4. Running back
Good year to need ... a starting back for right nowBad year to need ... a young back to start for the next four years
The running back class is all free agency this year ... and what a class it is. The headliners are Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III and Breece Hall, seemingly the lone Jet not to get dealt at the deadline. Travis Etienne Jr. (Jaguars) and Javonte Williams (Cowboys) represent the second tier of options. Tyler Allgeier (Falcons), Rico Dowdle (Panthers) and Kenneth Gainwell (Steelers) all fill out the very respectable third tier. After all, Allgeier and Dowdle have been 1,000-yard rushers, and Gainwell would have been a 1,000-yard receiver this season if Aaron Rodgers had his druthers!
Of those seven backs, all save for Gainwell could reasonably be the RB1A on a team in 2026. (Gainwell is just too small.) Dowdle and Allgeier are particularly fascinating options to me. Allgeier is a bruiser who has benefited from relieving Bijan Robinson, but we've seen him produce at a higher volume (210 carries for 1,035 yards in his rookie season). No, his top speed isn't particularly fearsome, but for an offense looking to just grind out positive yardage to support a high-flying passing attack (hello, Chiefs), he's a great target. Dowdle had a weird stretch of taking over the Panthers' lead back role, then losing control of it over the course of this season. But over the past two seasons, he's ninth among all backs in rushing success rate and 13th in rush yards over expectation.
While the top of this free agent class won't measure up to 2024, when Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry all changed teams, I do think that Walker and Hall are legit needle-movers. Walker had the third-highest explosive run rate of all RBs this season, and his lightning-strike running style saved the Seahawks offense down the back half of the season. Does he get out of Seattle after that dominant postseason run? I'm not sure. But Hall is destined to escape New York, where bad quarterback play has derailed his rookie-season promise. It's easy to forget, but this guy had 76 catches in 2023 and another 57 in 2024. He's a sleeping dual-threat giant.
The team that misses out on a solid free agent running back better hope it is drafting in the top 10, because Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame) isn't just the crowning jewel of this running back class -- he's the only top-tier option. The RB2 in the 2026 draft might end up being Love's teammate at Notre Dame, Jadarian Price, who could emerge into a high-volume runner out of Love's shadow. Price is crafty and smooth, but he lacks the contact balance and breakaway speed that made Love the Irish's runner of choice.
In addition to Price, there are enough RBs available that we'll see several leave the board on Day 2 and into early Day 3. Nicholas Singleton (Penn State) is a personal favorite, but he broke his foot at the Senior Bowl. Jonah Coleman (Washington) has juice, but he is undersized at 5-foot-9 and 228 pounds. Mike Washington Jr. (Arkansas) is dense and physical and dangerous in the open field, but he has fumbling issues. This is the thing with this running back class -- everyone has a big limiting factor.
I'm sure a few Day 2 picks will hit. But in general, this is an offseason to solve your running back problems in March, not April.
