2025 NFL Draft: Ranking the Top 10 Running Back Prospects

With six days to go until the 2025 NFL Draft, final preparations are underway for what it supposed to be an unpredictable event. The Jacksonville Jaguars will play a key role in the early portions of the draft and they will be decide how the rest of the order goes after the No. 5 overall selection.

The team has a need for a new running back and this is a terrific draft to get one. If your team needs a new starter, this is the time to draft a quality tailback. There will be different play-styles and types for all teams, including the Jaguars.

Do you need a physical tailback, change-of-pace, an elite pass-catcher, or home-run hitter? You can draft any of them on April 24-26. With that in mind, let's look at the 10 best running backs in this year's NFL Draft process.

No. 1: Ashton Jeanty, Boise State Broncos

Grade valuation: Early 1st round

Jeanty is arguably one of the best tailbacks to enter the draft since either Bijan Robinson or Saquon Barkley. He offers almost the perfect combination of physicality, explosiveness, vision, patience, and passing down ability that can make an immediate impact from the jump. There will always be arguments against drafting a running back in the first round at all, but Jeanty is a rare breed that is deserving of a Top-10 selection.

No. 2: TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State Buckeyes

Grade valuation: Late 1st-Early 2nd round

Henderson has dealt with injuries the last couple of seasons that has limited him from being a consistent impact runner. With Quinshon Judkins coming to Columbus last season, he saw a great campaign that showcased his outstanding vision, home-run hitting explosiveness, soft hands in the passing game, and elite pass protection ability that teams will adore.

No. 3: Omarion Hampton, North Carolina Tar Heels

Grade valuation: 2nd round

Hampton has been one of the most productive and best running backs in the country for the last two seasons, using his size, elite contact balance, physicality, vision, and shiftiness as a runner to garner over 3,100 total yards and 30 touchdowns. Hampton is a brusier who will fit nicely in zone or gap blocking schemes at the next level.

No. 4: Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State Bucketes

Grade valuation: 2nd round

Judkins is another runner who has been quite productive since his freshman season at Ole Miss. He joined the Buckeyes last season in pursuit of a National Championship and accomplished that with a skill set that translates very well to the next level. He offers a great combination of short-area quickness and creativity, balance, and physicality that could earn him a starting role as a three-down tailback.

No. 5: Kaleb Johnson, Iowa Hawkeyes

Grade valuation: 2nd round

Johnson is not an overly creative ball carrier and doesn't possess elite explosiveness. What he does bestow is a lot of power and physicality behind the line of scrimmage. He processes very well at the line with patience and nimble footwork to work into creases while offering short-area burst to generate chunk plays in the short and intermediate levels of the field.

No. 6: Dylan Sampson, Tennessee Volunteers

Grade valuation: 2nd round

Sampson is a tailback who plays bigger than his 5-foot-8, 200 pound frame suggests. He offers good vision, physicality, and the explosiveness to win foot races on most occasions. Sampson offers plenty of potential as a pass-catcher out of the backfield while also possessing impressive leg churn for his size, making him a scheme-diverse runner.

No. 7: Cam Skattebo, Arizona State Sun Devils

Grade valuation: 3rd round

This is the most fun player to watch at running back outside of Jeanty. Skattebo is a classic tailback who will mess defenders up with elite power, leg churn, physicality, and the contact balance to consistently shed blocks and run through tackles. He also offers an impressive pass-catching skill set to contribute on all three downs, despite the lack of sustainable explosiveness at his position.

No. 8: LeQuint Allen, Syracuse Orange

Grade valuation: 3rd round

Allen offers a lean, tall frame that doesn't offer a ton of mass to exhibit high-end contact balance. However, he counters this with an elite pass-catching skill set, vision, and sustainable second and third level acceleration that has generates big plays for Syracuse in both the run and passing game. He had 20 total tocuhdowns and 1,542 yards from scrimmage, showcasing a potential starting running back in a zone system with immediate third down ability.

No. 9: Jordan James, Oregon Ducks

Grade valuation: 3rd round

James is a scheme-diverse runner who can win in a multitude of ways despite not being a home-run threat and being able to put together two and two when attempting to make defenders miss in space. The second-team All-Big Ten wins with quality vision and uses his stout frame to churn extra yards with power and quickness. James projects as a potential starter early in his NFL career.

No. 10: Devin Neal, Kansas Jayhawks

Grade valuation: 3rd round

Neal is another runner with three-down ability. He has shown to be a reliable checkdown option in the passing game and screen game, and offers a combination of power through his pads, balance, good pad level, and impressive creativity in the open field that offers terrific short-yardage ability. Neal is another runner who doesn't have ample explosion and durability will be a concern when over 700-plus carries for his career.

Honorable Mentions: Trevor Etienne, Georgia Bulldogs; DJ Giddens, Kansas State Wildcats; Jarquez Hunter, Auburn Tigers; Bhayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech Hokies