Hello, happy Friday. I copy/pasted the intro from Wednesday's newsletter, in which I detailed why these rankings may feel a bit weird. If you wanna skip past that straight to the player analysis, I wouldn't blame you. We have a lot to cover today. Here's the short version -- these rankings don't assume any draft capital. I'll provide adjusted rankings upon conclusion of the NFL Draft.

We have TWENTY FOUR running backs to discuss today. Let's go.

(For Dynasty Fantasy Football purposes)

When we have landing spots and draft capital as part of the equation, I will adjust these rankings. For now, think of these as my best attempt to describe the respective Fantasy appeal for each RB, completely independent of draft capital. Some players will drop dramatically if projected draft capital holds true -- namely, Raheim Sanders and Tahj Brooks feel vulnerable to a draft day slide.

When considering how conducive to Fantasy scoring each RB's skill set is, I do prefer those two running backs to the likes of Kaleb Johnson or Bhayshul Tuten. But projected draft capital strongly favors the latter. How I see it, Brooks and Sanders have more paths available that may lead to Fantasy success, because of their ability to contribute in a variety of ways. Johnson and Tuten have a wide path available to them -- become a team's preferred option on outside zone runs (here's a look at the teams who may be most-likely to employ an outside zone runner ) and a 1A or 1B in an offense's early-down RB split -- but if they stumble along that path, I'm not sure how flexible we can expect either back to be in course-correcting to still carve out a successful NFL career.

Sanders and Brooks may be destined to careers as backups, but there are paths to more that could open up. Both have the size to be a positive contributor in short-yardage situations, and unlike Johnson, both performed well in that regard at the collegiate level. Both have the receiving skill set to add value as a pass-catcher. Brooks even feels like a strong bet to eventually become the best pass-blocker in his RB room. Either could prove to be viable or even exceptional runners of the football as pros, and both offer skill sets that fit well with man or gap blocking schemes.

There's a lot of nuance to consider when evaluating the RB position and how collegiate production might translate to the pros. I did my best to categorize my view of the RB skill sets in this tweet:

I belabor this introduction with hope that I can get you thinking about these players in a more dynamic way.

A landing spot that might accentuate a skill set could propel any of these running backs into a successful NFL career, but not every team is going to provide that. For players like Johnson or Tuten, there may only be a handful of teams that provide an ideal fit.

Let's dive into these rankings. At some point, I have to give you a list, even if it pains me to paint this picture in black and white. There will be plenty of time over the next month for me to flesh out the details -- here in the newsletter, on X, and across various podcast appearances -- please do seek out updates as we get more information on the potential paths facing these RBs as they arrive at the NFL level

Following the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft, most teams will have two or even three running backs who could offer high-level production. It's going to be extremely interesting to watch these backfields sort themselves out. To me, that process begins now. 

Tier 1

RB1 -- Ashton Jeanty

Tier 2

RB2 -- Omarion Hampton
RB3 -- TreVeyon Henderson

Tier 3

RB4 -- Quinshon Judkins
RB5 -- Dylan Sampson

Tier 4

RB6 -- Cam Skattebo
RB7 -- RJ Harvey
RB8 -- DJ Giddens
RB9 -- Damien Martinez
RB10 -- Tahj Brooks
RB11 -- Raheim Sanders
RB12 -- Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Tier 5

RB13 -- Kaleb Johnson
RB14 -- Bhayshul Tuten

(These two will almost assuredly shoot ahead of Brooks, Sanders, and JCM when we see draft capital. I prefer the more varied skill sets of the three that I have in Tier 4, but Johnson and Tuten offer enticing zone rushing upside and are younger)

Tier 6

RB15 -- Devin Neal
RB16 -- Jarquez Hunter
RB17 -- LeQuint Allen
RB18 -- Ollie Gordon
RB19 -- Brashard Smith
RB20 -- Jaydon Blue
RB21 -- Corey Kiner (this pains me, I love Kiner, but I can't rank him ahead of guys with more receiving upside)
RB22 -- Kyle Monangai
RB23 -- Jordan James

The Kiner ranking was the toughest, but this whole tier was brutal for me to rank. Specifically, Allen and Gordon do not profile as top-20 backs for me in terms of what they are able to do with the ball in their hands. But, when it comes to their ability to contribute as pass protectors, those two are undeniably more-likely to earn NFL playing time than most backs from this class.

Someone like Kiner, Blue, or Smith might be more likely to return huge return on investment, but they're also more likely to be a wasted roster spot.

Tier 7

RB24 -- Trevor Etienne
RB25 -- Montrell Johnson Jr.
RB26 -- Marcus Yarns
RB27 -- Jo'Quavious "Woody" Marks
RB28 -- Kylin James
RB29 -- Kalel Mullings
RB30 -- Phil Mafah

In Wednesday's newsletter, I highlighted my top-six running backs. Today, we get to the rest of this awesome class.

RB8 -- RJ Harvey, UCF

24.5 years old at start of 2025 NFL season

Statistically, Harvey jumps off of the page. He had more runs of 15+ yards than Ashton Jeanty in 2024! He accounted for 34% of UCF's scrimmage yardage, only Jeanty, Kaleb Johnson, Omarion Hampton, and Cam Skattebo posted a better single-season rate (full list). He accounted for 53% of the offensive touchdowns! Johnson was the only RB with a higher rate.

Harvey's production held up against higher levels of competition, too.

Harvey jumps off the page as an athlete. He ran a 4.4 and was clocked with a top speed of 18.5 miles per hour during his 10-yard split. That was the fastest in the RB class, ahead of even Bhayshul Tuten. We are talking about some serious burst here!

What's not to like? Well, he's ancient, in running back terms. He's two years older than Bucky Irving. He's four years older than Dylan Sampson, who might already be as good as Harvey is.

Like many backs in this class, Harvey also brings pass protection concerns. He has less of a proven track record of being able to contribute as an any-down type of RB than Irving displayed at Oregon. This could prove to limit Harvey to only change-of-pace work, early on, at least. Draft capital and landing spot will likely matter even more for Harvey than other backs. My hope is that he lands with Liam Coen -- the offensive designer who engineered Irving's 2024 output -- in Jacksonville. I bet that Harvey could establish himself as an important playmaker for that offense. Harvey has the ability to put up an explosive rookie campaign that vaults him into a higher tier of perceived value for Dynasty purposes, but if his only way of contributing is as a rusher, that potential may never materialize into anything meaningful for Fantasy. I know that he's an extremely fun prospect, but do your best to draft responsibly.

Here's an X thread with cut-ups of RJ Harvey film

RB9 -- DJ Giddens, Kansas State

22 years old at start of 2025 NFL season

DJ Giddens reminds me of Tyrone Tracy as a runner, in that he's taller and looks like an "upright" runner but actually has impressive leg drive and contact balance because of his powerful lower half. He's an explosive athlete -- even more so than Tracy -- it shows up all over his film. He's not quite as elusive as Tracy, but Giddens has an excellent jump-cut and jukes defenders without losing much speed at all to create additional yardage in the open field.

Giddens could be a three-down contributor at the NFL level. He was used a ton as a pass-catcher at Kansas State. No RB in this class logged a higher single-season snap rate on passing plays than Giddens in 2024. I watched every target from his final season at K State and actually wasn't super impressed with his catching ability, but the fact that a coaching staff entrusted him with so much receiving opportunity is encouraging.

He'll probably begin his NFL career as a complement to a veteran starter, but it wouldn't surprise me if Giddens proved to simply be more explosive and take over lead back duties during his rookie season. I'd see him as an immediate threat steal work from Najee Harris, Chase Brown, or D'Andre Swift. He would be an awesome pairing with Jaylen Warren, Tracy, or Isiah Pacheco. And if a team like Denver or Dallas decides to make him their lead back, Giddens might end up being one of the most valuable Fantasy RBs in this class. There's huge upside available depending on where he lands. An outside zone scheme is probably ideal.

Here's an X thread with cut-ups of DJ Giddens film

RB10 -- Damien Martinez, Miami

21.8 years old at start of 2025 NFL season

I have heard so many analysts who list Martinez as one of their favorite RBs from this class, which is notable in such a deep RB group. It's no surprise, he's a joy to watch. Martinez is a true football lover's running back. He wins with power, vision, balance, patience, and surprising elusiveness. He has good feel and spatial awareness as a runner and block-settor and uses his off hand well to direct traffic or stiff arm when needed. He's one of the smoothest running backs that I watched, and he's still only 21 years old.

Another feather in Martinez's cap is that he succeeded as both an under-center and shotgun runner and has experience with a variety of run schemes. He also has the size to potentially develop into a competent pass protector, although his experience is lacking there and his career pressure rate allowed (10.5%) was high.

As an overall runner, Martinez would rank only behind Ashton Jeanty from this class, in my opinion. After Jeanty, the next tier would include Martinez, Cam Skattebo, Dylan Sampson, Harvey, and I might throw Corey Kiner in there for spice. I'm getting ahead of myself, though, we'll get to Kiner in a moment. Martinez is that complete as a runner. Why is he ranked as my RB10, then? This is a Fantasy football rankings set. Even though many compare Martinez to James Conner, I'm not so sure that we're ever going to see him contribute as a pass-catcher. His collegiate receiving profile is lacking, to put it bluntly. He'd be an outlier, to be a strong Fantasy contributor, given his collegiate receiving production. Receiving is so important to the RB position in Fantasy football. There are a few monsters capable of superseding that rule, but I'm not comfortable projecting Martinez to be the next Derrick Henry or Nick Chubb -- almost all high-end Fantasy RB producers offer some meaningful receiving contribution.

Here's an X thread with cut-ups of Damien Martinez film (you have to follow the trail of quote reteweets on some of these)

RB11 -- Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech

23.4 years old at start of 2025 NFL season

Another dark horse for the "best pure rushers" list, like Kiner, Brooks doesn't have the top-end speed to compete with Jeanty, Sampson, and Harvey. And while I absolutely love his film, I do believe that Brooks (and Kiner) belongs just below Skattebo and Martinez as down-to-down rushers. He's absolutely up there with the best of the best in this class as a runner, though! Or, at least, his collegiate film deserves that level of praise.

Will it translate to the pros? Or, maybe a better question is this: will a pro team feel inspired to find out if it's translatable? Simply put, Brooks is not exciting as a rusher. He's a grinder with a creative vision who can make the most out of what's there, but don't expect any flair to create something profound beyond what is there. If you want the best of both worlds, then you're going to need to reach for Skattebo several rounds earlier.

Brooks will give you what's blocked and often create a little bit more. He apparently played at 230 pounds, and that physicality is not lacking in his film. He's remarkably shifty and elusive for a back of that weight, too! He's a fun player who immediately will make any RB room better.

The reason that I have Brooks ranked ahead of some more explosive upside running backs -- namely, Raheim Sanders, Kaleb Johnson, and Bhayshul Tuten -- his pass protection.

Here's an X thread with cut-ups of Tahj Brooks film

RB12 -- Raheim Sanders, South Carolina

23.3 years old at start of 2025 NFL season

As a 22 year old sophomore at Arkansas, "Rocket" Sanders looked like at worst a future Day 2 NFL Draft pick. He's older now, but what I saw in his 2024 South Carolina tape leads me to believe that Sanders is fully recovered from 2023 injuries and ready to roll. I have concerns about his pass protection, and his projected Day 3 draft capital will likely push him out of Tier 4, but I love the rushing/receiving upside. This is my favorite 2025 rookie RB sleeper (pre-draft).

Here's an X thread with cut-ups of Raheim Sanders film

RB13 -- Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Arizona

24.5 years old at start of 2025 NFL season

My second-favorite pre-draft sleeper among the incoming rookie running backs is Jacory Croskey-Merritt. Another RB of advanced age and probable Day 3 draft capital, JCM is likely to move down my rankings post-draft. The skill set is awesome, though. And I feel more confident in his ability to pass protect than most of the backs in this class. At New Mexico in 2023, JCM logged the second-most single-season pass protection reps of any RB in this class, and he did so while maintaining a pressure allowed rate of just 5.1%.

Here's an X thread with cut-ups of Jacory Croskey-Merritt film

RB14 -- Kaleb Johnson, Iowa

22 years old at start of 2025 NFL season

In an outside zone rushing scheme, Johnson could be an elite producer right away as a pro. The conversation below details my thoughts on that notion, which is also backed up by data. He was awesome as a zone rusher at Iowa and even better on outside zone runs specifically.

I do believe that Johnson is dependent on scheme fit, at least early in his career. The weaknesses of his profile as glaring. He does not run with nearly as much power as his weight might indicate, and that notion is clearly backed up by data. I believe that Martinez and Scattebo are significantly better short-yardage runners than Johnson.

Another clear red flag in his data profile is Johnson's passing downs involvement. He never logged a route rate above 50% in a season and topped out at 188 receiving yards. He also never logged more than 40 pass pro reps in a season. In fact, his 59 career pass protection reps ranked fifth-lowest in the class.

For context, playing at Iowa is much different than most 2024 college football programs. Iowa employed a nearly 50/50 split between under center and shotgun formation, the CFB average is around 80% shotgun. The Hawkeyes don't present many receiving opportunities to the RB position. When allowed to put receiving reps on film, Johnson's showing was encouraging, in my opinion.

It's easy to cling to Johnson's weaknesses and let that dominate his outlook, but those weaknesses might not matter if an NFL team signals belief in his strengths. A power conference program ran its offense entirely through this RB. It worked in 10 out of 12 games.

Draft fit could catapult Johnson up my rankings. Or he may end up being a forgotten man if drafted by an organization that doesn't have a clear vision for his unique skill set.

Here's an X thread with cut-ups of Kaleb Johnson film

RB15 -- Bhayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech

22.5 years old at start of 2025 NFL season

This is easily the most-difficult RB evaluation in the class. Tuten's collegiate advanced rushing data profile is enigmatic. He ranks second behind only Jeanty in career avoided tackle rate. And he maintained that rushing efficiency against higher levels of competition.

But, he had the highest career 'stuffed rates' in the class -- 21.8% of his rushes went for zero or negative yardage. That's an absurdly high rate! The RB class had a group average of 15%. Only two other running backs (also statistical enigmas) had a rate of 20% or higher: Kaleb Johnson and Quinshon Judkins.

Tuten was an all-or-nothing playmaker at the collegiate level, and his shot-out-of-a-cannon acceleration allowed him to make lots of big plays against ACC competition. If an NFL team signals belief that Tuten's game will translate to explosives against professional defense, then I'd be willing to take some shots on him in Round 2 of Dynasty rookie drafts. Ideally, an outside zone scheme is where Tuten will start his career, but I did see glimpses of vision and elusiveness that could translate to success as a man/gap runner. He was so often in a hurry that those glimpses were few and far between, though.

Tuten's receiving and pass protection profiles both pose questions about his ability to be more than a change-of-pace runner to begin his career, and I believe he's outclassed by a handful of incoming rookies in that specific regard. That's the reason that he ended up lower than I anticipated in my pre-draft rankings. He feels sensitive to landing spot. I can see the long-term vision, though. His upside is near the top of the class. Tuten is more compact than you might realize, and he runs with physicality. He handled 15+ rush attempts in 9 of 10 healthy games and 18+ in 7 of 10. It's within the range of outcomes for him to develop into an explosive 1A option for a mixed NFL rushing attack.

Here's an X thread with cut-ups of Bhayshul Tuten film

RB15 -- Devin Neal, Kansas

22 years old at start of 2025 NFL season

Neal and Ollie Gordon were two of the prospects who I had the toughest time coming to a conclusion on, and draft capital will ultimately dictate where each lands in my rankings.

Each were career accumulators who produced at extremely high levels as offensive centerpieces, but underlying data leaves a lot to be desired. Each showcased an ability to play on all three downs, but will an NFL team want that to be the plan for their backfield?

Essentially, I see Neal as a jack of all trades but a master of none. I appreciate his game. Neal is smooth as a pass-catcher, he runs with patience and toughness, his burst is underrated, and he's definitely elusive. He's not elite at any of those things, though. Not even within his own draft class does he stand out as one of the best at any given trait. In an NFL with only 32 teams but 60-ish running backs talented enough to hold down a starting role, is Neal going to stand out?

Maybe! Maybe Sean Payton will fall in love with him. There are definitely landing spots available that might plug Neal in as an every-down contributor. We'll react accordingly if that comes to fruition.

Here's an X thread with cut-ups of Devin Neal film

RB16 -- Jarquez Hunter, Auburn

22.8 years old at start of 2025 NFL season

Hunter has burst, but many backs in this class have more. He's an extremely tough and physical runner who displayed an ability to play all three downs in the SEC. He is a willing pass protector and can pick up what's there as a receiver. Hunter got on the field as a true freshman and piled up 558 receiving yards across four seasons.

His overall data profile is solid as a rock and backed up by advanced data, which you can find in the thread that is linked below.

Here's an X thread with cut-ups of Jarquez Hunter film

Backing up raw production with great peripherals against the highest level of collegiate competition is noteworthy, as is an early breakout. Hunter's profile offers a lot to like. RB16 feels way too low, I'd probably have him in the top-10 of most draft classes. He would have been a top-five RB for me in last year's class.

RB17 -- LeQuint Allen, Syracuse

21 years old at start of 2025 NFL season

In terms of which skill sets are the most-likely to get an RB on the field, LeQuint Allen's ranks in the top-10 in this class. And he's super young! He might add to the skill set.

He's the best pass protecting RB in the class, and he's awesome as a route runner and catcher of the football. Allen might be in the top-half of the NFL as a pure passing downs specialist as a rookie.

Beyond that, I'm not sure what we'll get. He's near the bottom of the class in terms of athleticism, and it shows up in his ability to create yards on his own. Allen runs hard, but I have no confidence that an NFL team will prefer him as an early-down option.

For Fantasy purposes, just remember that getting on the field is the most-correlated with scoring points. A player has never scored a Fantasy point from the bench. Playing time can lead to more opportunities. I never would have guessed that Kyren Williams would become a preferred rusher for an NFL team.

Here's an X thread with cut-ups of LeQuint Allen film

RB18 -- Ollie Gordon, Oklahoma State

21.7 years old at start of 2025 NFL season

If Gordon lands with the Dallas Cowboys, he might become a Round 1 rookie pick. His skill set might allow him to soak up playing time for an NFL team.

In a class full of awesome running back talent, Gordon did not stand out to me. I'm not confident that he'll be able to create yardage on his own vs. NFL defense. But I have to include him in my top-20 for Fantasy purposes. He is a smooth player who does not make many mistakes, and he's still young. He has the frame to be an every-down back, and he could add to the play-strength and leg drive that I felt was lacking in his 2023-24 film.

Here's an X thread with cut-ups of Ollie Gordon film

RB19 -- Brashard Smith, SMU

22.5 years old at start of 2025 NFL season

A converted WR-RB with legit route-running and hands out of the backfield showing up in his single season of RB tape, AND he has 4.39 speed?! Brashard Smith is easy to get excited about!

He also allowed a pressure rate of just 1.9% as a pass protector, although the sample size was quite small (53 total reps). There's potential framework for elite third-down production, though.

Can Smith offer more? He's certainly more athletic than LeQuint Allen. And while he's older, Smith has less experience playing the RB position. The upside is there for him to develop into one of the coolest players from the 2025 RB class.

SMU eased him into a full-time role in his first season as an RB, but Smith was a workhorse to close out the season. He averaged 21 rushes over the final seven contests, with a mixed bag of results. He was bottled up vs. Penn State and Virginia but went for 182 and 147 scrimmage yards vs. Pitt and Clemson, respectively. Both were ranked as top-20 programs.

So, how do the peripherals stack up? Well, not great. He was in the bottom-third of the class in avoided tackle and yards after contact rate in 2024. And I felt like that was pretty clear when watching his film. But again, he's inexperienced as a rusher. He could develop his vision and pacing, which might allow Smith to become effective as a block-settor and big-play creator. I'm not sure how much upside there is for him as a tackle-breaker, he felt more like a one-cut burner when I watched his film.

In my opinion, Smith offers one of the widest ranges of outcomes of the running backs in this class. There's definitely Fantasy upside if he develops into a playmaker who is heavily involved on passing downs.

Here's an X thread with cut-ups of Brashard Smith film

RB20 -- Jaydon Blue, Texas

21.8 years old at start of 2025 NFL season

Another inexperienced RB with legit run-away speed and receiving chops, Blue feels extremely similar to Smith as I stack up this class. I believe Smith offers more receiving upside, which is how I broke the tie between the two. But Blue is younger and his good reps came vs. a higher level of competition. He offers sneaky rushing upside. I see the vision. De'Von Achane is a rare prospect, in terms of his ability to navigate traffic, shift gears, and quickly get to his top speed. So I won't compare Blue to him. But Blue is definitely strong in all of those areas!

Here's an X thread with cut-ups of Jaydon Blue film

RB21 -- Corey Kiner, Cincinnati

23.7 years old at start of 2025 NFL season

Corey Kiner is a boulder; would-be tacklers bounce right off. Across the 2023-24 seasons, only Jeanty, Tuten, and Scattebo had a higher avoided tackle rate. Kiner was recruited to play at LSU and got onto the field as a true freshman before returning home to play for Cincinnati. This is a legit talent that is going overlooked.

At Cincinnati, Kiner often had to create on his own. Contact balance helped him to keep plays alive when being swarmed behind the line of scrimmage, but it was an uncanny feel for space that enabled Kiner to almost always make the most out of any given situation. It felt like he was able to feel out the flow of movement for all 22 players on the field as plays developed and get to the necessary spot to maximize each opportunity. His film was a joy to watch, if that is not clear.

Here's an X thread with cut-ups of Corey Kiner film

As a Fantasy prospect, Kiner's rushing ability is only part of the equation. He'll turn 24 during his rookie season, he's not an elite athlete (don't sleep on the importance of deceleration, though, check out this dope link to even more Kiner/Croskey-Merritt propoganda), and he did not contribute much as a pass-catcher, so we may see Kiner slip well into Day 3 of the draft. We may never see Kiner get an opportunity for the coolness of his work as a rusher to matter at the NFL level.

I could see a coaching staff falling in love with him, though! Kiner logged the seventh-most career pass pro reps in the class and had a passable pressure rate allowed of 7.2%. I thought he showed processing and willingness to be an above average pass-blocking RB. I hope he gets a chance!

RB22 -- Kyle Monangai, Rutgers

22.3 years old at start of 2025 NFL season

This range of my rankings is full of "I hope that he gets a chance!" types of players. Monangai's name ranks near the top of that list. I hope that his joints give him a chance and that he gives them a chance to get plenty of rest and recuperation outside of game days, because Monangai puts serious strain on his knees and ankles with the violent nature of his cuts. He is a threat to put a defender on an ankle-breaker reel at any given moment.

His advanced rushing data doesn't paint Monangai as an elite tackle avoider in the way that Kiner's does, but his offensive environment at Rutgers was messy. Monangai's advanced data profile looks better than Isiah Pacheco's did coming out of Rutgers.

Monangai also logged more pass-blocking snaps than any of the 30 running backs that I evaluated, and his pressure allowed rate was low at 5.8%. If given an opportunity at the NFL level, Monangai might not give it up!

Here's an X thread with cut-ups of Kyle Monangai film

RB23 -- Jordan James, Oregon

21.4 years old at start of 2025 NFL season

I expect that draft capital will move the younger Jordan James ahead of Monangai in my post-draft rankings. I thought that Monangai offered more upside as a play-maker and may ultimately have more upside of cracking an RB rotation as a rookie, though.

James is good! He definitely might earn work in Year 1. He's just not flashy. His film reminded me of Jordan Mason, but with less wiggle. Ultimately, he was extremely efficient as a rusher, even if it wasn't as entertaining as some of the backs from this class. Across the 2023-24 seasons, no RB (minimum 200 rushes) had a higher EPA per rush rate than James. His offensive environment in Oregon certainly was conducive to success on the ground, but James was more efficient than Bucky Irving while sharing a backfield in 2023! And it wasn't on a small sample size. James was by far the more effective goal line back of the two. He's a player, even if his strengths might not lead to a ton of Fantasy points at the NFL level.

Here's an X thread with cut-ups of Jordan James film

RB24 -- Trevor Etienne, Georgia

21.2 years old at start of 2025 NFL season

Etienne is extremely young, showed an ability to create explosive plays vs. the SEC as a true freshman, ran in varied rush schemes, and offers receiving upside. He's lightning quick laterally with jukes and side-steps, making me miss Tarik Cohen.

Still, the data profile is underwhelming. He never accounted for more than 20% of his offense's scrimmage yards in a season. Only two other RBs (Donovan Edwards and Jaydon Blue) never topped that rate. Pass protection is a major red flag. And while he occasionally popped up for big plays, Etienne only averaged 4.9 yards per rush at Georgia and often seemed athletic enough to make SEC defenders miss but not quite enough to capitalize on the initial evasion in a big way. Also, his overall evasion rates were good but not great.

Draft capital could push him up the board, and Etienne could still develop. He feels outclassed by a lot of similar players, but it wouldn't surprise me if he exceeds most of them with all things being equal as pros. It's hard to quantify playing vs. SEC defense in an initial season at Georgia compared to dominating the ACC or Big-12 as an offensive centerpiece.

Here's an X thread with cut-ups of Trevor Etienne film

RB25 -- Montrell Johnson Jr., Florida

22.8 years old at start of 2025 NFL season

Johnson replaced Etienne after the latter transferred from Florida to Georgia, and he did so admirably. Even before that, Johnson was contributing. He compiled over 3,000 scrimmage yards, offers size and speed, and is a name to keep in mind. His tape didn't blow me away, but I'll dive deeper if his draft capital dictates another look.

RB26 -- Marcus Yarns, Delaware

23.4 years old at start of 2025 NFL season

Yarns felt like a discount Brashard Smith as a playmaker, but he's older and doesn't have the hypothetical developmental boost of a WR-RB convert. He's quick and worth keeping an eye on. I'll be watching him closely this preseason to see how his skill set translates vs. a higher level of competition.

RB27 -- Jo'Quavious "Woody" Marks, USC

24.5 years old at start of 2025 NFL season

Marks is creative as a runner, has the ability to make a defender miss in a one-on-one situation, but ultimately seems limited by his athleticism. His receiving profile is dense. I'm not sure if it's worth reading. Here we are, 27 prospects in, though. Marks piled up 143 receptions across his initial two collegiate seasons. Absurd. LeQuint Allen (119), Brashard Smith (109), and Tahj Brooks (102) were the only backs with 100+ career receptions. Marks totaled 261 across five seasons. He also averaged 5.1 yards per target. The average of all running backs selected in the NFL Draft since 2017 is 7.2 yards.

Marks might be seen as a player who can fill a hole on passing downs for an NFL team. He had the third-most career pass protection reps out of this RB class and a career pressure rate allowed of 5.6%. We could make the same case for him as LeQuint Allen, I suppose. But he's going to turn 25 years old during his rookie season, and his collegiate rushing data is so uninspiring. He had a career avoided tackle rate of 15.5%. The class average was 26.2%.

RB28 -- Kylin James, UNLV

Couldn't find his age lol

You can watch Kylin James highlights if you're curious! His per-touch numbers are on-par with Ashton Jeanty's, so maybe he is a name worth knowing!

RB29 -- Kalel Mullings, Michigan

22.9 years old at start of 2025 NFL season

Mullings was more creative as a runner than I expected, and usually it did not come at any expense of power. He looked like the only dependable part of Michigan's offense in 2024. If he lands on a team with a clear need for a power back -- Miami, Dallas, or Minnesota (if Jordan Mason is unable to stay healthy) feel like fits -- Mullings could surprise as one of the most productive rookie runners.

RB30 -- Phil Mafah, Clemson

22.9 years old at start of 2025 NFL season

The advanced data for Mafah is not kind. I liked his film at times. He runs with serious power at 230 pounds and surprised me with soft hands at moments. He was easily cut down and more of a build-up power punisher than a pile pusher with leg drive that can consistently win in short-yardage situations, but I could see Mafah finding success if the blocking provides lanes for him as a pro. He and Mullings are names worth knowing because they are so big. An NFL team might lean into these punishing runners with the NFL defensive meta shifting to more agile defenders.

Thank you for reading! I'll be back to provide analysis on the rest of the RB class on Friday!

If you want to watch rookie RB film between now and then, check this thread out!