“You can find starting running backs anywhere in the draft.”
It’s a quote said every year, but is it actually true? Sure, you can find Day 3 gems at the running back position, but it’s not easy.
Take into account that out of the top 12 rushing leaders in the NFL last season, 10 were taken in the first two rounds of the draft. The two exceptions were De’Von Achane (3rd round in 2023) and Kyren Williams (5th round in 2022).
Once upon a time some of those top rushers were the pre-draft stars of their running back class. In the 2026 class, there is a clear-cut top back. Quickly after that, let the debates be had. Here are my top five running backs in this year’s draft, with plenty of honorable mentions after.
*Advanced stats per PFF
MORE RANKINGS: Quarterback | Wide Receiver| EDGE | Cornerback
1. Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
Love is an explosive home run hitter who can impact the game on any down. He’s a multi-scheme, gifted runner who creates his own yards at a special rate. His patience helps him seek out an opening and his acceleration allows him to explode through it. He is very difficult for defenders to tackle in one-on-one situations with quick cuts, ridiculous hurdles, or pure breakaway speed.
Love is in a special tier of running back prospect due to his pass game ability on top of the work he does on the ground. His routes are twitchy and his speed translates to easy separation skills.
For how talented he is, Love does not get the credit he deserves from a pure compete and determination standpoint. This shows up in pass protection where he stays square and strikes with authority. Overall, Love is the type of player an offense can be built around and is worthy of a top five selection in this draft.
2. Jadarian Price, Notre Dame
Price is a muscular runner with excellent feel for rush lanes developing. He thrives in the zone running game, gliding through the defense. His pound-for-pound strength shines and he averaged nearly four yards after contact per attempt.
Price needs to keep the ball off the ground going forward as three fumbles (on just 119 touches) in 2025 is too many. He was also an asset as a kick returner, bringing back two for a touchdowns last season on just 12 attempts.
In the pass game, Price is a bit of a projection. He pass protects with a low center of gravity and high effort but has very little receiving production. He’s dynamic in space in the run game, which in theory should translate off screens, swing passes, and dump offs. Price will have to adjust to handling a bigger workload at the NFL level, but he’s a gifted runner who will eventually lead a backfield.
3. Jonah Coleman, Washington
Coleman is a compact runner who is jacked head to toe. His low running and dense frame help him consistently churn through contact, reminiscent of Josh Jacobs. He surprises would-be tacklers with light feet to evade lunging at his lower half. While not an explosive route runner, he has reliable hands and creates yards in the open field (even hurdling over defenders).
Coleman doesn’t bring much speed to the table, and his running style might lead to quicker wear and tear. With that being said, he’s an easy player to pound the table for as he does so many things at the position the right way. His power and three-down ability should be a great addition to a backfield looking to feature a tandem.
4. Emmett Johnson, Nebraska
Johnson is a creative running back who can play on all three downs. His testing was disappointing, but the tape tells a different story. He’s light on his feet, creating yards with jukes and spins.
Tacklers struggle to get a hand on him, especially when he gets in space as a receiving back. His route tree goes beyond dump-off passes, showing off legit tracking skills on throws down the field. In pass protection, his lack of mass in his lower half hurts him. He’s fearless in taking on blitzers and edge rushers, but he gets driven backwards or dumped by pure power.
Johnson lacks explosive speed, but his elusiveness in tight spaces and receiving ability makes him one of the more intriguing committee back prospects in this class.
5. Mike Washington, Arkansas
Washington is a well-built running back with ideal initial burst. He had his first 1,000-yard season in 2025 for Arkansas after spending his first three college seasons with Buffalo (2021-2023) and 2024 with New Mexico State.
When he builds momentum, he has long strides and power to bounce through contact at the second level of the field. He’s also surprisingly light on his feet considering his 223-pound frame.
While Washington ran an impressive 4.33 40-yard dash, he’s not an angle eraser or consistent home run threat. He has natural strength to plow forward, but his open field running lacks creativity. In the pass game, he can work in the flats and turn dump-off passes into chunk gains. His build and length raise his ceiling in pass protection, but he’s very raw in identifying and attacking blitzers.
Overall, Washington has a promising blend of traits to be taken as a mid-round committee running back with upside.
Honorable Mentions:
Kaytron Allen (Penn State), Nicholas Singleton (Penn State), Demond Claiborne (Wake Forest), Adam Randall (Clemson), J’Mari Taylor (Virginia), Seth McGowan (Kentucky), Le’Veon Moss (Texas A&M)
