Who’s the Best Running Back in the NFL Right Now?

It’s a debate as old as time itself: who’s the best running back in the NFL right now? We take a look at the top contenders and make a case for each.

Introduction

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, not counting baseball’s World Series, basketball’s NBA Finals, and hockey’s Stanley Cup. Super Bowl Sunday is considered the biggest annual sporting event day in America.

In this article, we’ll be discussing who we believe to be the best running back in the NFL right now.

Current NFL Running Backs

In the NFL, a running back’s primary job is to gain yards by carrying the ball or catching it and running it down the field. A running back’s success is measured by his yards per carry and his total yards. Here are the top ten running backs in the NFL right now.

Saquon Barkley

In just his second NFL season, Barkley has not only cemented himself as one of the best running backs in the league, but also one of the best players period. He’s a threat to score anytime he touches the ball, whether it’s through the air or on the ground. He also proved to be a valuable pass blocker last season, which is something that not all running backs can say.

Ezekiel Elliott

Ezekiel Elliott is a professional American football player for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he earned second-team All-America honors in 2015. He was drafted by the Cowboys fourth overall in the 2016 NFL Draft.

In his first NFL season, he led the league in rushing attempts (322), rushing yards (1,631), and rushing touchdowns (15), helped the Cowboys to an NFC-best 13–3 record, and was named Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Alvin Kamara

Alvin Kamara is an American football running back for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Saints in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee, and was a second-team All-SEC selection in 2016.

Comparing the Three

It’s a close race this year for who the best running back in the NFL is. Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, and Ezekiel Elliot are all having break out years and could make a case for the title. They all have different strengths and weaknesses. Saquon Barkley is the all around back, Christian McCaffrey can catch passes out of the backfield, and Ezekiel Elliot is a power back.

Rushing Yards

In the NFL, the running back (RB) is the most important position in the offensive backfield. A running back’s main job is to carry the football and run with it, usually from scrimmage. A running back must have a combination of speed, agility, strength, vision, and balance to be successful. In the NFL, there are three primary types of running backs: speed backs, power backs, and all-purpose backs.

In recent years, the all-purpose back has become more commonplace. An all-purpose back is a player who can line up anywhere in the offensive backfield and be successful. They have a combination of speed, power, and elusiveness that makes them tough to tackle. All-purpose backs are often used as both runners and receivers out of the backfield. The three best all-purpose backs in the NFL right now are Le’Veon Bell, Alvin Kamara, and Christian McCaffrey.

Le’Veon Bell is a huge part of the Pittsburgh Steelers offense. He is an excellent runner between the tackles and has extraordinary patience waiting for his blocks to develop. He also has great vision and can find holes that other runners would not see. As a receiver out of the backfield, Bell is a matchup nightmare for defenses because of his size and catching ability. He is one of the best all-around RBs in the NFL right now.

Alvin Kamara is one of the most explosive players in the NFL. He has breakaway speed that can take him to the end zone from anywhere on the field. He is also very elusive and hard to tackle in space. Kamara is an excellent receiver out of the backfield and is a big part of the New Orleans Saints passing attack. He is one of most dangerous all-purpose backs in the NFL right now.

Christian McCaffrey was drafted as a RB/WR hybrid by the Carolina Panthers in 2017. He lined up all overoffensive formation as a rookie and had over 1,000 yards from scrimmage . In 2018, McCaffrey became even more involvedin teh offenseeand had over 2,000 yards from scrimmage . He is an excellent runner between teh tacklesand can make people missin space . Asa receiver , McCaffreyis extremely quickand shiftyand seldomsdrops passes . He i alsoa very good blocker for a RB . McCaffreysize(5’11”, 205 lbs.) doesnot stop himfrom beingoneof teh best RBsin teh NFL rightnow .

Touchdowns

In the NFL, touchdowns are king. They’re the reason why the league’s best running backs can demand such high salaries, and they’re also the reason why fans tune in every week to see which player will take home the coveted title of “NFL touchdown leader.”

So, who is the NFL’s touchdown leader right now? That would be New England Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount, who has scored an impressive 17 touchdowns so far this season. Not far behind him is Dallas Cowboys rookie Ezekiel Elliott, who has racked up 16 touchdowns in his first year in the league.

And then there’s Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, who is currently third in the NFL with 15 touchdowns. Bell is having a tremendous season, but he has been hampered by injuries and he missed four games due to a suspension.

So, who is the best running back in the NFL right now? That’s a tough question to answer, but if we’re looking at sheer offensive production, it’s hard to argue against Blount or Elliott.

Receiving Yards

The following lists the top ten NFL running backs in terms of receiving yards. These numbers are through week four of the 2020 NFL season.

1. Austin Ekeler – Los Angeles Chargers – 343 yards
2. Alvin Kamara – New Orleans Saints – 310 yards
3. Ronald Jones II – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 302 yards
4. Aaron Jones – Green Bay Packers – 290 yards
5. Kenyan Drake – Arizona Cardinals -288 yards
6. James Conner – Pittsburgh Steelers -282 yards
7. Chris Carson – Seattle Seahawks -274 yards
8. Josh JacobsLas Vegas Raiders -271 yards
9. Phillip LindsayDenver Broncos -269 yards
10. Tarik CohenChicago Bears -267 yards

Conclusion

After analyzing all of the data, it is clear that Ezekiel Elliott is the best running back in the NFL right now. He is a versatile back who can run between the tackles and catch the ball out of the backfield, and he has demonstrated an ability to produce at a high level regardless of who his offensive line is.