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Ranking the NFL's 32 starting running backs by elusiveness | NFL News, Rankings and Statistics | PFF
Some running backs choose to run over defenders, while others look to avoid contact altogether. Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb headlines the NFL's best at doing so.
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This is not meant to be a list of the best running backs in the NFL but rather the league's most elusive running backs. I’m choosing to define elusiveness as how well a player eludes would-be tacklers — i.e., how difficult they are to bring to the ground. That comes in different forms, as some players opt to run defenders over, while others prefer to evade contact altogether. But the end goal remains the same — don’t get tackled.
1. CAM AKERS, LOS ANGELES RAMS
Making people miss wasn’t an added bonus for Akers at Florida State. It was a necessity while running behind one of the worst offensive lines in college football. Comparing college numbers to the NFL is always tricky, but we’ve seen that missed tackle numbers and stats like yards after contact translate well to the NFL. Last season, Akers forced a missed tackle on 32% of his touches and averaged nearly 4 rushing yards after contact per attempt. He’ll likely have to put those skills to use again as a rookie behind a Rams’ offensive line that still has some questions.
2. CLYDE EDWARDS-HELAIRE, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Edwards-Helaire didn’t trail Akers by much in this department coming out of LSU. If you like a good old-fashioned spin move, he delivers. Last season, Edwards-Helaire forced 71 missed tackles on 214 rushing attempts — a mark right up there with Akers — and he can do it as both a runner and a receiver. Edwards-Helaire is well-positioned to thrive in a Kansas City offense that can use him similarly to how it made the most of Kareem Hunt as a rookie in 2017, another running back who specialized in making defenders miss and provided high-level play as a receiver out of the backfield. Edwards-Helaire is someone who could place highly on this list a year from now after a strong rookie season.
3. JONATHAN TAYLOR, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Some running backs who lack shake in the open field can simply run through tackles at the college level thanks to their combination of size and speed. Taylor is one such running back who has the kind of rare size and speed that might allow him to do something similar at the NFL level. His missed tackles forced rates in college aren’t on par with Akers or Edwards-Helaire, but with the offensive line in Indianapolis opening up holes on the ground and getting him clean to the second level, Taylor could put up some big-time numbers as a rookie in a featured role.
4. KE’SHAWN VAUGHN, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
The 2020 NFL Draft Guide categorized Vaughn as a no-nonsense, one-cut runner with great vision and plus speed, but that led to a running style where he didn’t attempt to make too many guys miss. Despite that, Vaughn averaged over 0.26 missed tackles forced per touch and 4.4 yards after contact per rush across his final two seasons at Vanderbilt. Those numbers are bound to drop in the NFL, but it’s not a bad starting point.
5. D’ANDRE SWIFT, DETROIT LIONS
Swift ended the pre-draft process as our RB1 in the 2020 Draft Guide, but during the 2019 season, he forced a missed tackle on under 20% of his touches while the other four rookies projected to earn the lion’s share of touches on their teams next season all put up marks above 26%. His route-running ability and natural hands should make him an ideal receiver for the running back position early on, but his broken tackle rates at Georgia signal he has some work to do at making guys miss once the ball is in his hands.
