NFL RB Rankings: Where Arizona Cardinals Star Falls

The NFL is experiencing a renaissance at the running back position and it's beautiful. The majority of the 2000s and seemingly all of the 2010s have been defined by passing games, but new defensive schemes are forcing teams to run the ball again.

It turns out we still have elite running backs -- they just weren't being featured.

And having a run game is more important now than it has been in a long time.

The Arizona Cardinals have been a steady running team as of late with James Conner at the helm, and the team wants to run the ball more in 2025. The steady veteran is coming off consecutive 1,000 yard rushing seasons and may just find his third straight if the trend continues.

But where does Conner rank amongst the best of the best? In an NFL blooming with running back talent, it isn't easy to slot him into one spot, but we can be sure that he's one of the better backs in the league.

Before we get to him, we have to honor the best of the best... starting with The King himself.

1. Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens

If the league ended today, Henry is the only running back who would have a slam dunk, no question Hall of Fame case. He ran for nearly 2,000 yards for the second time in his career with a new team and at 30 years old last season. Until further notice, Hail to the King.

2. Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles

Henry nearly ran for 2k, but Barkley did -- he even had a shot for the single season record but sat out the last game of the season. We've known that Barkley is elite during his time with the Giants, but the Eagles cut off his chains and he went wild.

3. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions

Gibbs is an elite runner, receiver, and touchdown scorer. He went from RB1b to David Montgomery's RB1a during his rookie year and became the undisputed top dawg in the Lions backfield.

4. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons

We saw plenty of glimpses of Robinson's potential as a rookie and he exploded in year two. His numbers across the board went through the roof and there's not much going to slow him down.

5. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

Old reliable. Kamara was once again cheated out of his first career 1,000 yard rushing season due to injuries, but he has still yet to finish a year with less than 1k scrimmage yards. The Saints were pitiful last year, but Kamara carried them as best he could. He'll be asked to do that once again this year.

6. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers

Dread it, run for it, the Madden curse arrives all the same. CMC has dealt with injuries throughout his career, so 2024 didn't stun anyway. But when he's on the field, he's unstoppable as a runner and receiver. He's the blueprint for the perfect modern running back.

7. Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams

Williams is a touchdown machine with 31 scores over the last two seasons. His efficiency in terms of yards per carry dropped last season, but he still ran for 1,299 yards and 14 touchdowns.

8. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts

Has JT just been forgotten about? I never hear his name anymore when discussing the best backs in the league and it's sad. Taylor missed three games last season and still finished fourth in rushing yards with more than 1,400 and 12 total scores.

9. Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers

A move from Sin City to Title Town restored Jacobs' true potential that we saw briefly with the Raiders. They couldn't figure out how to maximize him, but the Packers sure did.

10. James Cook, Buffalo Bills

Cook scored 18 touchdowns out of nowhere last year after collecting nine in his first two seasons. He's a game-breaker when he touches the ball and his pairing with Josh Allen makes him arguably the best weapon on the Bills offense not named Josh Allen.

11. James Conner, Arizona Cardinals

Just barely outside the top ten for me, but Conner is just flat out reliable. Nearly 5,000 scrimmage yards and 44 touchdowns in four seasons with the Cardinals, but he's getting better with age. 

12. Joe Mixon, Houston Texans

I can't think of many running backs as unspectacular, yet elite in the way that Mixon is. In his first year with the Texans, he ran for over 1,000 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. He'll be 29 next month, but he's still a damn good back.

13. Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans

Pollard has quietly strung together three-consecutive 1,000 yard seasons with a career-best 1,079 in his first year with the Titans. He's also a more than capable pass catcher and will help provide offensive stability with incoming rookie quarterback Cam Ward.

14. De'Von Achane, Miami Dolphins

Achane went from more than 7.0 YPC as a rookie to 4.5 in year two -- which was always expected given how unrealistic that rookie pace was. He missed 1,000 rushing yards, but he caught 78 passes last season -- the most in the league amongst the position.

15. Chubba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers

Hubbard has been a decent back for several years, but he became a stud last season under Dave Canales. The 26 year old is trending up and has a commanding hold on this backfield until further notice.

16. Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I'm always hesitant to put second-year players or rookies high on these sorts of lists, but Irving was dominant in year one. Despite starting three games, he topped more than 1,100 yards and 5.4 YPC. He has a bright future.

17. David Montgomery, Detroit Lions

The second Lions running back to find the list. He ran for 1,000 yards in 2023 with Gibbs breathing down his neck and still grabbed almost 800 yards with some injuries and Gibbs taking over. He's a starter on several teams, but the Lions get to enjoy him and Gibbs pair up for a historic duo.

18. Breece Hall, New York Jets

Hall didn't take the step forward we were hoping he would, and he may be best off in a split backfield. He did affirm that he's still a good pass catcher, however, and that has more than enough value to put him near the top-half of the league.

19. Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings

Even at 30 years old, Jones cranked out over 1,100 rushing yards. He did it in the most boring way possible, however, as not many teams were threatened by him thanks to all of the pass catchers on this offense.

20. Najee Harris, Los Angeles Chargers

Four seasons, four 1,000 yard campaigns. He's consistent, but very unspectacular with a career 3.9 YPC average. Perhaps a more open Chargers offense can get him going again.

Latest Arizona Cardinals News