Maurice Jones-Drew says yes. He fits exactly what the Browns want to be offensively, which is a ground-and-pound offense. All of the other running backs in the division have sky-high ROI projections because none of them has an ADP above 100th overall. And let's not forget about running back Jonathan Taylor, who enjoyed a breakout sophomore season by leading the league with 1,811 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. Chubb possesses all of the attributes coveted in a modern-day running back with elite elusiveness, vision, and power. Nick Chubb is a force of nature. However, Joe Mixon is an aggressive nasty runner. Since coming into the league in 2018 Chubb has made his presence felt. The AFC North is a perpetual battleground with four rosters that have talent abound, the strengths of which can (and do) vary from position to position. The NFC North only ranks behind the AFC North regarding running backs. Ravens Can Take Former No. He had 101 total yards against the Giants and has the opportunity to continue his productive campaign this week against the Vikings, who have given up the second-most rushing touchdowns (seven). When he is not on the field the Browns definitely miss his production. Or is he? Last week, we decided that Lamar Jackson is the best quarterback in the AFC North, but what about the running backs? The Steelers improved the offensive line and with the mobility of whoever suits up is something teams will have to account for and not stack the box. He has missed some time due to injury like last year but that did not stop him from surpassing the 1,000 yard mark. "The AFC North has the best overall running back group in the NFL, as this division had three of the top four rushers last year. Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community! Going into the 2022 offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers had some massive holes to fill, especially in the offensive line. These rankings reflect the status of each player as of today and could very well change by the seasons end. Maurice Jones-Drew evaluated every running back who started a game during the 2022 NFL regular season to create a COMPLETE ranking, from 1 to 75. 4.24 yards after contact per attempt (2nd), 1.19 rushing yards over expected per attempt (4th, Next Gen Stats), Chubb is the cornerstone of a Browns' rushing attack that finished 1st in Defense-adjusted Value Over Average (11.5 percent, Football Outsiders) and 5th in EPA per attempt (0.015). The 2022 Steelers need more from Harris to better balance their offense and transition into a post-Roethlisberger team. The Colts are in an offensive slump and Taylor has been at the worst end of it. Hes had three 1,000-yard seasons in the last four, missing 10 games in 2020. January 25, 2023 2:00 pm ET. Hopefully, he keeps this ride steady and duplicates that level of production in London. There arent many good options this far down the board, and Demetric Felton is buried on Clevelands depth chart behind three other quality rushers, but his abilities in the passing game make him an extremely valuable asset to the Browns. Of the four projected starting running backs in the AFC North ahead of the 2022 season, three made the Pro Bowl in 2021, more than any other division in the NFL, those being Clevelands Nick Chubb, Cincinnatis Joe Mixon, and Pittsburghs Najee Harris. Call 1-800-GAMBLER (PA/IL) or 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN only) or 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA only) or 1-800-522-4700 (CO Only) or TN REDLINE: 800-889-9789. Patterson did play in the game, finishing with 38 yards and a TD on nine carries, but his injury opens the door for young running backs Tyler Allgeier and Caleb Huntley. San Francisco 49ers (Elijah Mitchell, Jeff . Has Lamar Jackson been supplanted as the NFL's most electric rusher? Hines, on the other hand, will still be 25-years-old next year and playing just his fourth season as a pro. , Perines stats dont jump off the page given Joe Mixons high usage rate, but when he is on the field, Perine is a high-level backup running back. Transactions | Injuries Hes so smooth in space, runs with a ton of power and has great vision. The Giants have a big name as well in Barkley, but it's fair to wonder if he can get back to elite form. Don't have an account? No, literally. 2022 stats:4 games | 72 att | 356 rush yds | 4.9 ypc | 3 rush TD | 8 rec | 35 rec yds | 0 rec TD | 0 fumbles lost. He is again, not the most athletic guy, but is quick and has decent vision. As for the Cardinals, Conner experienced a rebirth last year, which earned him an extension. The 3-1 Giants have a big test ahead in London, and if they want to prove they're a legitimate threat in the NFC, there's only one thing to do: Keep feeding Barkley! The fourth-round pick runs angrily and plows through arm tackles with ease. , An addition to the AFC North running back room, Mike Davis comes over from the Atlanta Falcons and brings a hard-nosed, tough rushing style with him. If I want to draft a rookie, then I will draft a rookie and deal with the trouble myself. Robinson had just 29 rush yards against a tough Eagles front. 9); Javonte Williams, Broncos (No. It was a significant offseason for the Washington Commanders on offense. 2021 Season Stats 307 carries 1,200 yards 7 touchdowns 3.9 ypc. When things have gone sideways, it has been DErnest Johnson to come in to play at a high level. Temporibus autem quibusdam et aut officiis debitis aut rerum necessitatibus saepe eveniet. section: | slug: ranking-nfl-divisions-by-running-backs-for-2022-afc-north-leads-the-way-with-another-big-season-expected | sport: football | route: article_single.us | 2022 stats:4 games | 59 att | 259 rush yds | 4.4 ypc | 3 rush TD | 6 rec | 33 rec yds | 1 rec TD | 0 fumbles lost. Unless his receiving work reappears, I . Jul 27, 2022; Latrobe, PA, USA; The Pittsburgh Steelers defense celebrates after an interception by defensive back Carlins Platel (30) in training camp at Chuck Noll Field. What I do know is Penny went off -- 17 carries for 151 yards and 2 touchdowns (8.9 yards per carry). That has to factor intos the equation here. 1 rushing offense in the league last year, and while Jalen Hurts was the leading rusher, Sanders and Gainwell are two underrated running backs. These odds could change during the preseason and assuredly will change in-season. Becoming one of the top 2022 true freshman running backs requires a mixture of talent and opportunity. Harris was the most-targeted player at the position in 2021 (96 targets), resulting in 466 yards (5th), 0.97 yards per route run (34th), and a 97.3 passer rating when targeted (24th). Carter, Counterpoint: DErnest Johnson over Gus Edwards, Putting Johnson over Gus Edwards is a debate that is a tough one, but it is made easier by a few things. Ads help us pay RotobBaller's award-winning writers as much as possible they are vital to the site's operations and team. Mike Kaye of the . Sign up and get all of our posts sent directly to your inbox! 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Hes a special player. The Bengals are lucky to have Perine to back up Mixon. In more drama involving Commanders owner Daniel Snyder, minority owners of the team said Snyder took out a secret $55 million loan without their knowledge or prior approval. Joe Mixon fell to the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2017 draft. Kyle Madson. JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Saunders, Counterpoint: Mixon has put together a very good running back resume. And Jakob Johnson did some fine blocking work for him. Plus, there's a new No. He has a great balance of speed and power. 53 while Henry followed close behind at No. This backfield can turn into a fantasy headache, I know, but keep an eye out for a potential bargain in Drake given his seemingly RB2 role as most fantasy GMs see it. From Joe Mixon, who could have a record-breaking year, to Chris Evans and his cult-like following among fans, the Bengals running backs will be in a . His 6 scores are the most all time by a Lions player through the first four games of a season. 4/practice squad role in Cincinnati. Brown. May 17, 2022. However, Nick Saban rarely throws true freshmen into the starting lineup, limiting Henderson's ability to be an immediate impact at . Unfortunately, that help isnt behind him at the moment. Farabaugh, The Browns, despite having two very good running backs in Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb, have dealt with plenty of injuries in their backfield over the past few years. If you like what you see on this site, we now have an ad-free option available for a donation of $25 per year, and you can enjoy the site entirely ad-free! Carter. Ben Grimaldi. Of the four projected starting running backs in the AFC North ahead of the 2022 season, three made the Pro Bowl in 2021, more than any other division in the NFL, those being Cleveland's Nick . According to Kevin Patra from NFL.com, the Texans are in the "acquire depth" portion of teams with their running back situations, and it is thanks to the fourth-round selection of Dameon Pierce in the 2022 NFL draft. 2022 stats:4 games | 60 att | 313 rush yds | 5.2 ypc | 2 rush TD | 10 rec | 43 rec yds | 0 rec TD | 0 fumbles lost. Hes an impressive combination of speed and power as well, but the Bengals tend to ride Mixon heavily, which leaves little breadcrumbs for Perine. Our goal is to put out the highest-quality content and tools. Before diving into the fantasy season, RotoBaller has you covered with some last-minute running back depth chart recaps for each team, including some useful bits of analysis for players you want to keep on your radar. Ravens 2022 Year in Review: . But his athleticism in the backfield paired with Lamar Jackson could make them a serious dual running threat. Plus, an updated ranking of his top 15 running backs ahead of Week 17. Seeing a trend? Another reason this division is one of the best when it comes to running backs is because these players will have major responsibilities in 2022. MORE: 2023 Dynasty Rookie Rankings. Depth: Zamir White, Brittain Brown, Brandon Bolden, Austin Walter, Sincere McCormick. 1; Geno Smith skyrockets into top 10, NFL contenders or pretenders? Las Vegas Raiders beat writer Tashan Reed previews quarterback question . Fortunately, they hold the fourth-overall pick in this year's draft, so they should have a solid shot to land one of the top guys. July 10, 2022 9:30 am ET. 2 running back. Therefore, it's no surprise that they were the Titans' sole representatives in Pro Football Focus' list of the top 101 players of the 2022 season. Here is MJD's list heading into Week 5. Joe Mixon has quietly been a star since stepping into the NFL, and in 2021 he put it all together, rushing for a career-high 1,205 yards and 13 touchdowns, helping the Bengals reach the Super Bowl. He is an efficient, hard-nosed runner that is a solid NFL rusher, and that lands him here. Saunders, Kareem Hunt could still be a starting running back on teams that needed one. NFL QB Index, Week 5: Patrick Mahomes rises to No. Plus, see which team now has TWO players in MJD's top 15 RB rankings. This is the time of year when NFL trade rumors start swirling. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports. 3, at least for now, is absurd. He was the only Texans player to record a carry. Duo: Melvin Gordon, Javonte Williams. Harris was truly incredible as a rookie in 2021, rushing for 1,200 yards behind the worst offensive line in football while battling against stacked boxes due to the lack of a deep passing attack in Pittsburgh. Robinson has been great ever since entering the league, that is when Urban Meyer wasn't holding him back, and he will now have Etienne as a running mate. The Seahawks are an interesting team when it comes to their running backs, because Pete Carroll may be relying on these guys in a big way with the loss of Russell Wilson. But ahead of the 2021 season suffered a season ending injury. Having a guy like that at No. Maurice Jones-Drew has one thought about the Cowboys' usage of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard in Zeke's return: Keep it even-steven! He had some off the field issues which is what led to the slide because, he was actually a projected first round pick. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus) Taylor moved from ninth on last year's list to first overall due to a season in which he took over from Derrick Henry as the NFL's leader in carries (332), rushing yards (1,811), and rushing touchdowns (18). Former NFL rushing leader and NFL Network analyst Maurice Jones-Drew will survey all running backs and rank his top 15 each week of the 2022 season. But in the passing game, he became a weapon, turning 21 targets into 181 yards. The Bengals are lucky to have Perine to back up Mixon. Additionally, Hall sprinted to a 4.39 40 time at 5'11" and 217 pounds and posted an astounding 40 vertical. AFC North running backs rankings ahead of the start of the season. Well, it doesn't take any imagination because that's exactly what Gordon and Williams did last season. Chubb missed three games . He was not necessarily the most efficient running back with a number 34 overall finish in rush success rate (49 percent) and 35th finish in DVOA (-4.8 percent, Football Outsiders), but he was impactful in breaking tackles and after contact. 2022 stats:4 games | 84 att | 463 rush yds | 5.5 ypc | 2 rush TD | 15 rec | 107 rec yds | 0 rec TD | 0 fumbles lost. But that game plan probably wouldnt exist if not for the ability of Chubb to make it a winning formula. 7. Heading into the Divisional Round, Maurice Jones-Drew ranks the top 10 rushers remaining in the NFL playoffs, a list that includes three teams with two players apiece. 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