The 2025 NFL Draft draws near and my dynasty rankings are in full swing.
This is the second half of my rookie running back rankings. My top 10 rookie running backs can be found here. The next 10 feature some of my favorite Day Three sleepers for the class.
If you’re looking for my tight end or wide receiver rankings, click the links.
2025 ROOKIE RB RANKINGS 11-20
11. Dylan Sampson, Tennessee
Sampson was a backup for two years at Tennessee, backing up Jalyen Wright alongside Jabari Small. Once Wright left, Sampson erupted for 258 carries for 1,491 yards and two scores. Sampson was a chunk gain specialist, averaging an impressive 5.8 yards per carry, but only 30 percent of his yards came on gains of 15+. Sampson was tough to bring down, forcing 70 missed tackles. He doesn’t offer much as a pass-catcher, failing to hit 200 receiving yards in any of his three seasons. Sampson averaged an impressive 1.6 yards per routine run as a sophomore, but that number fell to .8 as a starter.
The 5’8/200 runner has scatback size but the production of a grinder. He ran a 4.42 at his pro day. That’s a strong number, but less so at his slight size. The biggest thing Sampson has going for him is a strong contingency in the film community and possibly in NFL circles. He plays above his weight on tape—arguably in the spreadsheets as well—and an NFL team will likely value that. Sampson has a real shot at going on Day Two of the draft.
12. Raheim Sanders, South Carolina
“Rocket” Sanders, as he is called, broke out as a sophomore at Arkansas with 1,443 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Sanders suffered multiple injuries in his junior season, only appeared in six games, and transferred to South Carolina for his final season of college ball. Injuries behind him, he got back to work with the Gamecocks, logging 881 yards and 11 touchdowns plus 27 receptions for 316 yards and two scores. While most of his advanced rushing numbers were worse this season than his best year at Arkansas, he upped his yards after contact per attempt to 3.7 and his yards per route to an impressive 1.5.
Sanders ran remarkably fast at the combine with 4.46 Forty at 6’/217. He has bellcow size with solid pass-catching chops and speed to match. His game isn’t without its flaws though. Sanders put the ball on the ground three times last year and three times in his highest-volume season at Arkansas. He’s also a subpar option in pass protection, potentially negating some of his utility on passing downs despite his multiple 250-yard receiving seasons.
13. Jordan James, Oregon
What you see is what you get with James. He looks like a physical chain-mover with poor top-end speed on tape and that’s exactly what you find in the spreadsheets. His 56.7 percent success rate in 2024 is the highest in the class. His rate of carries that gained 10+ yards is in the 80th percentile over the past decade. On the other hand, James earned 18.4 percent of his yards on carries of 15+ last year. That ranked 199th in the country.
This dynamic was on full display at the combine. James ran a 4.55 Forty at 5’9/205 and his splits were both below the 50th percentile.
James isn’t much of a pass-catcher either. This mold of player can have success. Kyren Williams is slow but gets the job done and landed on a team willing to give him the ball 20 times again. But James needs to find a team willing to give him the rock often to make the most of his limited skill set.
14. Brashard Smith, SMU
Recruited to Miami as a receiver, Smith didn’t find his calling as a running back until his fourth season and second team. Smith immediately hit as a running back after transferring to SMU, going for 1,330 yards and 13 scores while adding 327 yards—more than he ever tallied as a receiver—through the air. His game was built on big plays. He ran for 571 yards on plays that gained 15+ but didn’t offer much in the way of yards after contact. His 3.3 YAC average was just outside of the top 100 backs last year. He also posted a poor missed tackles forced rate of .22.
With 4.39 wheels, Smith can survive in the NFL as a receiving back and change-of-pace speedster. To be more than a role player, he will need to hone his craft as both a runner and a pass-blocker. He too often misses or outright avoids the hole on interior runs. His footwork in traffic needs refinement as well. At 5’10/194, Smith could be typecast as a low-volume back at the next level, but he has the traits of a splash play specialist.
15. Damien Martinez, Miami
Martinez got his start as a two-down thumper at Oregon State. He spent two years there, totaling 355 carries, 2,157 yards, and 16 scores. His volume peaked as a sophomore with 194 carries. Martinez then moved on to Miami, where he remained an early-down explosion back. He ran for 1,003 yards and 10 touchdowns at 6.3 yards per carry, a career-high for the three-year back. He graded well but not elite in most efficiency marks through his career, averaging 3.9 YAC per attempt with a breakaway rate of 37 percent. Though he never earned more than 16 carries in a game at Miami, he did his best work as a Cane with a stellar mark of 4.5 YAC per attempt and a top-five rushing grade from PFF.
At 6’/217, Martinez looks the part of a bruiser, and a 4.51 Forty isn’t half bad at his size. Fittingly, leveraged that combo into the highest success rate when hit behind the line of scrimmage in the class. However, he never got the workload of an elite betweet-the-tackles option, failing to reach 200 attempts or a backfield dominator rating over 50 percent in a single season. He also brings nothing to the table as a pass-catcher, so volume in the trenches will be his ceiling at the next level.
16. Ollie Gordon, Oklahoma State
Gordon is a tragic case of what could have been. He took over the starting role in his second season and ran with it. Gordon ran 285 times for an FBS-leading 1,732 yards and 21 scores in 2023. He even caught 39 passes for 330 yards and a touchdown. If he was able to declare for the draft after this season, Gordon would likely have been the RB1 of a weak 2024 class. Instead, NCAA rules forced him to return for a third season that turned out to be a disaster. OSU’s offense collapsed on the back of worse quarterback play and a depleted offensive line. Gordon also tweaked his knee early in the season. He ran for 880 yards and 13 scores on 190 carries. Gordon’s breakaway rate of 29 percent and missed tackles forced per attempt of .22 are both disappointing marks for a potential NFL back. He had an elite breakaway rate of 55 percent in the previous season and a slightly better MTF per carry of .24.
At the combine, Gordon still looked like the 2024 version of himself, running a sluggish 4.61 Forty.
There weren't many losers among RBs at the Combine.
— Ryan Heath (@RyanJ_Heath) March 3, 2025
Athleticism mostly matters at the extremes. And we don't see production dropoffs until you get below the 50th-percentile by SPORQ rating.
But two RBs with previous buzz who came up short:
Devin Neal - 47.7
Ollie Gordon - 47.6 pic.twitter.com/GeJAaK6RtM
At 6’1/226, Gordon looks like a thumper who won’t threaten defenses with a home run. He could be useful in the passing game but isn’t a receiving specialist and there are better options to block for your quarterback. His path to upside largely comes through returning to his 2024 form.
17. Jarquez Hunter, Auburn
Hunter spent all four years at Auburn, playing behind Tank Bigsby for two seasons before taking over the starting role. His workload by carries and receptions increased every year, culminating in a 1,200-yard senior season. Hunter averaged over four yards after contact in each of his seasons as a starter and has an elite career breakaway rate of 47 percent. His career mark of .9 YPRR isn’t dreadful, but it’s not that of a future third-down back. NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein called him “rigid and unnatural as a pass-catching option.”
At 5’9/204 with 4.44 wheels, Hunter looks like a change-of-pace back, but he doesn’t have the receiving chops or pass-protection acumen to be a staple of passing downs. Khalil Herbert had this profile and was fun for a moment but never hit his ceiling because of the lack of versatility. Hunter could ultimately run into the same wall, but he’s worth a flyer late in drafts.
18. Marcus Yarns, Delaware
The first and only FCS back to make my rankings, Yarns spent all four years of his collegiate career at Delaware and was productive in all phases for three seasons. He ran for over 800 yards in back-to-back seasons to close his college days and topped six yards per carry in both campaigns. He also tallied 608 receiving yards and eight receiving scores over his final two seasons. Yarns was productive as a runner, averaging just shy of four YAC per attempt over his career, and even better through the air. He posted 1.8 career yards per route run and blew by 2.0 YPRR in his final season.
At 5’11/193, Yarns will be typecast as a satellite back in the pros, and that is likely for the best. He’s a small back who never saw as many as 150 carries in a single season at the FCS level. If he’s lucky, Yarns could develop into a Giovani Bernard role down the road.
19. LeQuint Allen, Syracuse
If you’ve come looking for a passing-downs specialist, Allen is your man. In this first year as a starter, his sophomore season, Allen caught 31 passes, albeit for just 210 yards and a lone score. He upped his volume and efficiency in 2024, hauling in an FBS-leading 64 receptions for 521 yards and four scores while averaging 1.3 YPRR. Allen is also the best pass-blocker in the class. PFF graded him as their No. 2 pass blocking back last year and he did so with the fourth-most reps.
As a runner, Allen doesn’t bring much to the table. He didn’t break many long runs in college and went down on first contact, averaging 2.9 yards after contact per attempt in his two seasons as the lead back. Still, the fact that he handled 473 carries plus 102 receptions over two years means he can at least handle a large workload.
20. Trevor Etienne, Georgia
Younger brother of Travis, Trevor was a four-star recruit for Florida and quickly found a role as an explosive backup. He ran for 719 yards as a true freshman and followed that up with 753 yards on 131 carries, 12 more than his debut campaign, as a sophomore. Most importantly, Etienne added 172 receiving yards to his box score while averaging 1.3 yards per route run as a sophomore. He transferred to Georgia for a final season of college ball but remained a low-volume runner, seeing just 122 attempts across 10 games. He missed a handful of contests due to a rib injury plus a suspension for a DUI.
Etienne peaked at a backfield dominator rating of 50 percent and saw more than 19 carries in a game just once in his career. He ran for more than 100 yards twice and neither of those games came in his final season. Etienne is likely fated for a backup role and his pass-catching chops are good but not great. He never topped 200 receiving yards in a season, has one career receiving touchdown, and averaged exactly one yard per route run. He’s a project for an NFL team and a deep stash at best for dynasty managers.
