2024 Running Back Prospect Rankings
The Gridiron Review’s 2024 NFL Draft Running Back Rankings. Click on the player names to see our full prospect profiles of each player. Certain prospects that do not have much on film will be added as the college season progresses.
| Rank | Rank Movement | Player | School | Height | Weight | Grade | Player Comp | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daijun Edwards |  |  | 5'10 | 207 | 65% | Ronald Jones | Controversial having Edwards ranked this high, we know. But in a class full of underwhelming, overhyped prospects (our opinion), Edwards stands out. Most of the big names in this class are power backs who lack the ability to make people miss, that is not Edwards. He possesses the power, but also has a bouncing running style that very few in this class have... | |
| 2 | Frank Gore Jr |  |  | 5'8 | 201 | 64% | Shades of Shady | If Frank Gore Jr were playing at a bigger school, his name would be all over must watch prospects for the 2024 NFL Draft. He possesses elite elusiveness and bounce that stands out in a class full of power backs. He uses a good combination of patience and urgency to find running lanes and get into high gear quickly. He is top of the class in multiple areas including change of direction, juke moves, and elusiveness.... | |
| 3 | Audric Estime |  |  | 5'11 | 221 | 63% | David Montgomery | Watching the film shows a powerful back that is not overly explosive, but has great vision and wiggle. While never being asked to catch passes, he is an effective blocker that should get him on the field for passing downs and could lead to a lot of dump off catches. He is similar to someone like David Montgomery or Rhamondre Stevenson, though may be slightly faster than both of them. | |
| 4 | Blake Corum |  |  | 5'8 | 205 | 62% | Doug Martin | The Doug Martin comparison is almost too perfect. Both are undersized but with the muscle and power of much larger backs. Corum is a no nonsense runner with effective vision and pretty good explosiveness. His power is evident on most carries, especially his leg strength. He has good enough speed and elusiveness (though neither are special) and has more pass catching ability than his production would indicate. He is going to be old for a rookie especially at RB and has a lot of touches to his name.... | |
| 5 | Jonathon Brooks |  |  | 6'0 | 207 | 60% | Damien Harris | Brooks is decent at a lot, but elite in no areas. He has the potential to be a good pro, but likely never an elite one. His best traits are vision and change of direction that should allow him to pick up the yards that are given and break off a run here or there. His hands suggest the potential to be an every down back, but again the upside is limited. | |
| 6 | Jase McClellan |  | 5'11 | 212 | 60% | Rachaad White | Jase McClellan should be a better pro than college player. He is a true power back that has some decent speed to match and good patience. He waits for the lanes to develop when running north and south (perhaps too often but results in more positives than negatives) and has the ability to push through contact and lay the boom on the defenders. He offers some upside as a pass catcher as well. | ||
| 7 | Ray Davis |  |  | 5'8 | 211 | 60% (But age is a major deterrent) | Jerome Ford | Davis has the tools to be a starter in the NFL, but his age is a glaring red flag. Talent wise he could be considered a late day 2 pick, but seeing as he will be a 24/25 year old rookie, he likely falls to day 3 or beyond. He has potential as a third down back but can me more with his great change of direction and decent wiggle. The Jerome Ford comp is not perfect, but a similar role to what Ford had this year with Cleveland could be in the cards for Davis. | |
| 8 |  4 | Miyan Williams |  |  | 5'9 | 225 | 62% (but knee injury may cause him to fall) | Shonn Greene | Miyan Williams may be the RB2 in Ohio right now, but it is our opinion that he is the better back. While TreVeyon is an aggressive runner, he takes what is given and does not do a ton of self-creation. Miyan is a punishing back who knows how to use his power, rarely does the first tackler bring him down easily.... |
| 9 |  6 | Isaac Guerendo |  | 6'0 | 221 | 59% | Isiah Pacheco | Guerendo’s insane combine caused us to take a second look. On first watching, we saw a RB that does not do much to make people miss but could be an asset in the receiving game. Upon further review, this holds true but with an impressive athletic profile to match. Guerendo is much more likely to try to run through a tackler than juke them out or make them miss. He is too stiff on cuts to be lethal, but his size and speed should be enticing for teams as should his motor... | |
| 10 | Trey Benson |  |  | 6'1 | 215 | 59% | Chuba Hubbard | Benson offers some good upside as an early down back and as a pure runner. He projects best in our opinion as part of a 1-2 punch where a more electric pass catcher is his partner. He is a bigger back with surprising elusiveness but does his best work reading running lanes and fighting through contact... | |
| 11 | Dylan Laube | 5'10 | 206 | 58% | James White | really hope Laube gets a combine invite, because he could be an incredible story. We have his grade at 58% which for us is high end role player, and Laube’s role is clear. He is elite out of the backfield as a pass catcher with good routes, great hands, and subtle athleticism and power that makes him a threat after the catch. He should be able to play this role extremely well even with the jump from New Hampshire to the NFL. He is standing out at Senior Bowl practices which is a great sign... | |||
| 12 | Will Shipley |  |  | 5'11 | 205 | 57% | Alexander Mattison | Shipley continues the trend of disappointing running backs in this class. The name is known, but the tape shows a jack of all trades/master of none running back. He can rush with little bits of power and speed, catch the ball, and return but is not elite at any of them. He could be an every down back but on the lower end as far as skill and upside... | |
| 13 | MarShawn Lloyd |  |  | 5'9 | 220 | 56% | Emari Demarcado | Lloyd could be the perfect complementary back for an offense looking for a between the tackles runner. He has good enough vision and a decent burst cut combo to make defenders miss. You should not expect him to take outside carries too much as he struggles to cut upfield when moving north to south. He is a high end RB2 that can take a carry to the house but his age and lack of complete development limit his upside. | |
| 14 | Bucky Irving |  |  | 5'9 | 192 | 55% | Dion Lewis | Irving has some desirable traits at the next level, specifically his receiving ability. He has decent vision and is a good athlete, though not special. He is a willing blocker but his lack of size and power makes one question how effective he will be in this area at the next level.... | |
| 15 | Jaylen Wright |  |  | 5'10 1/2 | 210 | 54% | Justice Hill | Wright has a lot of juice and some exciting plays on film, but he is almost a carbon copy of Justice Hill coming out of Oklahoma State. For the good reasons (speed, cuts, pass catching potential) and the bad (too many runs being bounced, lack of contact balance, not the greatest vision). Like Hill, Wright should be able to hook on to a team and may spot start after he spend some time developing. His upside of a key rotational piece is there. | |
| 16 | Dillon Johnson |  | 6'0 | 213 | 54% | Sony Michel when he got to the Rams | Dillon Johnson definitely benefited from playing on the passing juggernaut that was Washington this season. However, it was not all scheme. Johnson displays good power and the ability to push through contact, with a good cut move that he utilizes to get upfield. He fought through some rough injuries to play in the Natty which shows his toughness, but he does come with concerns. His athleticism and lack of juice is very apparent on film. He does not hit the running lanes with burst and rarely outruns defenders. This is not to say he cannot be a starter in this league in the right system (Kyren Williams proved this year that athleticism is not everything) but it likely drops him to day 3. | ||
| 17 | Blake Watson |  | 5'9 | 195 | 52% | Kenneth Gainwell | Blake Watson is the latest part of a decent run of pass catching running backs coming out of Memphis. He has some of the best receiving numbers of any back in this class, and should contribute immediately in that area. That being said, he is already 24 which will raise red flags, and does not possess the upside of Tony Pollard. He is far more Kenneth Gainwell. This may seem like a lazy comp, but it is not... | ||
| 18 | Braelon Allen |  |  | 6'1 | 235 | 45% (But insane upside) | AJ Dillon | The hype for Braelon Allen is a little too much. Yes Wisconsin is in the running for RBU, and yes his statistics are good. But, you put on the tape and there is not much there. It is worth mentioning he is still very new to the position as he was recruited at the linebacker position. That being said, he still has a looong way to go to be a serious prospect taken in the first 3 rounds.... | |
| 19 | Isaiah Davis |  | 6'1 | 220 | 37% | Davis is an okay athlete with decent vision but lacks overall elite traits. Despite being 220 pounds his power lacks and he does not fight through tackles all that well. He is stiff when changing directions as well. Where he actually excels is as a lead blocker more than anything. A switch to an athletic full back may be in his best interest at the next level. |