2025 Post-Draft Dynasty Rookie RB Rankings: Ashton Jeanty stays on top, RJ Harvey's stock skyrockets

NBC Sports

01-05-2025

That's a wrap for the 2025 NFL Draft and we're onto rookie draft season. For my running back rankings, I've included some extra analysis on the biggest risers and fallers from the draft below the ranks. If you want my full breakdown of the class, that can be found in my pre-draft rankings.
Ashton Jeanty Highlights a Strong Rookie Class
My top four running backs emerged from the draft unscathed. The only interesting note is that I get to keep Quinshon Judkins ranked ahead of TreVeyon Henderson. Judkins has the profile of a three-down workhorse and landed on a team with plenty of touches to go around. Henderson, on the other hand, looks like a high-efficiency committee back and is currently parked behind Rhamondre Stevenson.
RJ Harvey is the biggest riser following the draft. Arif Hasan's Big Board had him projected to go at pick 109 and the Broncos pulled the trigger at pick 50. Sans Javonte Williams, Harvey only has Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime to compete with for touches. Harvey isn't as big as your typical bellcow back at 5'8/205, but he handled 497 touches over the past two seasons and looks like previous high-volume NFL backs.
Round 2 running backs since 2011 with a 105+ Speed Score and a best-season total yards per team play rate above 2.0:
- Derrick Henry
- Joe Mixon
- Nick Chubb
- AJ Dillon
- JK Dobbins
- Jonathan Taylor
- Breece Hall
- Kenneth Walker
-> RJ Harvey
Day Three Sleeper Running Backs
While fourth-round draft capital isn't ideal for Cam Skattebo, it's not the end of the world and he lands on a Giants roster primed for a takeover. Tyrone Tracy Jr. ranked 33rd in rush yards over expected per carry last year and 43rd in success rate. He struggled with fumbles and, despite his wide receiver background, averaged fewer than one yard per route run. Skattebo has the size to handle a massive workload between the tackles and averaged 1.95 YPRR in his final season at Arizona State.
DJ Giddens didn't land in a spot for immediate production. He will be parked behind Jonathan Taylor for the foreseeable future, but there's a path for him to see some work early. Giddens posted a 29/323/3 receiving line as a junior and averaged a respectable 1.2 YPRR for his career. He could mix in on passing downs with the potential to be an elite handcuff option for Taylor.
Cowboys Double Up at RB
I was not particularly interested before the draft in either of the backs Dallas selected. Blue had the second-worst share of his team's rushing yards (31 percent) in the class and topped 15 carries in one career game, a blowout win over Louisiana-Monroe. He is, however, a weapon in the passing game. He posted a 42/368/6 receiving line in 2024 and averaged 1.6 YPRR. Blue also earned 16 percent of his routes from the slot and saw some work from a wide alignment. He doesn't have starting NFL size at just 5'9/196, but his receiving production and 4.38 wheels give him the upside of a difference-making complementary back.
Dallas did a 180 with their next running back pick in Phil Mafah. The former Tiger is a true grinder, averaging 3.2 yards after contact per attempt (117th) and an elusive rating of 49.5 (180th). He also brings nothing to the table through the air. At 6'1/234, Mafah is a body-blows runner who may be stuck on the Cowboys' practice squad as a rookie. The fact that his competition for early-down work is Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders gives him some late-season upside.
Bears Add Little at a Position of Need
Despite desperately needing more firepower at running back, Chicago did next to nothing to address the position via the draft. They took Rutgers runner Kyle Monangai with pick 235 and called it a day. Monagai dominated the backfield work for Rutgers in his final two seasons, totaling 498 attempts for 2,541 yards and 21 touchdowns. He earned a rushing yardage share of 73 percent in 2024, one of the best marks in the class. Monangai lacks breakaway speed on tape and confirmed that at the combine with a 4.6 Forty. He's also not much of a pass-catcher or pass-protector. At 5'8/211, Monangai could be an early-down complement to D'Andre Swift, but his ceiling is limited.
Rookie Running Back Dart Throws
The Texans surprisingly drafted USC's Wood Marks with a fourth-round selection. Marks spent four years at Mississippi State where he never rushed for 600 yards. He then transferred to USC and broke out with 1,133 yards on 198 totes. Marks' rushing numbers were stifled by Mike Leach's air raid approach early in his career, but that led to more work as a pass-catcher than most running backs ever see. He peaked at 80 receptions for 502 yards and left college with a grand total of 261 catches. Marks, however, topped out at 1.3 YPRR. He brings little juice to the table as a runner with 2.8 YAC per attempt and an elusiveness rating of 43.3 for his career. For reference, both numbers would have ranked outside the top 190 backs in 2024. I see Marks as competition for Dare Ogunbowale in his rookie year.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt was graded as a top 10 runner by Pro Football Focus after transferring from Alabama State—where he spent four years as an inefficient committee back—to New Mexico in 2023. He ran for 1,191 yards at 6.3 yards per carry and averaged nearly four YAC per attempt. Croskey-Merritt then missed almost his entire 2024 campaign at Arizona because of an eligibility snafu. He briefly looked like an explosive back and gave us one more glimpse with an 11/97/2 rushing line at the Shrine Bowl.
Arizona/New Mexico RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt stole the show at the Shrine Bowl!
The unpredictable runners burst, elusiveness, & creativity allowed him to attack space & force misses in congestion all week!
Croskey-Merritt also showed his athleticism translates as a route… pic.twitter.com/h0siHffKQj
The Commanders clearly wanted to add more upside to their ground game and may have found a diamond in the rough with JCR.
New Tennessee back Kalel Mullings is purely a 2026 play, but he is a fun bet at least. Mullings stands at 6'2/226, nearly giving him the build of a linebacker. That shouldn't come as much of a surprise given that he was a backup linebacker at Michigan before transitioning to running back. Mullings led the Wolverines with 948 yards and a dozen touchdowns on 185 carries in his fifth and final season. He needs more time to learn the nuances of the position, but Mullings has the size of an NFL thumper and took over a Power Four backfield shortly after making the leap to running back. The Titans have an out in Tony Pollard's contract next offseason and have typecast Tyjae Spears as a third-down option.