The 2025 NFL Draft is right around the corner, and with the marquee weekend of the offseason less than five weeks away, the hype and excitement surrounding this year's event is already heating up.
Over the next several weeks, we're going to take a look at some position groups in this year's class while examining a handful of names to know. Here's what we've covered so far:
We'll continue with this year's running back class.
Six Names to Know
Depending on where you look, the various experts from around the web have identified a handful of players who are widely considered the top running back prospects in this year's class.
Here's a look at six players to know.
Ashton Jeanty – Boise State
Measurables: 5-foot-8, 211 pounds
Snapshot: A finalist for the Heisman Trophy, Jeanty led the FBS with a ridiculous 2,662 rushing yards in 2024. He averaged 7.0 yards-per-carry (and 185.8 yards-per-game) while breaking off an FBS-most 36 rushes of 15+ yards. He also led the FBS in yards-after-contact (1,970) and forced missed tackles (152). It's for all of those reasons that Jeanty is expected to be taken somewhere in the top 10 selections.
Big Board Rankings:
Pro Football Focus (Post-Combine): No. 5 overall (No. 1 RB)
Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com) Top 50 (March 6): No. 3 overall (No. 1 RB)
Expert Analysis:
NFL.com: "Jeanty is a fun player to study. He is a short, compact runner with incredible strength, balance and burst. He displays outstanding vision, tempo and feel…He's a mixture of Dalvin Cook and J.K. Dobbins as a runner."
PFF: "Jeanty is a total-package backfield playmaker with impressive balance, footwork, vision, explosiveness and big-play ability -- reminiscent of Alvin Kamara. He is a first-round offensive weapon who can succeed behind any blocking scheme."
For more on Jeanty, check out his draft profile at NFL.com.
Omarion Hampton – North Carolina
Measurables: 6-foot-0, 221 pounds
Snapshot: Hampton racked up 1,700 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns in 2024, trailing only Jeanty among all FBS players with 1,222 yards-after-contact. He topped the 1,500-yard mark in each of the last two years.
Big Board Rankings:
Pro Football Focus (Post-Combine): No. 24 overall (No. 2 RB)
Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com) Top 50 (March 6): No. 14 overall (No. 2 RB)
Expert Analysis:
NFL.com: "Hampton is a big, athletic back. As a runner, he likes to press the hole early before deciding to stay inside or bounce out wide. He has enough speed to capture the corner when he gets to the perimeter. He's a loose runner and has make-you-miss ability in space. He has an impressive blend of power and balance on contact…Overall, Hampton has the size and tools to be an effective starter right away."
PFF: "Hampton is one of the class' most physically gifted running backs with his combination of size, explosiveness and lower-body strength."
For more on Hampton, check out his draft profile at NFL.com.
Cam Skattebo – Arizona State
Measurables: 5-foot-9, 219 pounds
Snapshot: The second-leading rusher in the FBS last season behind only Jeanty, Skattebo tallied 1,735 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground last season. His 103 forced missed tackles ranked second in the FBS.
Big Board Rankings:
Pro Football Focus (Post-Combine): No. 50 overall (No. 3 RB)
Expert Analysis:
PFF: "Skattebo plays the game in a manner that is easy to love: with a massive chip on his shoulder. NFL teams will gravitate toward his mentality, balance, tackle-breaking ability and after-contact consistency. He has the physical makeup of a three-down back."
For more on Skattebo, check out his draft profile at NFL.com.
Quinshon Judkins – Ohio State
Measurables: 6-foot-0, 221 pounds
Snapshot: One half of a dynamic tandem of runners at Ohio State (with TreVeyon Henderson), Judkins rushed for 1,082 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2024. He rushed for at least 1,000 yards in each of his three collegiate seasons (the first two of which took place at Ole Miss).
Big Board Rankings:
Pro Football Focus (Post-Combine): No. 53 overall (No. 4 RB)
Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com) Top 50 (March 6): No. 36 overall (No. 4 RB)
Expert Analysis:
NFL.com: "Judkins is a powerful, compact runner with outstanding career production. He is very decisive and aggressive on inside runs. He runs low to the ground and hunts the unblocked defender with a thirst for violence. He has a vicious stiff-arm, provided he doesn't simply lower his shoulder and run through the defender…He is a natural runner, and he's built to carry a full load as a starter."
PFF: "Judkins is a strong north-to-south runner who generates impressive speed-to-power for consistent yards after the catch."
For more on Judkins, check out his draft profile at NFL.com.
TreVeyon Henderson – Ohio State
Measurables: 5-foot-10, 202 pounds
Snapshot: Henderson racked up 1,041 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns last season while sharing the backfield with Quinshon Judkins. His production increased in each of his three years for the Buckeyes, culminating in last year's 1,000-yard campaign.
Big Board Rankings:
Pro Football Focus (Post-Combine): No. 70 overall (No. 7 RB)
Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com) Top 50 (March 6): No. 33 overall (No. 3 RB)
Expert Analysis:
NFL.com: "Henderson is a muscled-up runner with elite speed and versatility. He is patient to the hole before exploding through with high knees. He has long speed to destroy pursuit angles once he gets into the open field…He has strong, reliable hands. He's an elite pass protector. He is quick to identify blitzers and attack them. He strains to finish, sometimes well after the ball has been caught down the field. Overall, Henderson is a three-down weapon, brimming with big-play potential."
PFF: "Henderson, when playing confidently, shines with his agility and long speed…He seems like a good speed component of an NFL committee, including for receiving work out of the backfield.
For more on Henderson, check out his draft profile at NFL.com.
Kaleb Johnson – Iowa
Measurables: 6-foot-1, 224 pounds
Snapshot: The seventh-leading rusher in the FBS last season with 1,599 yards (and 21 touchdowns), Johnson recorded the third-most carries of 15+ yards (with 28) and the sixth-most yards-after-contact (1,060) of any player in the FBS in 2024.
Big Board Rankings:
Pro Football Focus (Post-Combine): No. 64 overall (No. 6 RB)
Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com) Top 50 (March 6): No. 48 overall (No. 5 RB)
Expert Analysis:
NFL.com: "Johnson is a big back with excellent burst and vision. He's at his best on one-cut runs, where he picks a lane and explodes north/south…Once he gets into the open field, he can tap into an extra gear, and he hits a lot of home runs. He is valuable in the passing game, too. He can identify and anchor down versus blitzers. Also, he has reliable hands, catching the ball easily out of the backfield."
PFF: "Johnson is a physically gifted running back who excels with the ball in his hands. As an early-down player, he can be successful behind any blocking scheme with good vision, light footwork and impressive burst and power."
For more on Johnson, check out his draft profile at NFL.com.
