2015-16 NFL Pre-Season Position Rankings: Running Backs

We are about halfway through the NFL's off-season (YAY!!!!). OTA's have already started. Players are already getting injured. And the 2015-16 NFL season is getting so close, we can hear the footsteps coming up to the door and someone's just about ready to knock. With that said, it's time to look ahead at next season.

Now that NFL rosters are pretty much finalized (besides numerous upcoming cuts of course), it's time to start giving you guys an idea of how your team is shaping up for next season. What better way to do that than to start power ranking the starters at every position on each roster? It only makes sense.

Up next? The running backs.......

Ultimate Football Blog's

2015-16 Pre-Season Position Rankings

Running Backs

KEY NOTE: This is a POWER RANKINGS. That means it's a "what have you done for me lately?" list. This is not an ALL-TIME greatest list. If the NFL commissioner came up to me tomorrow and said:

"Hey, you can have any RB in the league on your team next season....who do you want?"


It would (most likely) go in this order.......



(PS: PFF grade means "Pro Football Focus Grade". For those of you who don't know, ProFootballFocus.com is an football analytics website that grades players based on a certain criteria and it's a criteria that I've come to love. It's a pretty simple grading formula to figure out as well. The more negative score the player has, the least effective he was on-the-field last season. For example a "-24.8" grade would be absolutely awful, but a "24.8" grade means the player was outstanding. See, I told you it was easy to figure out)

32. Toby Gerhart (Jacksonville Jaguars)

Age: 28

Career Rushing Yards: 1,631

Career Rushing TD's: 7

Career Receiving Yards: 786

Career Rushing Yards Per Carry: 4.3

2014-15 PFF Grade: -7.1

31. Rashad Jennings (New York Giants)

Age: 30

Career Rushing Yards: 2,316

Career Rushing TD's: 17

Career Receiving Yards: 972

Career Rushing YPC: 4.2

2014-15 PFF Grade: -3.3

30. Darren McFadden (Dallas Cowboys)

Age: 27

Career Rushing Yards: 4,247

Career Rushing TD's: 25

Career Receiving Yards: 1,769

Career Rushing YPC: 4.1

2014-15 PFF Grade: -8.3

29. Andre Ellington (Arizona Cardinals)

Age: 26

Career Rushing Yards: 1,312

Career Rushing TD's: 6

Career Receiving Yards: 766

Career Rushing YPC: 4.1

2014-15 PFF Grade: -7.5

28. Doug Martin (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Age: 26

Career Rushing Yards: 2,404

Career Rushing TD's: 14

Career Receiving Yards: 602

Career Rushing YPC: 4.1

2014-15 PFF Grade: -6.3

27. Latavius Murray (Oakland Raiders)

Age: 25

Career Rushing Yards: 424

Career Rushing TD's: 2

Career Receiving Yards: 143

Career Rushing YPC: 5.2

2014-15 PFF Grade: -1.8

26. Chris Ivory (New York Jets)

Age: 27

Career Rushing Yards: 2,961

Career Rushing TD's: 17

Career Receiving Yards: 165

Career Rushing YPC: 4.7

2014-15 PFF Grade: -5.1

25. Bishop Sankey (Tennessee Titans)

Age: 22

Career Rushing Yards: 569

Career Rushing TD's: 2

Career Receiving Yards: 133

Career Rushing YPC: 3.7

2014-15 PFF Grade: -0.5

24. Devonta Freeman (Atlanta Falcons)

Age: 23

Career Rushing Yards: 248

Career Rushing TD's: 1

Career Receiving Yards: 225

Career Rushing YPC: 3.8

2014-15 PFF Grade: 0.2

23. Carlos Hyde (San Francisco 49ers)

Age: 23

Career Rushing Yards: 333

Career Rushing TD's: 4

Career Receiving Yards: 68

Career Rushing YPC: 4.0

2014-15 PFF Grade: -0.9

22. Isaiah Crowell (Cleveland Browns)

Age: 22

Career Rushing Yards: 607

Career Rushing TD's: 8

Career Receiving Yards: 87

Career Rushing YPC: 4.1

2014-15 PFF Grade: -8.0

21. Joique Bell (Detroit Lions)

Age: 28

Career Rushing Yards: 1,924

Career Rushing TD's: 18

Career Receiving Yards: 1,354

Career Rushing YPC: 4.1

2014-15 PFF Grade: 1.0

20. LeGarrette Blount (New England Patriots)

Age: 28

Career Rushing Yards: 3,258

Career Rushing TD's: 25

Career Receiving Yards: 256

Career Rushing YPC: 4.6

2014-15 PFF Grade: 10.8

19. Jonathan Stewart (Carolina Panthers)

Age: 28

Career Rushing Yards: 4,825

Career Rushing TD's: 30

Career Receiving Yards: 1,084

Career Rushing YPC: 4.6

2014-15 PFF Grade: 11.3

18. Todd Gurley (St. Louis Rams)

Age: 20

Career Rushing Yards: 0

Career Rushing TD's: 0

Career Receiving Yards: 0

Career Rushing YPC: 0

2014-15 PFF Grade: Rookie

17. Melvin Gordon (San Diego Chargers)

Age: 22

Career Rushing Yards: 0

Career Rushing TD's: 0

Career Receiving Yards: 0

Career Rushing YPC: 0

2014-15 PFF Grade: Rookie

16. Frank Gore (Indianapolis Colts)

Age: 31

Career Rushing Yards: 11,,073

Career Rushing TD's: 64

Career Receiving Yards: 2,883

Career Rushing YPC: 4.5

2014-15 PFF Grade: -0.8

15. Justin Forsett (Baltimore Ravens)

Age: 29

Career Rushing Yards: 2,958

Career Rushing TD's: 16

Career Receiving Yards: 1,113

Career Rushing YPC: 5.1

2014-15 PFF Grade: 11.1

14. Alfred Morris (Washington Redskins)

Age: 26

Career Rushing Yards: 3,962

Career Rushing TD's: 28

Career Receiving Yards: 310

Career Rushing YPC: 4.5

2014-15 PFF Grade: -6.2

13. Mark Ingram (New Orleans Saints)

Age: 25

Career Rushing Yards: 2,426

Career Rushing TD's: 20

Career Receiving Yards: 288

Career Rushing YPC: 4.2

2014-15 PFF Grade: 1.3

12. Matt Forte (Chicago Bears)

Age: 29

Career Rushing Yards: 7,704

Career Rushing TD's: 41

Career Receiving Yards: 3,727

Career Rushing YPC: 4.2

2014-15 PFF Grade: -0.6

11. Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings)

Age: 30

Career Rushing Yards: 10,190

Career Rushing TD's: 86

Career Receiving Yards: 1,715

Career Rushing YPC: 5.0

2014-15 PFF Grade: -0.2

10. LeSean McCoy (Buffalo Bills)

Age: 26

Career Rushing Yards: 6,792

Career Rushing TD's: 44

Career Receiving Yards: 2,282

Career Rushing YPC: 4.6

2014-15 PFF Grade: -9.3

9. Arian Foster (Houston Texans)

Age: 28

Career Rushing Yards: 6,309

Career Rushing TD's: 53

Career Receiving Yards: 2,041

Career Rushing YPC: 4.5

2014-15 PFF Grade: 5.6

8. C.J. Anderson (Denver Broncos)

Age: 24

Career Rushing Yards: 887

Career Rushing TD's: 8

Career Receiving Yards: 324

Career Rushing YPC: 4.8

2014-15 PFF Grade: 20.3

7. Lamar Miller (Miami Dolphins)

Age: 24

Career Rushing Yards: 2,058

Career Rushing TD's: 11

Career Receiving Yards: 490

Career Rushing YPC: 4.6

2014-15 PFF Grade: 4.6

6. Jeremy Hill (Cincinnati Bengals)

Age: 22

Career Rushing Yards: 1,124

Career Rushing TD's: 9

Career Receiving Yards: 215

Career Rushing YPC: 5.1

2014-15 PFF Grade: 2.0

5. Jamaal Charles (Kansas City Chiefs)

Age: 28

Career Rushing Yards: 6,856

Career Rushing TD's: 38

Career Receiving Yards: 2,266

Career Rushing YPC: 5.5

2014-15 PFF Grade: 5.0

4. Eddie Lacy (Green Bay Packers)

Age: 24

Career Rushing Yards: 2,317

Career Rushing TD's: 20

Career Receiving Yards: 684

Career Rushing YPC: 4.4

2014-15 PFF Grade: 23.0

3. DeMarco Murray (Philadelphia Eagles)

Age: 27

Career Rushing Yards: 4,526

Career Rushing TD's: 28

Career Receiving Yards: 1,200

Career Rushing YPC: 4.8

2014-15 PFF Grade: 15.3

2. Le'Veon Bell (Pittsburgh Steelers)

Age: 23

Career Rushing Yards: 2,221

Career Rushing TD's: 16

Career Receiving Yards: 1,253

Career Rushing YPC: 4.2

2014-15 PFF Grade: 23.8

1. Marshawn Lynch (Seattle Seahawks)

Age: 29

Career Rushing Yards: 8,695

Career Rushing TD's: 71

Career Receiving Yards: 1,899

Career Rushing YPC: 4.3

2014-15 PFF Grade: 27.5