2023 NFL Draft: RB prospects — which team will target the position?
Huge Need
Denver Broncos
Disclaimer at the top: It is tough to find many teams to place in the “huge need” group. I even feel like I’m stretching with Denver a bit. Samaje Perine was aggressively pursued by Sean Payton in free agency with promises of his multi-back system. With the worrisome reports about Javonte Williams' availability and effectiveness coming off a complex knee ligament injury.
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Perine may not be the last major addition to this backfield; Payton could see a space-type receiving back he likes in the draft. If the Broncos use one of their few significant picks for another back we need to start worrying if we see much of Williams at all in 2022. Perine is a good two-way back but he shouldn’t be expected to carry the full load while holding the fort. Denver needs another RB.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins moved early in free agency to retain both Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson. They could get away with them as the lead tandem for the team this season but … how boring. Not to mention both players are injury risks and don’t profile as true starters. The Dolphins are light on premium picks after veteran trades but even a Day 2 pick could come in and leap to the top of the depth chart by training camp. The Dolphins offense needs to develop a more consistent rushing game as a counterpunch when teams take away their middle-of-the-field passing attack.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Again, another team I feel like is a stretch in this group. However, I’m not sure the Bucs saw enough from Rachaad White to just hand him the keys to the kingdom going forward. White is a solid pass catcher and splashy runner but the Bucs might need someone with a bit more consistency on the ground.
The quarterback position is causing this roster to get underrated a bit. If a rookie with a better resume than White landed on this team, he could be a strong producer right out of the gate. At the very least, someone to work in tandem with White is needed.
Moderate Need
Arizona Cardinals
The team signed James Conner for pretty good money last offseason but that was a different general manager and head coach. Conner is a good back but a lock to miss some games and is getting toward the back nine of his prime. Keontay Ingram didn’t do much to earn serious consideration as a starter. The Cardinals are in a rebuild but may also be a sneaky team to use a significant-ish draft pick at running back.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons got great play out of Tyler Allgeier, who had one of the quietest 1,000-yard rushing seasons for a rookie in NFL history. Yet, the team is still going to add to their running back room. Cordarrelle Patterson isn’t a true RB2 and, at worst, a complementary back is needed. Allgeier was hyper-efficient but this offense is one of the best-designed run units in the game. Another Day 3 back this year could take advantage of those looks too. A higher-pedigree player would be even more interesting.
Cincinnati Bengals
I wanted to put them in the first group but right now, Joe Mixon remains on the team. He has been rumored to be a cut candidate for months and the organization has been noncommittal, at best, when talking about him publicly. My gut still says he’s not on the Week 1 roster. With Samaje Perine gone, options like Chris Evans behind him aren’t good enough for a Super Bowl-contending team. Cincinnati is one of the best landing spots for a potential feature back in this draft, especially if they turn around and release Mixon this summer.
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Dallas Cowboys
Tony Pollard is officially the starting back in Dallas after getting the franchise tag and watching as the team cut Dallas icon, Ezekiel Elliott. There’s a chance Elliott is brought back on a reduced deal if he can’t find a new home but it’s officially the Pollard show … for now. The Cowboys don’t have another proven player behind him, though Malik Davis flashed at times. They could stand to add another back to the rotation here and potentially take some grinder carries off of Pollard to keep him fresh. Since it’s Jerry Jones and Dallas, there is also a chance they aim way too high at this position and bring in a real thorn to the side of Pollard backers.
Los Angeles Rams
Cam Akers ended last season on a tear but he hasn’t strung together a consistent start-to-finish season through three years yet. The Rams only have Kyren Williams, Ronnie Rivers and Malcolm Brown behind Akers. They love to add backs in the draft on an annual basis. This year might be an exception given their many needs and rebuilding phase. But if they add another option, no one could blame them.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers are only in this group because they seem to detest the idea of paying even a deserved slight raise to their most productive offensive player. Austin Ekeler still has an outstanding trade request and even though he may come back to the Chargers, there’s a chance some team makes a play for him on draft day. Even if Ekeler is on the team, he’s publicly stated (on our podcast) he wants a secondary running mate in the backfield. So far, the Chargers have not been able to identify and groom that player in the draft but they still need to take another swing.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings seem like they want to cut or trade Dalvin Cook but a February shoulder surgery has held up the proceedings. In the front office’s ideal world, they’re probably drafting a rookie on Day 2 or 3 and letting that back push and compete with Alexander Mattison — who was brought back on a reasonable deal — for touches. That would make for a cost-effective and perhaps good running back room. It just remains to be seen how this Cook situation plays out. Tough team to sort.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks have a great young running back in Kenneth Walker but the depth chart is bereft of talent behind him after Rashaad Penny bolted for Philly. Seattle doesn’t need to worry about getting competition for Walker but they might want to consider someone to spell/back him up.
Walker runs with an aggressive style and already dealt with injuries as a rookie. We don’t have to talk Pete Carroll into using a serious draft pick at the running back spot.
Fine, but could add a body or two
Buffalo Bills
Buffalo brought in Damien Harris to infuse a power element into a room containing guys like James Cook and Nyheim Hines who lean toward the scatback type. At 5-11 and 213 pounds, Harris will operate as an early down banger and bruiser we haven’t seen on this team in the Josh Allen era. His fantasy stock will be an interesting debate but his addition was a strong signal the team may actually commit to being a good-situation, power-run team. It remains to be seen if Cook can be more than a change of pace, passing-down back. I could see the Bills adding one more back with size to this room.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers signed top free-agent running back Miles Sanders to a four-year deal and he figures to own the majority of the work. Running back coach Duce Staley does believe in a committee approach and hasn’t been afraid to throw three backs into some form of rotation. There isn’t much behind Sanders, as Chuba Hubbard is a Matt Rhule-era holdover and not a needle-mover. So Carolina may yet add another back in the draft but it’s unlikely to come via a top-four-round pick.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns didn’t make an attempt to re-sign Kareem Hunt in free agency. Nick Chubb should have the bell-cow work all to himself for the first time in years. That’s an exciting development. The talk around town is that Cleveland wants to dial up the passing volume in Year 2 of Deshaun Watson and likes Jerome Ford behind Chubb. It’s hard to see them adding another significant back.
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Houston Texans
For the moment it seems Dameon Pierce has a commanding grip on the RB1 gig in Houston. He wore down to end his rookie year but was electric for large stretches. Devin Singletary is not a threat to start but is a viable change of pace on all three downs and can keep Pierce fresh. There is some risk that a new coaching staff will want to tab their own backfield star in the draft for this Shanahan-style scheme. That would seem silly given the other holes at premium positions in Houston.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Doug Pederson sounded downright giddy about the idea of adding another back to the mix to form a committee situation when asked about it at the NFL scouting combine. So far, D’Ernest Johnson was the only name added to the backfield with Travis Etienne. Johnson showed legitimate talent when he got to start in Cleveland and Etienne is one of the most exciting young backs in the league. The Jags could stand pat with just those but Pederson is a bit of a wild card.
Kansas City Chiefs
Isiah Pacheco brought a power run element to this Chiefs offense that had sorely been lacking during the last few years of the Patrick Mahomes era. Pacheco runs with a ton of energy and was a big factor in some late-season and postseason wins. How much Andy Reid and Co. trust him as he grows is a story to watch.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire has dealt with a ton of injuries of late but could still be a change of pace back in this offense. Maybe I’m projecting too much of my own feelings for Pacheco’s game onto this ranking and KC is a bigger threat to add a back than I imagine.
New England Patriots
The Patriots have one of the brightest young stars at the position in Rhamondre Stevenson, who is an aggressive runner and broke out as a pass catcher last year. There are some rumblings New England wants to add a blue-chip player to the backfield but that would be strange. They have a starter and two players they drafted last year, Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris. Then again, the current version of the Patriots is well-defined by their weirdness.
New Orleans Saints
We know that Alvin Kamara is facing legal backlash and could miss time via a league suspension this season. The Saints added Jamaal Williams to likely start during that stretch and he could serve as a power complement to Kamara. I wouldn’t rule out that he gets more touches when both are available, either. No matter what the Saints should look to add at least one young player here. Eno Benjamin is on the roster but someone a bit better to spell Williams if Kamara misses games is important.
Philadelphia Eagles
We know the deal with Rashaad Penny: He’s here for a good time but he’s not going to be here for a long time. Penny will burn bright when he runs behind the Eagles offensive line and plays next to Jalen Hurts in the backfield. However, he’s a big injury risk and Kenneth Gainwell — not Boston Scott — profiles as a feature back. Philly will add some form of competition who could just straight up take the starting job from Penny — and break Fantasy Twitter’s heart.
Washington Commanders
I can’t get the idea of Bijan Robinson to the Commanders at 16th overall out of my head. But that’s only because this is an old-school front office and coaching staff who could be unable to resist a consensus top-five overall talent in the teens — not because they need a back. Brian Robinson was a steady grinder back for the Commanders as a rookie. Ron Rivera seemed to love him from the jump. Antonio Gibson still offers a viable change of pace appeal.
Little to no need
Baltimore Ravens
It would be a surprise if the Ravens committed serious resources to the running back room. They currently have J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill set to run back last year’s rotation. Dobbins is the key. If he’s closer to his former self in his second year back from a complex ACL tear, the Ravens run game can reach better heights than we’ve seen the last two seasons.
Chicago Bears
The Bears added D’Onta Foreman in free agency after an inspired run with the Panthers to end last season. He and incumbent Khalil Herbert will battle it out to see who will be the 1A back in this committee. That player will likely own a 2:1 lead in terms of series played when the regular season kicks off. Travis Homer also signed a two-year deal but he’s a passing-down specialist only.
Detroit Lions
David Montgomery replaces the big-back role Jamaal Williams once held for this team. Based on the contract the Lions handed him last month, they think they’re getting an upgrade. D’Andre Swift has never fully jived with this coaching staff but is a talented runner and dangerous receiver. He could take a leap in the final year of his rookie deal or could cede more passing-down work to Montgomery than he did to Williams. I could see that one playing out in either direction.
Green Bay Packers
The Packers have one of the better backfield duos in Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon. The latter was better in 2021 than last year but played his best ball to end the season. Jones is still efficient and explosive as he creeps toward 30. The Packers can keep their eye on pass catchers in the draft and away from rushers.
Indianapolis Colts
Jonathan Taylor just has to stay healthy. When he played last season he was effective even when the Colts offense was crumbling around him. He just dealt with myriad nagging injuries throughout 2022. Taylor is one of the best bounce-back candidates in the game right now and would be even more appealing if the Colts get an exciting young quarterback in the draft. Zach Moss got some decent burn to end the season after getting traded to Indy at the deadline.
Las Vegas Raiders
Josh Jacobs is fresh off a rushing-leader season and is still playing for his next contract after getting franchise-tagged by the Raiders. Josh McDaniels and Co. figure to load him up with touches once again this season. Zamir White returns as the early-down backup and Ameer Abdullah serves as low-volume passing-game specialist. Vegas doesn’t need to make a move to add to this room.
New York Giants
Saquon Barkley is back on the franchise tag and will be hunting for a long-term deal that he believes is commensurate with his value to the team. Given how much more of an impact player on a down-to-down basis he was vs. Daniel Jones for the 2022 Giants, current contract differences between the two are wild. We must never dare to question the Church of Positional Value, though, of course. Backup rusher Matt Breida is a Brian Daboll guy through and through. The Giants are probably content with their options behind Barkley.
New York Jets
You can squint at Breece Hall coming back from a 2022 torn ACL and talk yourself into running back being a need for this team. However, Michael Carter played well as a rookie and is fine No. 2 back. New York also got some nice play out of Zonovan “Bam” Knight last season, too. The biggest factor is Hall’s health. It sounds like his ACL recovery is a pretty clean path. He should be ready to rock early in the season and get ramped up with more work as the months go on.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Najee Harris got a light workload reduction in his second season but should remain the workhorse back for the team. The Steelers seemed quite intrigued by efficient rookie Jaylen Warren last season at different chapters of the proceedings. I could see a scenario where Warren may not be forcing a timeshare here but is soon regarded as one of the top backups in the league.
San Francisco 49ers
Christian McCaffrey is one of the best players in the sport. He truly unlocked an entirely new dimension to an already electric San Francisco offense. Elijah Mitchell is a fantastic backup who can offer big-play juice on the ground. It’s also possible for these two to be on the field at the same time. We’ll see if Tyrion Davis-Price can earn some trust with the coaches this offseason or if Kyle Shanahan will feel compelled to burn another Day 2 pick on a rookie RB he’ll just decide he hates in a few months.
Tennessee Titans
Ultimately, I don’t buy the Derrick Henry trade block rumors, especially since the general manager dismissed them so aggressively out of hand. Tennessee will ride the hulking back for yet another season and take the journey until the wheels fall off. Dontrell Hilliard has been a fine change-of-pace option and Hassan Haskins was good enough in his lone start as a rookie to keep the backup gig.
