Top 5 Running Backs in the 2025 Class and where they go

With the NFL draft getting closer and closer by the day, teams have begun to develop a clear ranking of the different position groups in the NFL draft and what the team needs to improve for next season whether that’s competing for the Super bowl or gradually improving their record. Lets look at the top 5 running backs in the class and which NFL team would benefit from selecting them

1. Ashton Jeanty: Boise State University

Jeanty was the clear best running back in the country throughout the 2024 college football season. He led the Mountain West Conference in rushing yards, plays from scrimmage and attempts which included this season where he received Barry Sanders comparisons as he rushed for 2601 yards and 29 touchdowns and had an insane performance against Oregon rushing for 192 yards and 3 touchdowns in a loss. All of this culminated in a second place finish in the Heisman voting with many saying he deserved the Heisman over winner Travis Hunter

Jeanty’s strengths as a runner make him a valuable piece for any NFL team. He has elite contact balance, vision and game changing ability. He has a wide catch radius and has been a proven workhorse running back his entire career. Despite this, he is undersized for an NFL running back which could cause problems for short yardage situations and his heavy workload in college could mean Jeanty will need load managing early in his career. Ultimately, none of these weaknesses would be enough to deter a team from selecting him in the first round and potentially top 10.

Teams Where Jeanty could Land

New England Patriots
Las Vegas Raiders
Dallas Cowboys

2. Omarion Hampton: North Carolina University

Hampton joins the list of some of the best running backs to come out of the ACC after leading the league in rushing yards in back to back years and leading the ACC in rushing touchdowns in 2023 with 15. He finished this year with 1660 rushing yards, 15 rushing touchdowns on 5.9 rushing yards per carry and 378 receiving yards. Hampton was one of the few bright spots on an otherwise poor North Carolina squad.

Hampton’s biggest strengths are in his finishing, burst of speed and his and running technique which gives him a great deal of leverage and power. Hampton also has great instincts in finding gaps and getting through tight creases at the line of scrimmage and is a great fit gap and power schemes. However, he needs to improve is form and technique to fully take advantage of his power and momentum. He will also need to improve his creativity in space and doesn’t have that elite long speed leading to defensive backs being able to catch up with him past the line of scrimmage. Nonetheless, Hampton is a great option for any team looking to improve in the backfield

Teams where Hampton could Land

Chicago Bears
Denver Broncos
Arizona Cardinals

3. Kaleb Johnson: Iowa University

After a breakout season from Kaleb Johnson which saw career highs in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. Johnson finds himself among some of the best running backs in rankings and serious NFL attention. His career year included 1537 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns on 6.4 yards per carry.

Johnson has great tempo, vision and burst which helps him gash defenses such as against Minnesota and Troy. However, his top end speed needs work and needs to improve his creativity after losing his first option gap. Additionally, he needs to expand his route running ability to become a true three down weapon.

Ultimately, Johnson could be a valuable weapon to any offense despite his limitations, though given the level of strength at other positions. It will be hard to determine whether he goes in the first round but is likely to be an early second rounder.

Teams where Johnson could Land

Chicago Bears
Pittsburgh Steelers
Buffalo Bills

4. TreVeyon Henderson: Ohio State University

Henderson’s final college season before the NFL draft couldn’t have gone much better after winning a National Championship and proving himself to be a playoff performer with two consecutive games with 2 rushing touchdowns and over 50 rushing yards. Henderson also had a solid regular season leading the Big 10 in rushing yards per carry at 7.1 and finished the season with 1016 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns while sharing a backfield with Quinshon Judkins.

Henderson has elite acceleration, contact balance, tempo and vision. Henderson also boasts reliable hands, pass protection and lateral movement. Henderson’s running style also does a great job at combining speed and power which makes him incredibly difficult to bring down and when brough down he will consistently get extra yards.

His weaknesses, mainly his durability is a concern having only played 10 games and 8 games over the last 2 years. He has a pretty basic route running tree which could use some improvement and needs to improve his decision-making in the backfield as he tends to do too much and it leads to negative plays in the backfield. That said, Henderson is a proven performer in important games and combined with his regular season performances make him a target for many NFL teams looking to improve the backfield, but might not be in the position to get the big hitters in the class like Hampton and JE]eanty.

Where Henderson could Land

Arizona Cardinals
Chicago Bears
Miami Dolphins

5. Quinshon Judkins : Ohio State University

Judkins was the second head of the two headed running back monster that included Henderson and won a National Championship. Judkins had 2 monster games including a 100 yard 2 touchdown game in the National Championship game. Judkins also played well in the regular season sharing a backfield with Treveyon Henderson. He finished the year with 1060 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns on 5.5 yards per carry.

Judkins has incredible balance and vision, when paired with a strong stiff arm, good ball security and quickness. He becomes an instant touchdown threat when in space as seen when he led the SEC in rushing in his first season with Ole Miss with 1567 rushing yards. However, teams might be hesitant given the drop off in production upon heading to the big ten and he has to develop better decisiveness when getting to the gaps in the defensive line. He is also very inconsistent as a pass protector and will need to further develop his pass blocking skills to become a true three down asset. Nonetheless, winning cures all as they say and Judkin’s great performance in the National Championship will surely get him backers in the war rooms at the NFL draft.