Go into any bar, sit on a stool, order a beer, and ask the guy sitting next to you who his personal top-four all-time best running backs are. Then strap in for an hour-long debate.
You can ask 20 different people and get 20 different combinations, and the Las Vegas Raiders’ newly minted first-round draft choice, running back Ashton Jeanty, appropriately has his.
Ashton Jeanty’s Favorite Running Backs Are an Eclectic Mix
Ashton Jeanty went on Fansided to detail his Mt. Rushmore of the all-time best running backs.
“Aight, well, we know the great Barry Sanders. I’m gonna throw, I gotta put Adrian Peterson in there. Me personally, I just like LaDainian Tomlinson, so I’m gonna put him up there. And it’s only right, you know, Raiders legend, Marcus Allen. That’s my dog.”
Barry Sanders is a no-brainer. He finished his career with 15,269 rushing yards and 99 rushing touchdowns, averaging 5.0 yards per carry. He made 10 Pro Bowls, is a six-time First-Team All-Pro, the 1988 MVP, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.
Sanders was one of the shiftiest and hard to take down backs in NFL history. His agility and cuts made defenders look foolish leaving a series of broken ankles in his wake. He shocked the football world in 1999 when he retired, saying, “my desire to exit the game is greater than my desire to remain in it.”
Adrian Peterson is one of the most dynamic and toughest runners the league has ever seen. He finished his career with 14,918 rushing yards and 120 touchdowns, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. He was on seven Pro Bowl teams, is a four-time First-Team All-Pro, and is expected to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. Most impressively, Peterson came back in 2012 off a torn ACL and ran for 2,097 yards in 16 games.
LaDainian Tomlinson is one of the best dual-threat backs the NFL has ever seen. He ran for 13,684 yards with 145 rushing touchdowns and caught 624 passes for 4,772 receiving yards. He went to five Pro Bowls, was named First-Team All-Pro three times, was the 2006 MVP, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2025.
Marcus Allen rounds out Jeanty’s Mt. Rushmore. He put up 12,243 rushing yards, 123 rushing touchdowns, 5,411 receiving yards, and 21 receiving touchdowns. He went to six Pro Bowls, was a two-time First-Team All-Pro, was the 1985 MVP, Super Bowl XVIII MVP, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003.
Jeanty enters the league with significant expectations. At Boise State, Jeanty amassed 4,769 rushing yards and 50 touchdowns over his collegiate career, setting multiple school records.
In his final season, he rushed for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns, earning him a runner-up finish in the Heisman Trophy voting.
