2025 NFL Draft: Top 40 Running Backs
A look at the updated NFL Draft RB Big Board courtesy of NFL Draft Bible.
Welcome to the February 4, 2025 edition of the All Access Football Newsletter, Presented By Sports Management Worldwide Football Career Conference.
2025 NFL DRAFT BIG BOARD: RUNNING BACKS
Has the return of the running back arrived? Any observer of the game would tell you that being able to run the ball effectively equates to NFL success, more so than in recent seasons, so in some ways the answer would be yes. Others might tend to say no, when you consider just 37 backs were chosen during the past two NFL Drafts, the lowest two-year volume in draft history. Purists, such as the one penning this column would tell you that, the importance of a strong ground game never really left.
Keeping up with it all can be a bit like tracking down Barry Sanders in the open field. The NFL has and always will work in trends. When you see the impact that running backs such as Saquan Barkley (Eagles), Derrick Henry (Ravens) and Josh Jacobs (Packers) had for their new respective teams, you can rest assure that front office types around the league have taken notice. We may, or may not see that reflected in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Why?
The evolution of the running back to the modern day era would include a majority of teams who employ a committee approach. Hence, teams shy away from big paydays and long-term contracts at the position. Most organizations have come to realize that aside from the elite runners, there’s no need to pay top dollar and there’s a very thin line of separation of talent level amongst tier-two and tier-three backs in the NFL.
Hence, when you examine this year’s draft class, much like the previous two years, you will conclude the following. You will note one high-profile impact runner who will be chosen in round one, a handful of top-100 worthy backs who will be selected on Day 2 and approximately two dozen backs who are very close in overall skill who could be drafted on Day 3, or brought in as undrafted free agents. It’s not necessarily the viewpoint that teams don’t value these players, rather it becomes harder to justify utilizing a pick at that position, especially as the draft wears on.
You will also notice about one dozen prospects below with Day 3 grades. However, we could have just as easily flipped the next dozen running backs listed as priority free agents and slapped draftable grads on those players as well. That is how close the level of competition has intensified at the running back spot. Much due to the fact that running back by committees, mean that more backs are relied upon. The phrase ‘feature back’ has become an endangered species, reserved for the rare few.
In fact, only six backs managed 300-plus carries in 2024, three of which are mentioned in paragraph two. There will be expectation that Boise State superstar Ashton Jeanty can be the next running back to join that elite group. He sits atop our 2025 Running Back Big Board. While there isn’t expected to be a great amount of starting backs who emerge from this year’s class, the position has great depth.
KEY: HPFA = High Priority Free Agent || PFA = Priority Free Agent || FA = Free Agent
RANK | PLAYER | SCHOOL | YEAR | HEIGHT | WEIGHT | FORTY | HAND | ARM | WING | PROJ
Ashton Jeanty, Boise State, Jr, 5082, 217, 4.50e, Rd1*
Omarion Hampton, North Carolina, Jr, 5116, 219, 4.45e, Rd2*
Cameron Skattebo, Arizona State, Sr, 5100, 225, 4.54e, Rd2
Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State, Jr, 5112, 219, 4.50e, Rd3
Dylan Sampson, Tennessee, Jr, 5095, 201, 4.48e, Rd3*
DJ Giddens, Kansas State, rJr, 6001, 216, 4.53e, Rd3*
Kaleb Johnson, Iowa, Jr, 6002, 225, 4.52e, Rd4*
TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State, Sr, 5100, 214, 4.56e, Rd4
Kyle Monangai, Rutgers, Sr, 5090, 210, 4.50e, Rd4
Damien Martinez, Miami, Jr, 5111, 226, 4.54e, 0848, 3200, 7758, Rd4*
Devin Neal, Kansas, Sr, 5106, 220, 4.50e, 0838, 3000, 7118, Rd5
RJ Harvey, UCF, rSr, 5076, 207, 4.42e, 0858, 3018, 7058, Rd5
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Arizona, rSr, 5104, 206, 4.44e, 0878, 3158, 7638, Rd5
Woody Marks, USC, rSr, 5100, 215, 4.49e, 0918, 2948, 7178, Rd6
Bhayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech, Sr, 5086, 211, 4.50e, 0868, 3028, 7028, Rd6
Trevor Etienne, Georgia, Jr, 5084, 202, 4.44e, 0958, 2928, 6948, Rd6*
Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech, rSr, 5091, 229, 4.53e, 0918, 3068, 7458, Rd7
Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State, Jr, 6011, 233, 4.50e, 0928, 3268, 8000, Rd7
Kalel Mullings, Michigan, rSr, 6021, 233, 4.58e, Rd7
Jordan James, Oregon, Jr, 5092, 205, 4.42e, Rd7*
Phil Mafah, Clemson, Sr, 6002, 238, 4.57e, 0928, 3218, Rd7
Marcus Yarns, Delaware, Sr, 5103, 4.44e, 189, 0900, 3128, 7558, Rd7
Donovan Edwards, Michigan, Sr, 5110, 215, 4.49e, 1000, 3028, 7378, HPFA
Jaydon Blue, Texas, Jr, 5112, 200, 4.46e, HPFA*
LeQuint Allen, Syracuse, Sr, 6002, 207, 4.52e, 1028, 3248, 7668, HPFA*
Corey Kiner, Cincinnati, Sr, 5084, 212, 4.50e, 0758, 3078, 7378, HPFA
Jarquez Hunter, Auburn, Sr, 5091, 212, 4.53e, 0938, 3028, 7248, HPFA
Nathan Carter, Michigan State, rJr, 5093, 196, 4.40e, HPFA*
Raheim Sanders, South Carolina, rJr, 6000, 224, 4.69e, 0928, 3178, 7638, HPFA*
Montrell Johnson, Florida, Sr, 5112, 214, 4.54e, 0918, 3068, 7548, HPFA
Brashard Smith, SMU, Sr, 5092, 195, 4.49e, 0868, 3068, 7328, PFA
Ja’Quinden Jackson, Arkansas, rSr, 6015, 225, 4.60e, 0948, 3300, 7968, PFA
Micah Bernard, Utah, rSr, 5100, 206, 4.50e, 0928, 3158, 7528, PFA
Mario Anderson, Memphis, rSr, 5082, 206, 4.50e, 0900, 2878, 6878, PFA
Penny Boone, UCF, Sr 5116, 231, 4.70e, 0868, 3128, 7618, PFA
Tre Stewart, Jacksonville State, Sr, 5087, 186, 4.50e, 0938, 3038, 7200, FA
Quinton Cooley, Liberty, Sr, 5072, 215, 4.50e, 0838, 2900, 7138, FA
Marquez Cooper, San Diego State, rSr, 5060, 198, 4.50e, 0868, 2838, 6900, FA
Sidiki Kone, American International, Sr, 5114, 222, 4.53e, 0928, 3058, 7568, FA
Josh Williams, LSU, rSr, 5077, 196, 4.55e, 0928, 2838, 6928, FA
*indicates underclassman. || Follow on ‘X’ for EVERYTHING football @NFLDraftBible