NFL training camp is in full swing, and that means the 2026-27 regular season is just around the corner. Every fanbase loves to compare its favorite players to the rest of the league this time of year, and we at Pro Football Network will give you exactly what you want.
The PFN RB Impact Scoring model puts a numerical value on the performance of every running back around the NFL. The best part? It’s completely free!
Pro Football Network has these scoring models for every individual position, and we’ll be breaking each of the top performers down before the regular season starts.
There have been a few major running back contracts handed out in recent weeks, but where do those superstars rank against each other? These are the 10 best running backs in the NFL based on last year’s PFN RB Impact Scores.
10) D’Andre Swift, Chicago Bears
2025 PFN RB Impact Score: 79.7
The first year of D’Andre Swift’s tenure with the Chicago Bears didn’t exactly go according to plan, as he had a career-low 3.8 yards per carry in 2024. In Ben Johnson’s offense, however, he had a major resurgence and finished with a top-10 PFN RB Impact Score for the first time since entering the NFL in 2020.
Swift’s 38.6% elusive rate tied for fourth in the league last year, and his boom-bust rate was third in the NFL. Only two players had more rushing EPA than he did in 2025, and his average of 4.9 yards per carry marked the second-best average in his six-year career. His speed and agility make him a great fit for Chicago’s outside-zone run scheme, and he looked much more comfortable in this offense than he did in their previous system.
9) Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers
2025 PFN RB Impact Score: 80.1
With Najee Harris no longer on the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jaylen Warren took a bigger share of the workload out of the backfield in 2025. It remains to be seen if he’ll keep that high rushing volume in 2026 with Rico Dowdle in town, but he was quite efficient with the touches he received last season.
Warren ranked sixth in the NFL with 181 rushing yards over expected and came in seventh with 10.6 receiving EPA. He’s long been an effective receiving back for Pittsburgh, but he looked comfortable with a heavier workload in the ground game. Even with a heavier workload providing more room for error, his rushing success rate of 54.5% in 2025 was the highest of his career thus far.
8) Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
2025 PFN RB Impact Score: 81.8
Kyren Williams has surpassed 1,000 rushing yards and double-digit rushing touchdowns in each of his last three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams. His workload dropped slightly in 2025 due to the presence of Blake Corum alongside him in the backfield, but that actually seemed to work better for him, as his YPC average went up by 0.7 yards compared to 2024.
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After watching his PFN RB Impact Score drop to a No. 20 ranking in 2024, Williams returned to the top 10 with his 2025 performance. He placed in the top 15 in both rushing EPA and receiving EPA gained, joining Jonathan Taylor and James Cook as the only running backs in the NFL to do so last year.
7) Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens
2025 PFN RB Impact Score: 83.4
There’s just no slowing down Derrick Henry, who’s finished in the top 10 in PFN RB Impact Scoring in seven of his last eight seasons. He’s also surpassed double-digit rushing touchdowns in each of those eight years, even in his injury-shortened 2021 campaign with the Tennessee Titans, which saw him play in only eight games.
Henry was very efficient with yet another heavy workload in 2025, placing second in the NFL with 340 rushing yards over expected. Part of that success came from his tremendous power and contact balance; his 3.6 yards after contact per rush ranked third in the league. Even at 32 years old, there have been no signs of regression from Henry, and it doesn’t seem like the Baltimore Ravens’ star back is falling off any time soon.
6) De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins
2025 PFN RB Impact Score: 83.6
The Miami Dolphins didn’t have too many bright spots in a disappointing 2025 season that ultimately led to Mike McDaniel being fired as their head coach. One of those bright spots, though, was De’Von Achane. He had the best year of his career to date, reaching a career-high 1,350 rushing yards and making his first Pro Bowl appearance.
Achane’s average of 4.1 yards after contact per rush was the highest in the NFL last season, as was his 41.2% elusive rate. He also managed to lead the league with a 13.4% explosive rate, consisting of rushes that gained 12 yards or more. His 14.0 rushing EPA gained ranked fourth, too. One could argue he’s the most dynamic big-play back in the NFL today.
5) James Cook, Buffalo Bills
2025 PFN RB Impact Score: 85.5
Though James Cook had already made two Pro Bowls going into the 2025 season, it felt like last year was when he truly took the leap into becoming one of the NFL’s top running backs. He led the league with 1,621 rushing yards, and his average of 5.2 yards per carry was the highest he’s had since becoming the Buffalo Bills’ starting back in 2023.
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With an average of 5.6 yards per touch that ranked fourth among NFL running backs, Cook got the job done on the ground and through the air. As previously alluded to, his receiving EPA was in the top 15 for all running backs, as was his rushing EPA. He’s finished fifth in PFN RB Impact Scoring each of his last two seasons.
4) Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
2025 PFN RB Impact Score: 86.0
Jahmyr Gibbs is entering perhaps his biggest year in the NFL yet. With David Montgomery no longer on the Detroit Lions, Gibbs is expected to truly take the lion’s share of the carries in their backfield, no pun intended. That shouldn’t be a problem for him, however, as he’s had over 240 carries in each of the last two seasons and has averaged at least 5.0 yards per carry both times.
Though Gibbs only came in No. 24 among 55 qualified running backs in rushing EPA, he came in fourth with 17.8 receiving EPA gained in 2025. He also came in fifth in scrimmage yards gained, second in rushing touchdowns, and third in yards per touch. He just signed a massive contract extension before the start of the season; as one of just two running backs to come in the top five in PFN RB Impact Scoring each of the last two years, he’s earned it.
3) Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
2025 PFN RB Impact Score: 86.2
When Christian McCaffrey is healthy, he’s practically guaranteed to perform at an elite level. That availability has been an issue, as he missed most of the season in 2020, 2021, and 2024. That said, in each of his last six healthy seasons, he’s been a top-three performer in PFN RB Impact Scoring in five of them, as well as the No. 1 overall running back a whopping four times.
A big part of McCaffrey’s appeal is his receiving ability; he led all NFL running backs with 39.0 receiving EPA gained in 2025 and caught 102 passes for 924 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Though his average of 3.9 yards per carry left a lot to be desired, he still ran for 1,202 yards and gained 10 touchdowns on the ground.
2) Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
2025 PFN RB Impact Score: 86.4
The NFL’s leader with 2,298 scrimmage yards in 2025, Bijan Robinson has truly lived up to the hype that comes with being a top-10 draft pick at running back. After a rocky rookie year in 2023, he’s now ranked as a top-four back in the NFL by PFN RB Impact Scoring each of the last two seasons.
On the ground, Robinson ended last season with 1,478 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns with a career-high average of 5.1 yards per carry. He was efficient with a high workload as a runner, but it’s his receiving value that really separates him from most of the league. His 26.6 receiving EPA gained ranked second among NFL running backs, and he caught 79 passes for 820 yards and four touchdowns.
1) Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
2025 PFN RB Impact Score: 89.1
For the first time since 2021, Jonathan Taylor finished the season with the highest PFN RB Impact Score in the NFL in 2025. He led the league with 323 carries and didn’t miss a single game, so while he had a massive workload, he was able to handle it with tremendous efficiency. His 18.8 rushing EPA gained led the league last year.
In addition to that, Taylor also led all NFL running backs in rushing touchdowns, total touchdowns from scrimmage, and first downs gained. He was also the only running back in the league to place in the top 10 in both rushing EPA gained and receiving EPA gained, coming in at No. 8 with 9.2 receiving EPA. It was a spectacular season in every sense for Taylor in 2025, and he’ll look to carry that success over into 2026.
