Cardinals' James Conner Listed in Bottom Half of RB Rankings

Is Arizona Cardinals RB James Conner really that overlooked?

Jan 7, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (6) celebrates a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks during the second half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports | Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals again look to rely on the talents of James Conner to spark their offense as 2024 approaches.

Last season, Conner eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the first time in his career. With Kyler Murray rehabbing a torn ACL in the first half of 2023, Conner was leaned on heavily to keep the chains moving.

Now, with Murray fully healthy entering the regular season, Conner's talents can be deployed even more effectively.

Conner's never been featured among the game's top running backs at any point of his career despite his talents, but there's always been a general consensus that he was one of the more underrated (and perhaps under appreciated) ball-carriers in the game.

PFF doesn't believe Conner's in the top half of the league at his position, however. Conner fell to No. 17 in their list of rankings for running backs:

"Many were surprised when James Conner signed a three-year, $21 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals in 2022, despite his scoring 15 touchdowns a season prior, but Conner has slowly been paying back the Cardinals. That culminated in a career year in 2023, in which he rushed for 1,040 yards while averaging 5.0 yards per carry and scored seven rushing touchdowns," wrote Thomas Valentine.

"Conner’s 89.2 grade ranked fourth among running backs in 2023, and his 3.93 yards after contact placed second, behind De’Von Achane. It’s unlikely that those lofty numbers will carry over, but Conner has been a plus for the Cardinals' offense."

It's tough to believe Conner - who didn't fumble once last season while also netting 11 rushes of 20+ yards or more (top in the league) - doesn't deserve to be in the top half of the league, if not gaining top ten consideration.

The addition of Trey Benson should take some of the load off Conner's plate, as the Pitt product has struggled to stay healthy for a good portion of his career.

Conner's numbers should take a likely dip as Arizona may not be keen to run him into the ground, but when it comes to his placement on respective rankings/lists ahead of 2024, he's still fairly lower than where he should be.