He also finished second in total yards from scrimmage (2323). It ultimately comes down to personal preference for what attributes you want out of a running back, but you cant go wrong with any of those guys in the backfield. 2005-2023 Team Rankings, LLC. He finished second in the NFL in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, yards per punt return, and yards per kick return. Here are the all-time rushing touchdown leaders, (Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports), (Deirdre Hamill/The Republic via USA TODAY NETWORK), Sign up for the List Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. But when your team rushes for close to 3000 yards in the regular season, it's easy to blend in and become what is now known as a game manager. * Away/Neutral Games qualifier is Hes also the NFLs all-time leading rusher. Good acceleration, balance and effort. He broke Sayers' 10-year NFL record. Could Tomlinson have scored more career touchdowns if he had as many carries as Smith? Receiving is an integral aspect of the position, especially in the modern NFL. Hongmei Neon Equipment Factory It's also worth noting in regards to this list that Marquise "Hollywood" Brown of the Ravens has never run a reported 40-yard dash. Stewart holds the record for the most points in a single game and the most rushing touchdowns in a game. In 1997, Stewart scored 5 total touchdowns in a single game and is still one of the players who contributed to the record of NFL single touchdowns. Brown also led the NFL in touches (315) and total touchdowns (15). That's flat-out unacceptable. Brown's seven fumbles may seem like a lot in today's standards. Simpson set the NFL single-season record by scoring 23 touchdowns. Tomlinson is tied for 80th with 626 catches and Allen is 100th with 587. It's sort of irrelevant who the fastest player in the NFL is in a vacuum - teams are ideally looking for the players who have the most effective speed, mixing raw running velocity with the talent to let that speed play. He surpassed Walter Payton's career total of 16,726 yards on an 11-yard run in the fourth quarter of a game on October 27 (photo). ESPN Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. on pace for at least Sayers touched the ball 232 times in 1965, for an average of 16 touches per game. OJ would be the last NFL player to capture AP Male Athlete of the Year honors until Joe Montana did it in consecutive seasons ('89-'90). Jackson didn't run the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, but at a "speed day" put on by Louisville in 2017, he reportedly ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash. While running has always been an integral part of the game, footballs evolution makes it difficult to compare players from different eras. Passing | Receiving | Rushing | Scoring | Combined Net Yards | Top 20 Potpourri | Coaching Besides Ross, we've got to start with Bo Jackson, though. All Rights Reserved. There are two sides to the coin when it comes to bringing up carries in the debate of the greatest running backs. Brown was the first true workhorse in the NFL. Goldberg rushed for 1,957 yards during his career Pitt. Cowboys Pro Bowl running back Tony Pollard, who led the NFL in scrimmage yards per touch (5.9) in 2022 among players with at least 200 touches and is coming off a Throughout history, the position of running back has changed significantly. No coach wants to gamble with odds like that. A team needs to be able to trust its running back to hold onto the football at all costs. Feathers' 1004 rushing yards topped three other NFL teams that season. Coach Keys: Runs with both power, speed and balance and can pull away from second level defenders. LaDainian Tomlinson broke Shaun Alexander's one-year old NFL-record of 28 touchdowns by more than 10 percent. In 1962, Jim Taylor did something that no other running back has ever done. He ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash at Purdue's Pro Day in 2015. But who's really the fastest player in the NFL? ( ) - indicates rank at the start of the 2002 season, Website design & development by americaneagle.com copyright 2021 Pro Football hall of fame all rights reserved, Enshrinement Week Powered by Johnson Controls, Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic. Smith had almost 600 more carries than any other running back in history. Other running backs to win MVP include Paul Hornung (1961), Jim Taylor (1962), Larry Brown (1972), O.J. It's plain and simple. 291 carries, 1863 yards, 12 TD, 6.4 avg; 24 rec, 268 yards, 3 TD; 7 fum 14 GAMES. He totaled 15,269 rushing yards (3rd all time) and 99 rushing TDs (9th all time). |Profile His arm length is 32 1/2" and hand span is 9". Had Faulk played in all 16 games, he would have likely scored 30 touchdowns and accumulated 2501 total yards from scrimmage, which would have broken his own single-season NFL record (2429 yards in 1999). Sayers did it all in 1965--literally. Walter Payton and Barry Sanders took over soon after and set a path for the top-tier runners of the 21st century. His 1,773 rushing yards in 1995 are 25th all-time for a rusher in a season. Until that happens, the 1993 MVP, three-time Super Bowl champion, four-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowler will be a front-runner in the conversation for greatest running back of all time. WebFree NFL football player stats and stats leaders in simple, easy to read tables. 39 in league history among all pass-catchers. Smith did not miss more than two games in a season until Year 14 and picked up 937 rushing yards to go with nine touchdowns in his last season at 35 years old. He led the league in carries (272), yards (1474), and touchdowns (19). Davis's 2008 rushing yards rank fourth on the single-season charts. 253 carries, 1359 yards, 18 TD, 5.4 avg; 81 rec, 830 yards, 8 TD; 0 fum. WebFBS Power 5 Running Back Physical Measurables: Height: 6'0" Weight: 210 lbs. Has to have demonstrated RB ability multiple years at an All-Conference level. Three players have since surpassed Smiths 25 rushing touchdowns in a season. He's regarded as one of the fastest players in the NFL. With his stats known for certain, he could easily be the best running back Michigan has seen. 109. Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai said he underwent surgery to repair a torn shoulder labrum in February but he is expected to be back before the team starts training camp. Who will sneak into Round 1? Why did Ross Tucker start Go Big Recruiting? No running back in the 75 years since has come within two yards per carry of approaching Feathers' record. Simpson led the NFL in carries (329) and touches (357). That hasn't been touched in the three years since, with rookie Henry Rugs III coming the closest in 2020 at 4.27 seconds. Brown also set NFL records in rushing yards (1863) and rushing yards per game (133.1). The New York Jets addressed their need at offensive tackle on Monday by agreeing to a one-year contract with veteran Billy Turner, who has experience playing for Nathaniel Hackett and Aaron Rodgers. His 23 total touchdowns rank eighth on the single-season lists, and his 125.5 rushing yards per game are tenth all time. * Pro Football Hall of Fame Member ), a quarterback slide into Day 2 and much more. Seasonal rushing totals have increased, partly due to a stronger emphasis on powerful offensive lines. Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys made history in Week 8 of the 2002 season when he became the NFL's all-time leading rusher. This list includes all running backs with at least 75. Once upon a time, Chad Johnson (or was he Ochocinco) challenged a race horse. Metcalf ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine in 2019. 257 carries, 1527 yards, 17 TD, 5.9 avg; 16 rec, 138 yards, 1 TD; 5 fum 12 GAMES. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images. Martin, who gained 1,094 yards this past season, has now rushed for 1,000 yards in each of his eight seasons in the NFL. 166 carries, 867 yards, 14 TD, 5.2 avg; 29 rec, 507 yards, 6 TD; 9 fum, 16 punt returns, 238 yards, 1 TD, 14.9 avg; 21 kick returns, 660 yards, 1 TD, 31.4 avg. His collegiate success made him one of the top running the New York Giants in the NFL championship. And here are the 10 fastest 40 times by active NFL players, recorded during either the NFL Combine or at a Pro Day: When Ross ran his 4.22-second 40-yard dash in 2017, he broke past the recent high-water mark of Chris Johnson's 4.24-second 40. In a December game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sayers scored an electrifying six touchdowns to tie a single-game NFL record. The best running backs average in the National Football League over five yards per carry. Beyond the regular season statistics, Smith added wear and tear across 17 playoff games while earning three Super Bowl rings. Among active players in the 2022 season, 64% were drafted after the third round or went undrafted. He finished third in yards per carry and rushing yards per game. Faulk earned National Football League Most Valuable Player honors, the second of three straight seasons that the MVP award would go to a member of the St. Louis Rams' Greatest Show on Turf (Faulk finished second to teammate Kurt Warner in the 1999 and 2001 MVP voting). Tyreek Hill didn't participate in the 2016 NFL combine because of adomestic abuse arrest. Players active in 2002 who rank closest to a Top 20 ranking: COREY DILLON (7,520) and GARRISON HEARST (7,117). Once again, Smith comes out on top. Walter Payton 16,726 yards (1975-1987) 3. In fact, they each have their own unique top-five case. On one side, a detractor could use it to diminish Smiths other cumulative records since he had the most opportunity to acquire them. |Service Jerome Bettis of the Pittsburgh Steelers jumped two spots to 10th all-time while the St. Louis Rams' Marshall Faulk ranks 14th all-time with 10,395 yards. Up and Down arrows will open main level menus and toggle through sub tier links. Following a trade with the Arizona Cardinals, the Detroit Lions selected University of Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs at Brown won the rushing Triple Crown in 1958, leading in carries (257), yards (1527), and touchdowns (17). Who is the best NFL running back in history? Unlike passer ratings, where the league average practically doubled between the 1940's and now, yards per attempt has always been relatively consistent--between 3.9 and 4.2 yards per attempt. After 12 games, OJ had rushed for 1584 yards. TeamRankings.com is not affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) or March Madness Athletic Association, neither of which has supplied, reviewed, approved or endorsed the material on this site. EDDIE GEORGE entered the Top 20 in Week 13. All Rights Reserved. Durable runner with power and speed. That likely means he'd have a pretty good race with his teammate, Lamar Jackson, who has run a 4.34. Peterson nearly broke that mark in 2012 but fell eight yards shy of Dickersons total. Yards from Scrimmage: N/A Total TDs: N/A Accolades 1901 Third-Team All-American 1903 & 1904 First-Team All-American. How many NFL running backs are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Three-time NFL MVP Eight-time NFL rushing champion Eight-time All-NFL Nine At the 2012 NFL Combine, Wilson ran a 4.55-second 40-yard dash. Brown didn't run at the NFL Combine, but he has run a 4.32-second 40-yard dash before. . This page tracks yards per rush attempt statistics. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. Smith continued to add to his record total and finished the season with 17,162 yards amassed during his 13-year career. It's only appropriate that the greatest season by a running back came by the greatest running back in NFL history. He scored eight more touchdowns than any other player in the league and scored 160 points, which was one fewer point than the entire Cincinnati Bengals team scored that season. Emmitt Smith is the NFLs all-time rushing leader, accumulating 18,355 yards on the ground during his 15-year career 40 rush attempts But Metcalf's fastest run this season came in chasing down Budda Baker after an interception, when he reached 22.64 miles per hour. Two other active runners also rank among the career leaders in rushing yards. Guys like Tyreek Hill, Raheem Mostert and even Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray display more apparent on-field speed than maybe anyone in NFL history. Taylor's 1962 MVP season is arguably the greatest in the history of a franchise filled with Hall of Fame football players. His 2053 yards are the third highest single-season total in NFL history. Here are the all-time rushing touchdown leaders 10. He also topped the NFL in touches (273), yards from scrimmage (1665), total touchdowns (18), and rushing yards per game (127.3). Room 8055, 5th floor. Aaron Ross's NFL Stats According to his profile on NFL.com, Ross was 6' tall and weighed 190 pounds. Zip code: 510375 Tucker spent three seasons at Syracuse, posting back-to-back 1,000-plus-yard rushing seasons in 2021 and 2022. His 22 touchdowns broke the single-season record of 20 set by Lenny Moore in 1964. It's no coincidence that teams with dominant running games and average quarterbacks can win championships. Priest Holmes scored 27 in 2003 and Alexander matched that number in 2005. That's the equivalent of a wide receiver catching 160 passes in a season. All that muscle didn't stop Jackson from running a reported 4.13-second 40-yard dash at the 1986 Combine, which would just about break the Internet if it happened with electronic timing today. 2002 Notes: Running backs dont exclusively take handoffs. Jonathan Taylor, Colts (5-10, 226 pounds) Taylor has parlayed his prolific play at Wisconsin into the complete durable package in the NFL. In 2020, it looks like Raheem Mostert is the early favorite for fastest player in the NFL when you look at the table of Next Gen Stats data below. In all, eight players have surpassed 2,000 rushing yards in one season. While the NFL has progressed to a more pass-happy league, the value of a running backat the goal line and beyondshouldnt be underestimated. * Conference Games qualifier is 40 rush attempts Faulk leads the bunch with 767 receptions, putting him at No. But there've still been some very fast run speeds, with Mecole Hardman and Tyreek Hill at the top being no surprise. . Brown's 257 carries were the second most in the 35-year history of the NFL. Hardman makes the list twice, and their Super Bowl opponent Scotty Miller also slots in with a fastest-time tied with Lamar Jackson. Faulk, Tomlinson and Allen are the only full-time running backs who rank in the top 100 all-time for receptions. The New York Jets' Curtis Martin increased his career total as he climbed from 18th to 15th place on the Top 20 rushers list. Dongpeng Debao Commercial Center. * Division Games qualifier is on pace for at least How do I pick which schools to send my Go Big profile to? Simpson (1973), Payton (1977), Earl Campbell (1979), Allen (1985), Thurman Thomas (1991), Smith (1993), Sanders (1997, co-MVP with Brett Favre), Terrell Davis (1998), Faulk (2000), Alexander (2005), Tomlinson (2006) and most recently Peterson (2012). One new addition to the Top 20 in 2002 was Eddie George of the Tennessee Titans. Dongpeng Debao Commercial Center. WebThis is a list of National Football League (NFL) running backs by total career rushing touchdowns. Even better than the 2007 New England Patriots. He rushed for 219 yards in the 13th game of the season, and capped off a brilliant campaign with exactly 200 yards, breaking the 2000-yard barrier. RELATED: Full list of every pick from the 2023 NFL Draft Heres a look at the winners and losers from the first 31 picks of the draft: Winner: Carolina Panthers Why is it so important to get my video to college coaches? Leading Lifetime Rushers on pace for at least In 1997, Barry Sanders averaged more yards per carry than any running back since Jim Brown in 1963. 272 carries, 1474 yards, 19 TD, 5.4 avg; 22 rec, 106 yards, 0 TD; 5 fum 14 GAMES. LT also led the NFL with 1815 rushing yards. Davis is the only running back on this list to play for a Super Bowl champion. Brown turned in the highest yards per carry in NFL history by a running back with 200 or more carries. 20 rush attempts Payton and Sanders had arguably the top running ability the game has ever seen. But 1975 was just a little bit better. Smith may have the stats, but there are cases to be made for other star running backs throughout history. Emmitt Smith is the NFLs all-time rushing leader, accumulating 18,355 yards on the ground during his 15-year career with the. The current record was set in 2006 when Tomlinson piled up 28 rushing scores. He's still a talented all-around back but his strength might be as a part-time version of It's the easiest way for a rookie to get cut from a team. On the other side, availability is an ability. Must have exceptional lower and upper body strength. Bo Jackson, someone who hasnt even been mentioned yet, was perhaps the most unique athlete to ever step on a football field. Statistical data provided by Gracenote. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Simpson earned a million different awards in 1973, including NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors, the NFL MVP, the Bert Bell Player of the Year award, and the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year award. Five of these playershave already been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with two players having multiple seasons on this list. WebThe following is a list of the NFL career rushing leaders ranked by rushing average. Liwan District, Guangzhou,Guangdong (P.R.China) |Products Throughout NFL history, the Browns have deployed some of the greatest running backs of all time. Five of these marks set single-season NFL records: rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, total touchdowns, yards from scrimmage, and rushing yards per game. The Bears scored over 20 points in each of their first nine games, a feat that, when adjusted to today's standards, is equivalent to a team scoring 45 points per game. And he was the hero in a second straight Super Bowl win, rushing for 102 yards (152 total yards) in a 34-19 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. . Who is the fastest player in the NFL? . The most easy thing to do is cite 40-yard dash times, but that's also not simulating a football game played in pads with defenders attempting to tackle the ball carrier. * All Games qualifier is . Chris Perry is one of the first running backs that come to mind when I think of Michigan running backs WebNFLs Next Gen Stats captures real time location data, speed and acceleration for every player, every play on every inch of the field. * Vs. TR Top 10 qualifier is This doesn't even account for Tomlinson's two passing touchdowns that season, meaning he was directly involved in 33 touchdowns during the season. Before the NFL became a passing league, football was ruled by premier running backs. And just like the 2007 New England Patriots, the Bears ran the table in the regular season--13 games, 13 wins--before losing to (who else?) That'd be an easier way of solving this problem than anything else. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Feathers rushed for 1004 yards on 119 carries. The biggest problem for some of the fastest players who boost (think Darius Heyward-Bey of the Raiders) is that they don't frequently enough free themselves up with the football in space to show off that blazing speed. Latest on Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson including news, stats, videos, highlights and more on ESPN Because the Lions' had a 234-pound fullback named Tommy Vardell who carries the ball just 18 times but scored six touchdowns! Absolutely not. One new addition to the Top 20 in 2002 was Eddie George of the Tennessee Titans. No other running back carried the ball more than 15 times per game in 1958. Feathers helped the Bears score an NFL-record 286 points, which was more than the five worst NFL teams combined. But take in mind that the average team fumbled 29 times per season in 1963. By the conclusion of the 1958 season, Brown's numbers looked like this: 2 seasons, 2 Most Valuable Player awards. TeamRankings.com is solely responsible for this site but makes no guarantee about the accuracy or completeness of the information herein. Heres a look at the winners and losers from the first 31 picks of the draft: . ..- . He rushed for 1,060 yards and 11 touchdowns in 12 He finished second in yards per carry (5.4). Web116 AV 70 Rush 1515 Yds 6166 Y/A 4.1 TD 51 FantPt 1287.9 Neal Anderson Overview Game Logs Career Postseason 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 Player Game Finder Must have exceptional lower and upper body strength. . WebJaguars GM Trent Baalke now has drafted a running back in every single year he has been a GM (49ers 2011-2016, Jaguars 2021-2023), Schefter tweeted. 10:25 p.m.: 49ers jump Copyright2022 HongmeiCo.,Ltd.Allrightsreserved. 1973 will always be OJ's most famous season. One of the best all-around running backs in the NFL, McCaffrey ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash at the 2017 NFL Combine. Heres what the numbers say when comparing the best running backs in NFL history. Give it a try, it's free! There was a time when, even factoring in the increases in games played during the season, a 1000-yard rusher was considered impressive. 332 carries, 2003 yards, 12 TD, 6.0 avg; 6 rec, 70 yards, 0 TD; 7 fum 14 GAMES, "No matter what happens to me, I was the first man to rush for 2000 yards in a season. One of them was fought for tooth and nail by our Chief Written Content Officer Ryan Gosling (not that one) to be in the top three. * Home Games qualifier is Jim Taylor * (1,941 attempts for 8,597 yards, 83 TDs) was displaced from the Top 20. Who has the most rushing yards in NFL history? No, because he consistently put his team in position to score. Huanhua Road 4) LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers, 2006: 348 carries, 1815 yards, 28 TD, 5.2 avg; 56 rec, 508 yards, 3 TD; 2 fum; 2-3, 19 yards, 2 TD. The following list includes the best of the best, the greatest of the greatest, the most elite of the elite--the 10 greatest seasons by a running back in NFL history, with one season earning honorable mention. Barkley made the top-10 run speeds list multiple times in 2019, but he won't get to claim his place in the 2020 list due to a season-ending knee injury. originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea. Well, my two favorite statistics for running backs are yards per carry and fumbles. 1 among full-time running backs with 36 receiving touchdowns. The record books offer a glimpse at who stands above the rest, but even those statistics are limited when it comes to determining the best running back of all time. His NFL Combine 40-yard dash time was 4.80 seconds. In the 2018 NFL Combine, Barkley ran a 4.41-second 40-yard dash. Texas Longhorns running back Bijan Robinson is widely expected to be selected in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday night in Kansas City. Allen has turned into one of the NFL's best rushing quarterbacks, but he wasn't superbly fast at the 2018 NFL Combine, running a 4.76-second 40-yard dash. Position: Running back Height: 6-0 Weight: 215 pounds Years active: 2020-2022 Here are Bijan Robinsons's career stats in college. The site navigation utilizes arrow, enter, escape, and space bar key commands. Mahomes has incorporated running as a part of his game, but usually as more of a passer who scrambles while still looking to throw. Sanders was known for his uncanny ability to make defenders stop in their tracks with his jukes and moves. --OJ Simpson. Here is how Smith compares to the rest of the top 10 all-time: While Smith is the all-time leader in rushing yards, he is much further down on the leaderboard when it comes to his best single-season total. Nowadays, the majority of teams produce a 1000-yard rusher, and within the next 10 to 15 years, I predict that a half dozen or more teams yield two 1000-yard rushers. Sayers' 1965 season is probably the most famous rookie season in NFL history. Here are the 10 fastest ball-carrier runs from the 2020 NFL regularseason(via NFL's Next Gen Stats): Notably, Mostert continues to look like the fastest player in the NFL more than halfway through the season (despite missing time with injury). What are the pricing options for Go Big Premium? Martin, who gained 1,094 yards this past season, has now rushed for 1,000 yards in each of his eight seasons in the NFL. Bijan Robinson had a prolific career at Texas, becoming one of college football's best running backs. Has to have demonstrated RB ability multiple years at an All-State or All District Level. UL/ CUL Constant Volatge LED Power Supply, UL/ CUL Constant Current LED Power Supply, Room 8055, 5th floor. . . 392 carries, 2008 yards, 21 TD, 5.1 avg; 25 rec, 217 yards, 2 TD; 2 fum. Who checks out my video and profile at each college? Cam Newton is the only quarterback in this list. Active players are listed in bold. He stole a rushing title from the great Jim Brown. |News One of the best all-around running backs in the NFL, McCaffrey ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash at the 2017 NFL Combine. When asked about it in 2019, he said that a few years earlier he'd run a 4.30 and was faster now. He averaged an unheard-of 8.4 yards per attempt. Statistics are current through the 2022 NFL season and include stats accrued in NFL, AFL and APFA games. 109. He led in yards per carry (5.5) and yards from scrimmage (2244). The fastest player with electronic timing is the Bengals' John Ross, who ran the 40 in 4.22 seconds in 2017. TD earned league MVP honors. He averaged 5.6 yards per carry and scored 14 touchdowns.