Recently, former Jacksonville Jaguars RB turned NFL.com analyst, Maurice Jones-Drew released an article in which he ranked all 32 starting running backs heading into the 2021 season.
Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans claimed the top spot on the list and rightfully so. Henry has become an absolute monster over the past couple of seasons combining for 3,567 yards and 33 touchdowns on 681 carries. Last season alone, Henry ran for over 2,000 yards becoming the first running back to hit that mark in a single season since Adrian Peterson did it back in 2012.
However, the No. 2 running back on Jones-Drew's last is none other than Christian McCaffrey of the Carolina Panthers. It may have come as a surprise to some but I like how Jones-Drew isn't factoring in McCaffrey's injury issues that caused him to miss 13 games in 2020. If we are ranking the running backs on pure talent alone, McCaffrey is 100% deserving of being in that No. 2 spot. As a matter of fact, I think you could rank Henry, McCaffrey, and Alvin Kamara (Saints) 1, 2, 3 in any order, and there wouldn't be many people upset. Those three have separated themselves from the rest of the pack as elite backs. Dalvin Cook of the Vikings is also making a case to be included in that group and a solid 2021 season would likely do it.
The last full season McCaffrey played (2019) he became the third player in NFL history to cross over the 1,000-yard mark in both rushing and receiving in the same season joining Roger Craig and Marshall Faulk. Who knows if he will ever come close to doing that again but in just three games under new offensive coordinator Joe Brady, McCaffrey racked up 374 all-purpose yards and six touchdowns. If he remains healthy for the entirety of the 2021 season, the Panthers' offense will make big strides from where they were just a year ago.
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