A good running game is once again vital to a team’s success in the NFL. Look no further than the Super Bowl and Kenneth Walker III. In fact, the Running Back position has risen in prominence the past couple of seasons thanks to players like Saquan Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, and Bijan Robinson.
How does the 2026 Running Back stack up?
NBC Sports’ College Football and NFL Draft expert Eric Froton (@CFFroton) continues his breakdown of the top skill position draft-eligible players. Today, he releases his rankings and analysis of Running Backs 8-15 in the nation.
Running Back No. 15 - Kaelon Black, Indiana
Kaelon Black (5'10/211) is a classic early-down tone setter who followed Curt Cignetti from James Madison Dukes and promptly delivered his most productive season, rushing 186 times for 1,034 yards (5.6 YPC) and 10 touchdowns in 2025. Black’s efficiency is no fluke—he’s posted back-to-back strong run grades (85.5 in 2025, 84.3 in 2024) by consistently sniffing out interior creases and punishing defenders once he commits downhill. He’s not a creator in space, but his steady YAC profile and solid breakaway rates reflect a runner who maximizes what’s blocked and keeps the offense on schedule. The receiving résumé is light at Indiana, having caught just 9-of-12 targets over the last two seasons, though his JMU tape shows functional hands and enough baseline competence to stay on the field if asked (1.38 Y/RR in 2023). Black projects as a dependable NFL power back whose value is rooted in short-yardage success, early-down efficiency, and the ability to close games by leaning on tired fronts.
Running Back No. 14 - Roman Hemby, Indiana
Another Hoosiers RB, Roman Hemby (6’0”, 210) is a no-nonsense, ball-secure back who followed four productive seasons at Maryland Terrapins with a workmanlike 2025 as Indiana’s co-starter, logging 230 carries for 1,118 yards (4.9 YPC) and seven scores with an 80.9 offensive grade. His best NFL-translatable trait is reliability—just two fumbles on 710 career carries—and he’s been a dependable receiver throughout his career, highlighted by 112 catches on 128 targets at Maryland and a near-perfect 17-of-18 receiving line at Indiana. Hemby runs with conviction and urgency, seeing the hole and getting downhill immediately, squeezing through tight creases without hesitation, but the athletic ceiling is modest. Limited lateral agility, stiff hips, and a lack of leverage through contact show up in muted creation metrics (3.36 YAC, 37 MTF on 230 carries) and minimal explosive juice, with only two runs over 16 yards against Power Four opponents this year. Hemby profiles as a rotational NFL back whose value lies in pass-game reliability, ball security, and north-south efficiency rather than tackle-breaking or big-play upside.
Running Back No. 13 - Demond Claiborne, Wake Forest
One of the most consistently productive rushers of the last two years, Demond Claiborne (5’10”, 195) brings an aggressive, downhill temperament to the position, posting 909 rushing yards on 179 carries (5.1 YPC) with 10 touchdowns and a respectable 76.8 run grade. He runs with urgency between the tackles for his size and shows decent instinct pressing creases, but the creation profile is thin behind a 3.04 YAC, a middling 64.6 ELU rating, and limited lateral juice. Ball security and passing-down utility are major red flags, as Claiborne put the ball on the ground five times and struggled mightily as a receiver (six drops on 38 targets, 41.1 receiving grade). While his breakaway rate jumped in 2025 (42.5%), the explosive runs feel more situational than skill-driven, often the product of structure rather than shake or power. Claiborne projects as a fringe NFL option whose lack of receiving reliability and limited size/speed cap him as a rotational player unless those deficiencies take a dramatic step forward.
Running Back No. 12 - Robert Henry, UTSA
A three-year contributor for an AAC contending UTSA team, Robert Henry (5’9”, 205) put up eye-catching surface production in 2025 with 1,051 rushing yards at 6.9 YPC, driven by a strong early-season surge and a 60.8% breakaway rate that highlights his ability to hit explosives when lanes are clean. He’s a slasher with juice—his 91.9 ELU rating and 4.22 YAC show up when he can bounce runs outside and accelerate into space—but the profile thins between the tackles, where vision and power lag behind the numbers. Henry’s missed tackle production (33 on 153 carries) is modest for his workload, and much of his efficiency was a byproduct of well-blocked looks that defenses adjusted to down the stretch. Once that happened, his role diminished, culminating in just one 100-yard game over his final seven contests and getting overtaken by current UTSA starting RB Will Henderson as the Roadrunners’ primary rusher. Henry projects as a rotational change-of-pace back whose value hinges on perimeter runs and space touches, with questions about how he much he can succeed when forced to live inside.
Running Back No. 11 - Adam Randall, Clemson
A converted wide receiver who shifted to the backfield in 2025 and delivered solid volume production, Adam Randall (6’2”, 235) grinded out 809 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns with an excellent 83.3 run grade despite inexperience at the RB position. Randall is a one-cut, downhill runner who commits once he chooses a lane, using size and momentum to finish runs, though his tackle avoidance metrics are modest (3.13 YAC, 61.4 ELU) and much of his success came when Clemson’s line controlled lighter fronts. He’s a functional athlete with strength and balance when rolling, but slow feet, a high pad level, and the need for gather steps limit suddenness and lateral efficiency, especially inside. The receiving profile is serviceable but flawed—36 catches for 250 yards shows effort and versatility, while six drops underscore rawness transitioning from WR to RB. Randall projects as a developmental power/volume back whose NFL path depends on refining footwork, lowering pad level, and proving he can consistently create yards when structure breaks down.
Running Back No. 10 - Mike Washington, Arkansas
Mike Washington (6’0/228) is a big-framed, straight-line runner whose best tape came in 2025 behind an Arkansas offense that ranked #1 nationally with a 52.7% rushing success rate and a 10.2% explosive play rate that ranked second overall, allowing him to rack up 1,066 yards and eight touchdowns with an 84.3 run grade. Washington is fast for his size when he gets north–south momentum, flashing that burst at the Senior Bowl and on isolated long runs, but his production is heavily structure-dependent and rarely comes from self-creation. Across stops at Buffalo, New Mexico State, and Arkansas, he’s shown limited lateral agility and elusiveness, too often bouncing runs that should hit the B-gap and struggling to make the first defender miss despite solid YAC totals. Ball security is a lingering concern with seven fumbles over the last two seasons, and much of his Arkansas efficiency was aided by favorable rushing conditions and RPO stress from athletic QB Taylen Green. Washington profiles as a downhill NFL rotational back who can punish defenses with chunk plays when things are blocked cleanly and has co-starter speed/size traits. However, the inability to make the first person miss and relatively undistinguished career prior to playing in Arkansas’ run-heavy scheme caps his overall upside in my eyes.
Running Back No. 9 - J’Mari Taylor, Virginia
J’Mari Taylor (5’9/204) is a compact runner who parlayed his transfer from NCCU into a productive 2025, piling up 1,064 yards and 14 touchdowns on 222 carries with an 80.3 run grade. Taylor’s game is built on bounce and feel, he gets small through the hole, ferrets out interior creases, identifies cutback lanes, and is tough to bring down one-on-one (55 missed tackles, 90.9 elusiveness). Once he gets a step, there’s enough long speed to finish, reflected in a respectable 34% breakaway rate that keeps defenses honest. The most heavily targeted RB in the country, Taylor caught 43-of-54 targets for 0.91 Y/RR with some concentration lapses (five drops), but he’s capable of handling more than just checkdowns and screens without bogging the offense down (12.6% flex rate 2025). Taylor projects as an all-purpose, change-of-pace style back whose vision and inside-out versatility give him a chance to carve out a role, even if he lacks the size or polish of a true three-down option.
Running Back No. 8 - Le’Veon Moss, Texas A&M
Le’Veon Moss (5’11”, 210) is an instinctive, downhill runner whose tape peaks in 2024, when he paired an 82nd-percentile run grade with elite creation (4.40 YAC, 39% breakaway rate) and consistently flashed NFL-caliber traits between the tackles. Even with injuries blunting his 2025 momentum, Moss still posted his third straight season of 80+ run grades, underscoring a runner who presses holes decisively and finishes runs with urgency. His 2025 efficiency dipped (3.47 YAC, 25.4% breakaway), but the vision and contact balance remain evident when he’s healthy and allowed to build rhythm. The problem is everything on passing downs—subpar receiving grades (42nd% in 2025), a poor drop profile (17.2% career drop rate), and consistently disastrous pass protection make him a liability when the ball isn’t being handed to him. Moss projects as an early-down NFL runner whose value hinges on health and scheme fit, with a clear path as a rotational thumper but a capped ceiling unless the pass-game deficiencies are mitigated.
The Best of the Rest
16 - Rahsul Faison, South Carolina
17 - Desmond Reid, Pitt
18 - Noah Whittington, Oregon
19 - Jam Miller, Alabama
20 - Eli Heidenereich, Navy
21 - Kejon Owens, FIU
22 - Terion Stewart, Virginia Tech
23 - Star Thomas, Tennessee
24 - C.J. Donaldson, Ohio State
25 - Max Bredeson, Michigan
Tomorrow, we’ll publish Froton’s breakdown of the top seven Running Backs.
Previous Breakdowns:
Wide Receivers 1-10
Wide Receivers 11-20
Tight Ends 1-10
Enjoy the day and good luck as you prep for your team’s draft in 2026.