2026 NFL Draft Running Back Rankings Featuring Jeremiyah Love & Jadarian Price

In the 2025 NFL Draft, there were five running backs selected over the first two rounds. Ashton Jeanty (1.6) underachieved expectations in yards per rush (3.7) and yards per catch (6.3), while finishing 11th in fantasy points (245.10) in PPR formats. He gained 1,321 combined yards with 10 touchdowns and 55 combined yards on 321 touches. Here’s a look at the results and rankings from the other running backs selected over the first two rounds last season:

2025 NFL Running Back Class

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20th – RJ Harvey, Denver Broncos (2.28) – Early in the year, the Broncos featured Harvey as a rotational player with scoring upside in the red zone. He gained 906 combined yards with eight touchdowns and 47 catches on 193 touches. Harvey scored 206.60 fantasy points in PPR formats.

21st – TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots (2.6) – In his first season with New England, he flashed big-play ability while taking advantage of his limited starts. Henderson gained 1,321 combined yards with seven touchdowns and 35 catches, leading to 206.20 fantasy points.

26th – Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns (2.4) – After a cloudy summer with an off-the-field incident, Judkins grinded his way to 998 combined yards in his rookie campaign with four rushing touchdowns and 26 catches on 256 touches. He scored 168.80 fantasy points over 14 games.

35th – Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers (1.22) – After two big games in Week 3 and Week 4, Hampton looked poised to deliver an impact rookie season. Unfortunately, he missed eight of his final 12 games, resulting in him receiving only 156 touches (737 combined yards with four touchdowns and 32 catches). He scored 135.70 fantasy points in PPR formats.

Here’s a look at the top five running backs in the 2026 NFL Draft Class:

1 – Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame

Over the past two seasons, the Fighting Irish featured Love in a rotational role in their backfield, where he flashed big-play ability (6.9 yards per rush and 9.4 yards per catch) and edge scoring (40 touchdowns) over 28 games. Love brings elite speed (4.36 40-yard dash at the NFL combine). He comes to the NFL at 6’0” and 210 lbs.

For an NFL team looking for a finishing piece to their offense, Love should stand tall in this year’s draft class. He runs with eyes up and patience, with the ability to dart through daylight in a couple of quick acceleration steps. When given space at the second level of a defense, his speed leads to explosive plays and long touchdowns. Love will finish with fight and power, but he does have a tendency to jump defenders, which could lead to some bad hits at the next level.

Love should handle himself well in pass protection, and his ceiling in the passing game will be higher in the NFL. In some early mock drafts, he is projected to go to the Tennessee Titans. I hope Love lands in Dallas or Minnesota, as his fantasy value would be much higher in his rookie season.

2 – Jadarian Price, Notre Dame

Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jadarian Price (24) runs the ball against the Navy Midshipmen during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Price played second fiddle to Jeremiyah Love over the past two seasons, leading to 243 touches over 28 games with 1,420 rushing yards, 20 touchdowns, and 10 catches. The elite offensive line at Notre Dame led to him gaining 6.1 yards per carry over his last 233 rushing attempts.

He comes to the NFL with league-average running back speed (4.49 40-yard dash), with a low ceiling catching the ball. Price brings winning vision, with a goal of attacking the line of scrimmage as quickly as possible. His ability to find open running lanes helps his value to move the chains. Price has the feel of an inside runner, but his short-area quickness and cuts allow him to beat defenses on outside runs that start as power up the middle carries.

His long speed held up in his three kickoff returns for touchdowns. He may surprise in the NFL catching the ball. In a way, Price fits the David Montgomery profile that the Detroit Lions paired with Jahmyr Gibbs over the past three seasons.

3 – Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas

Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. (4) runs the ball during the NCAA college football game against Tennessee on Oct. 11, 2025, in Knoxville, Tennessee. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Running room was a problem for Washington over his first four seasons in college with Buffalo and New Mexico State. He gained only 4.4 yards per carry over his first 420 rushing attempts, resulting in 1,844 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. Over this span, he caught 45 balls for 244 yards and two scores (only 5.4 yards per catch). A transfer to Arkansas last season led to a more dynamic player (167/1,070/9 – 6.4 YPC with 28 catches for 226 yards and one touchdown).

Washington brings a unique combination of size (6’1” and 225 lbs.) and speed (4.33 40-yard dash) to the NFL Draft. He relies more on his quickness than his power at this point in his career. His reads and vision in tight quarters need more work and experience to take advantage of his intriguing skill set. Defense will try to slow him down off the snap, where his change-of-direction footwork leads to a downgrade in short-area quickness. Washington must embrace his power to reach a higher ceiling in pro ball. He had some fumbles on his resume, and his fight in pass protection isn’t where it needs to be, considering his size.

When at his best, Washington hits the second level of a defense with spacing, allowing him to run away from defenders. He will be a factor catching the ball on the outside.

4 – Le’Veon Moss, Texas A&M

Moss is another running back with a below-par resume in college. Over four seasons at Texas A&M, he rushed for 1,767 yards and 22 touchdowns on 321 carries while catching 24 balls for 236 yards and no scores. His best season came in 2024 (121/765/10 with 10 catches for 141 yards). Moss missed time over the past three seasons with multiple injuries – hamstring, torn ACL, and ankle.

I view him as a dirty work player who plays with winning fight and vision. He’ll take what a defense gives him. Moss has more wins bouncing off defenders than making them miss in space. His ceiling appears to be low in the passing game, but he has enough fight to protect the quarterback.

5 – Adam Randall, Clemson

Clemson running back Adam Randall (RB16) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

After receiving only four rushing attempts over his first 37 games at Clemson, Randall earned a rotational running back role in 2025. He gained 1,068 combined yards with 13 touchdowns and 36 catches on 204 touches, but delivered only 4.8 yards per rush and 7.1 yards per catch. The Tigers gave him complementary chances in the passing game over his first three years (58/633/2).

Randall brings a full back profile (6’3” and 230 lbs.) to the NFL. He ran a 4.5 40-yard dash at the NFL combine while bench pressing 225 pounds 26 times. He started his college career at wide receiver while suffering a torn ACL in 2022, followed by a broken hand and toe over the next two seasons.

His movements in the passing game suggest a tight end skill set from the running back position. Randall runs upright with short, jabby steps in tight quarters. When given a free run, his speed plays much better as it takes him some time to hit his top gear. He’ll get better with experience, but I don’t see a lead runner profile. For an NFL team looking to add pass-catching depth at running back, Randall had the skill set to make a few plays per game to move the chains in a limited role. With more experience touching the ball, he may develop into a more usable piece to an offense.