Christian McCaffrey, 49ers lead backfield

For those who may not be aware of player moves in the NFL, let me be the first to tell you that the offseason has been a whirlwind at the running back position. Several well-known names are now forming new teams, which is not only set to shake up your fantasy football plans later this summer, but is also expected to impact the league itself in 2024.

As these clubs come together over the next few weeks and months for the offseason training program, including mandatory minicamp, now is a good time to take stock of all of these changes in the backfield and compare them. to each other. Below, we’ve rounded up every backfield in the league and categorized them into one of seven tiers ranging from the “Thoroughbred” section to the “Work in Progress” section.

Level 1: Thoroughbred

Not only will you find stars in this tier, but what sets these teams apart is also the depth behind their stars. While Christian McCaffrey is arguably the best guard in the league, the 49ers also have capable guards like Elijah Mitchell Jordan Mason and rookie Isaac Guerendo in their stable along with guard Kyle Juszczyk.

As for the rest of the teams in this upper tier, they all went through a seismic shift this offseason with some of the biggest signings in free agency. Baltimore added Derrick Henry to headline a backfield that also sports Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell (recovering from a torn ACL). In addition to their impact out of the backfield. Meanwhile, the Eagles added Saquon Barkley and the Packers signed Josh Jacobs, both of whom are capable of leading the league in rushing if fully healthy. The Ravens and Eagles also have the luxury of having quarterbacks (Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts) who contribute to the rushing attack.

Level 2: Depth of quality

This is a group that may not have the high-end star power of the group above, but has plenty of depth to make them a formidable unit. The Lions are knocking on the door to move up a ladder with the combination of David Montgomery and rising second-year guard Jahmyr Gibbs. The Dolphins also have a veteran-young duo in Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane, who are arguably the fastest tandem in the league. Miami also drafted Jaylen Wright from Tennessee in the draft and has veteran Jeff Wilson Jr., who has topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage in 2022.

The Steelers are another club with multiple guards capable of handling a heavy workload. Najee Harris has rushed for over 1,000 yards from scrimmage in each of his first three seasons in the league, while Jaylen Warren and Cordarrelle Patterson both provide an electric change of pace. New Orleans has arguably the most decorated back at this level in Alvin Kamara, who has rushed for over 1,000 yards from scrimmage every year he has been in the league. In addition to Kamara, the Saints have Jamaal Williams as a solid veteran backup and an intriguing second-year return in Kendre Miller.

Travis Etienne rushed for over 1,000 yards for the second straight season for the Jaguars and notched a career-high 11 rushing touchdowns in his sophomore season. While he leads the group, Tank Bigsby and D’Ernest Johnson are capable backups.

Level 3: newcomers

This is a group that could be described as the stars of tomorrow: young guards who have enormous potential and who still have a career ahead of them. New York has Breece Hall, who should be in line for a third-year breakout after suffering a full season removed from his torn ACL in his rookie season. James Cook had a sensational sophomore season in 2023 as he took the lion’s share of touches out of Buffalo’s backfield and turned it into 1,567 yards from scrimmage. Similar to Cook, Rachaad White made the most of her extra opportunity with the Buccaneers last season and also surpassed 1,500 yards from scrimmage.

Isiah Pacheco is already a two-time Super Bowl champion and a mainstay in Kansas City’s backfield, while Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson has the talent to become the league’s best running back in short order. After being a fifth-round pick in 2022, Kyren Williams took the NFL by storm last season averaging a league-best 95.3 rushing yards per game. His performance last season was good enough to earn him second-team All-Pro honors. Remaining in the NFC West, the Seahawks complete this level thanks to their two backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet.

Level 4: Led by a veteran

Some of the headliners in these backfields may be a little long in the tooth, but are more than capable of still making an impact. James Conner is coming off one of the best seasons of his career in 2023 despite only playing 13 games. He rushed for a career-high 1,040 yards. In addition to Conner, the Cardinals drafted Florida State’s Trey Benson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Meanwhile, the Commanders, the Bears, and the Vikings were all involved in the musical chairs of free will. Washington landed Austin Ekeler to compliment Brian Robinson Jr. while Chicago added D’Andre Swift to a room that includes Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson. The Vikings managed to poach Aaron Jones after he was released by the Packers and will be back in front of Ty Chandler.

Level 5: Injury Concerns

Both of these clubs have some of the most talented running backs in the league, but they are surrounded by health issues. Jonathan Taylor hasn’t played a full season since his All-Pro campaign in 2021. Indy also let Zack Moss leave in free agency, which puts a dent in their depth behind Taylor. On the Browns side, Nick Chubb continues to return from his knee injury last season. When healthy, he is one of the best pure runners in the NFL, but it remains to be seen what he will be able to do in 2024. Cleveland can count on Jerome Ford and D’Onta Foreman to help him to soften the blow of any limitations Chubb might have. to have.

Level 6: More to prove

These teams have quality running backs, but there are still others that these backfields need to prove in order to advance to the higher levels. Tennessee added Tony Pollard in free agency, but he struggled a bit playing full time in Dallas a season ago. If they click, Pollard and Tyjae Spears should form a nice duo for the Titans. Speaking of duos, Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce have the potential to be a good duo for Houston. That said, Mixon’s effectiveness has stumbled in recent seasons and Pierce fell off in his sophomore campaign, so there’s still a lot to figure out with the Texans backfield.

The Patriots added Antonio Gibson in free agency for a change of pace by receiving Rhamondre Stevenson. As for Stevenson, he’s coming off an injury-shortened season in 2023, but he has the ceiling to be 1,500 yards from scrimmage when he’s right. Meanwhile, the Raiders are handing the keys to the backfield to Zamir White after seeing Josh Jacobs leave in free agency. In addition to White, Las Vegas has Alexander Mattison and Ameer Abdullah, who are capable of handling a starter’s workload in a pinch.

Cincinnati signed Zack Moss in free agency and it will be interesting to see how the veteran performs after a stellar season in 2023 with Indy. As for Carolina, they drafted Jonathon Brooks to be their future player, but he just tore his ACL at Texas last season. As he returns, the Panthers have Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders and Rashaad Penny as veteran options.

Level 7: Work in progress

The Giants lost Saquon Barkley to the Eagles in free agency and brought in Devin Singletary to replace him. In addition to this downgrade at the starting position, New York doesn’t have much behind Singletary with Eric Gray, Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Gary Brightwell rounding out the position group. There was a lot of fanfare for Javonte Williams before last season, but the former second-round pick averaged just 3.6 yards per carry in 2023. Samaje Perine is a solid veteran to have in the backfield rear, but this position group does not. have a ton of premium benefits.

The Chargers effectively adopted the Ravens backfield after signing Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins in free agency. Dobbins has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, including a torn Achilles last season. Meanwhile, Edwards has a sturdy back but doesn’t have a massive ceiling. Ultimately, the Cowboys lost Pollard in free agency and brought back Ezekiel Elliott, but the veteran is no longer the same player he was early in his first tenure with Dallas. Outside of Elliott, the Cowboys have Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn. In fact, it appears that Dallas’ backfield is currently in a transition phase.