Who will be the NFL's next Raheem Mostert?
After nine years, five teams and countless injuries, Miami’s Raheem Mostert leads all NFL running backs with a franchise-record 18 touchdowns this year. He’s been a great story, and we can’t help but wonder, who will be the next Mostert?
J.K. Dobbins | Baltimore Ravens
Physically, Dobbins and Mostert are practically identical. Both are 5-foot-10 but Dobbins is a pound heavier than Mostert at 215 pounds. Mostert is widely considered the fastest player in the NFL. He hit 23.09 mph on a touchdown run against the Jets in 2020 and ran a 4.34 in the 40-yard dash coming out of college.
Dobbins ran a 4.37 before joining the Ravens three years ago, but like Mostert, he’s off to a slow start. Thanks to injuries, Dobbins has played in just 24 games for Baltimore. Mostert saw action in 25 games over his first three seasons, albeit with five different teams.
The Ravens running back will be a free agent next year, but where he’ll end up is anyone’s guess. He’ll likely be offered a one-year, “prove it” deal from Baltimore but would probably benefit from a change of scenery.
Boston Scott | Philadelphia Eagles
Scott is three inches shorter and nearly 20 pounds lighter than Mostert, but like his Dolphins’ counterpart, he hasn't seen many carries in his early career. Since being signed from the Saints practice squad in 2018, Scott has 298 carries for 1,287 yards. Mostert had 282 carries for 1,590 yards in his first six seasons.
Both saw more action as returners early on. From 2015-2020, Mostert had 610 yards returning kickoffs. Scott has been more prolific in his first six years with Philadelphia with 1,451 yards. Mostert hasn’t fielded a kick all season but Scott has five returns where he’s netted 117 yards with his 4.40-speed.
Like Dobbins, Scott will be a free agent in 2024 and with teammates D’Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny also on expiring contracts, Scott could return and get more carries next year.
Salvon Ahmed | Miami Dolphins
Could the next Mostert be one of his current Dolphins teammates? That may depend on who’s holding the stopwatch. Like Mostert, Ahmed went undrafted out of Washington in 2020 where he reportedly ran a 4.32 prior to the NFL Combine. At the combine, he ran it in 4.62 seconds.
Obviously, 4.32 would put him right there with Mostert. His 38 carries as a Dolphin are four more than Mostert saw in his first four seasons, but with a talented rookie like De’Von Achane in the backfield, Ahmed should look to find another team as a free agent in 2024.
Of course, the odds of any player coming out of obscurity to match Mostert’s 2023 performance are pretty slim but given the right situation, anything is possible. His Dolphins welcome the Dallas Cowboys to Hard Rock Stadium on Christmas Eve.
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