Helaire (a former first-round pick). He finished with 830 yards and five touchdowns and was the lead back as the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl.
23. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals
There was a time when Joe Mixon was one of the best backs in the NFL but he's had fewer than four yards per carry in two of the past three seasons. He's still going to rack up yards if he gets the touches but it feels as though he's replaceable at this point.
22. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers
Another back who gains a lot of yards but isn't efficient is Najee Harris. He's a powerful 230-pound back but he averages just 3.9 yards per attempt in his career. He gets a lot of receptions as well but the numbers are modest there when it comes to yards per catch (just 5.6 in 2022).
21. D'Andre Swift, Philadelphia Eagles
D'Andre Swift has the talent to be one of the best running backs in the NFL. In three seasons, he's averaging 4.6 yards per rush and 7.7 per reception. The problem is, he's been banged up often and hasn't been given the full workload. Philadelphia is the perfect landing spot for him to prove he was worthy of the 35th overall selection in 2020.
20. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
At this point, it feels like Alvin Kamara is only starting due to his name and contract status. The New Orleans Saints extended his contract in 2020, paying him $75 million over five seasons. Since then, he's had his two lowest yards-per-carry campaigns and has 13 touchdowns — compared to the 21 he had in 2020 alone.
Jamaal Williams is there as well and he had 1,066 yards and 17 touchdowns for Detroit in 2022. He will likely get the majority of the carries in New Orleans, but this is a ranking of starters and they will start Kamara until he's gone due to the contract.
19. Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears will be turning to Khalil Herbert this season and he was impressive in 2022 with 5.7 yards per attempt. He's going to have to prove he can get it done with more carries but so far in his career, he looks the part of a lead back in the NFL.
18. Damien Harris, Buffalo Bills
In 2021, Damien Harris appeared to be on the verge of stardom. He had 929 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Patriots. But then in 2022, he took a back seat to Rhamondre Stevenson. Now with the Buffalo Bills, he will split time with James Cook but he should return to the form we saw in 2021.
17. Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans
Dameon Pierce was one of the few bright spots for the Houston Texans in 2022. He had 939 yards while averaging 4.3 per attempt. His one weak spot was getting into the end zone. He had just four touchdowns on the season, which isn't all his fault since that entire offense was a mess.
16. Miles Sanders, Carolina Panthers
Miles Sanders might be the most overlooked running back in the NFL. He had 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2022 while averaging 4.9 yards per attempt. He signed with the Carolina Panthers this offseason and gives them a very capable back to lean on.
15. J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens
In two seasons, J.K. Dobbins averages 5.9 yards per attempt and has 1,325 yards and 11 touchdowns. He did miss the entire 2021 campaign as well nine games in 2022. Still, he proved he still has the ability to pick up chunks of yards and should remain the RB1 in Baltimore for several more seasons.
14. Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots
Browns fans know all too well how impressive Rhamondre Stevenson can be. The New England Patriots leading rusher scored two touchdowns against Cleveland in their 38-15 win during the 2022 campaign. In all, Stevenson had 1,040 yards and five touchdowns but is expected to do much more now that Damien Harris is with Buffalo.
13. Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars
A first-round pick in 2021, Travis Etienne missed his entire rookie season due to an injury. He returned with a bang in 2022, gaining 1,125 yards on the ground and 316 through the air. He had just five touchdowns but that number should increase in the coming season since the Jaguars as a whole are a vastly improved team based on how they started last year.
12. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
While at Texas, Bijan Robinson was a machine. He was able to do everything asked of him and entered the 2023 NFL Draft as the No. 1 back. There was criticism for the Atlanta Falcons taking him in the top 10 but it made sense for them. The good quarterbacks were already gone (yes, I know Will Levis was there but that statement holds true) so they grabbed someone who would help Desmond Ridder. Tyler Allgeier ran for more than 1,000 yards in this offense a year ago and that means Robinson could go off.
11. Breece Hall, New York Jets
Before his injury, Breece Hall was on a roll. He had 97 yards in Week 5 and 116 in Week 6. Then in Week 7, he went for 76 yards on just four rushing attempts before being lost for the season. He still managed one touchdown in five consecutive weeks and will have even fewer stacked boxes with Aaron Rodgers in town.
10. Kenneth Walker, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle continues to find solid running backs and the next man up is Kenneth Walker. As a rookie, he had 1,050 yards and nine touchdowns which is even more impressive when you realize he started just 11 games.
9. Ausitin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers
Austin Ekeler isn't a traditional running back, barely hitting 200 pounds. He's also never had more than 915 yards in a single season — which is how much he had in 2023. But he's also picked up 3,448 yards in 389 receptions including 107 catches for 722 yards in 2023. He's a dynamic weapon and deserves to be in the top 10.
8. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers
He might be splitting time with A.J. Dillon now but Aaron Jones remains one of the more explosive backs in the NFL. He had 1,121 yards on the ground and 395 as a receiver. He did lose out on a lot of goal-line touchdowns but still scored five as a receiver last season. With Jordan Love taking over under center, Jones and Dillon will each surely get even more touches this year.
7. Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys
If the Dallas Cowboys didn't give Ezekiel Elliott that awful extension, the Cleveland Browns would have never stolen Amari Cooper. In addition to that, Tony Pollard would have been able to put up the type of career numbers he deserves.
Pollard finally topped the 1,000-yard mark this season and his numbers would have been even better if Elliott didn't vulture 12 touchdowns following Pollard's work. But not only does he rack up the yards, he's also a very capable receiver, giving Dallas one of the best backs in the game.
6. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
The New York Giants took Saquon Barkley at No. 2 overall in 2018 and he's been exactly what they hoped for. He did struggle with health for a few seasons but has topped 1,000 yards three times in five years and has 1,820 yards as a receiver. His ability to take over a game is impressive and the Giants will continue to lean heavily on him going forward.
5. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
Injuries slowed Jonathan Taylor down in 2022 as he had just 861 yards and four touchdowns. However, he had 1,811 yards and 18 touchdowns the prior season which were both tops in the NFL. As long as he's healthy, his numbers should be closer to that in 2023.
4. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
Christian McCaffrey helped the San Francisco 49ers turn things around following a slow start. He was traded after six games with the Panthers and put up 746 yards and six touchdowns in 11 games. For the year, he had 1,139 yards with another 741 as a receiver and 13 total touchdowns.
The only thing that keeps McCaffrey out of the top three is his durability. It was nice to see him play all 17 games this year but he played in just 10 in 2020 and 2021 combined, so there's always that concern with him. Even so, top four is no insult and he's passed by some incredible backs, including the 2022 NFL rushing yardage leader.
3. Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders
For some reason, Josh Jacobs never gets the praise he deserves. While most of us argue over Derrick Henry and Nick Chubb, he quietly went out and led the NFL with 1,653 yards and 12 touchdowns this past season. He also had 400 yards on 53 receptions. He might not have surpassed either Chubb or Henry but he deserves to be in the conversation — and one more season like he had in 2023, and he likely does pass Henry.
2. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
With Josh Jacobs right behind him, Derrick Henry comes in at No. 2. He's simply been too consistent for too long to surpass just yet. This past season, he had 1,538 yards with 13 touchdowns — his fifth season in a row with double-digit touchdowns. During the 2019 and 2020 campaigns, he was the best in the NFL but now, he comes in a close second behind Nick Chubb.
1. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
Even Derrick Henry admitted it — Nick Chubb is the best running back in the NFL right now.
He's had at least 1,000 yards rushing in four of his five NFL campaigns and the only time he failed to reach the mark was during his rookie campaign in 2018. Ironically enough, he did gain exactly 1,000 yards but then lost four on his final two carries to finish with 996 on the season.
This past year, he had 1,525 yards and 12 touchdowns and to highlight how dominant he is, he had his career-worst 5.0 yards per carry. There are some great running backs that never hit that mark but for Chubb, that's the floor at this point.