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It’s no secret that the 2025 NFL Draft class of running backs projects to be one of the deepest in recent memory. There are a slew of talented young backs with successful college careers who will hope to hear their names called between April 24 and 26.
After the Super Bowl season that Saquon Barkley emerged in during Year 1 in Philadelphia, other teams may follow suit and attempt to establish an imposing run game. With the upcoming free-agent class looking especially light, teams will turn to the draft to build out their backfields.
What can be expected out of the upcoming class of rookie running backs? RotoBaller’s Brant Henson digs into the film for the top 15 prospects, setting a current NFL comparison for each incoming rookie.
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Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
Comparison: Bijan Robinson
Ashton Jeanty is the clear-cut RB1 of this draft class and is practically a shoo-in to hear his name called not only in Round 1 but likely the top 15 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Jeanty nearly single-handedly carried Boise State to the postseason after rushing 374 times for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns.
Jeanty rarely goes down on the first tackle attempt, is an explosive runner, and has the ideal frame for an NFL running back. Despite almost always playing against stacked boxes, he managed to nearly win the Heisman Trophy. He has the elusiveness, compactness, and patience of Bijan Robinson, another recent rookie who was considered a generational prospect. Jeanty is in the same realm as Robinson and should be among the league’s best backs from Day 1.
TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
Comparison: Jahmyr Gibbs
TreVeyon Henderson is the most explosive running back in this class, as evidenced throughout Ohio State’s national title run. Over the four-game stretch, Henderson carried the ball 36 times for 265 yards and four touchdowns while catching eight passes for 149 yards and a score.
TREVEYON HENDERSON 75 YARDS TO THE HOUSE, WOW‼️
Ohio State immediately answers after Texas' TD. pic.twitter.com/a0OdS0eORK
— ESPN (@espn) January 11, 2025
He is a dual threat as a runner and a pass-catcher, much like Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs. The downside is he is injury-prone, given that he fought injuries in his sophomore and junior seasons, but the upside is as strong as any back in this class.
Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
Comparison: David Montgomery
I struggle to find any inefficiencies in Omarion Hampton’s game. The North Carolina prospect was the entire offense in 2024, proving he wasn’t just a beneficiary of defenses honing in on Drake Maye in 2023. His junior season consisted of 1,660 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns, coupled with 373 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions.
Omarion Hampton Ranked in the 97th Percentile in Yards After Contact Per Attempt (4.3)
➖Age: 21 (Early Declare)
➖Size: 6’0, 220 lbsHampton’s Averages over the last 2 Seasons:
➖24 Touches Per Game
➖150.4 Yards Per Game
➖1.32 TD’s Per GameFuture Workhorse RB1 in the NFL pic.twitter.com/Dfd8kA8zIi
— Austin Abbott (@AustinAbbottFF) January 29, 2025
Standing six feet tall and 220 pounds, Hampton is on the bigger side but is projected to run in the 4.4s as he has shown an elite burst. He prefers to run through defenders than to dodge them, but has the speed to break off long runs. There are a lot of similarities to Lions running back David Montgomery, who does not go down easily coupled with an initial burst.
Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State
Comparison: Josh Jacobs
Quinshon Judkins burst onto the scene as a true freshman in 2022 as he rushed for 1,567 yards and 16 touchdowns at Ole Miss. After a successful sophomore season, he transferred to Ohio State for his final season of college where he and TreVeyon Henderson formed an incredible backfield duo.
Judkins runs with both power and elusiveness like Packers running back Josh Jacobs. He is not easy to bring down and will always fight for extra yards. Judkins isn’t as much of a pass-catcher as Henderson, but he proved his worth in that part of the game with 161 yards and two scores through the air. He is a solid pass-blocker as well and will offer a three-down skill set to the team that drafts him.
Kaleb Johnson, Iowa
Comparison: James Conner
Another player who was his entire offense in 2024, Iowa product Kaleb Johnson should be a Day 2 pick in the NFL Draft. Johnson had an impressive breakout junior season, rushing 240 times for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns.
He runs like Le’Veon Bell from the handoff with elite patience, but once he finds his hole, he is more like another former Pittsburgh Steeler in James Conner. He runs with an explosive burst for his size (6-foot, 225 pounds), but does not have the elite speed that some of the other running back prospects possess.
Dylan Sampson, Tennessee
Comparison: Isaac Guerendo
After sharing the backfield with Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small for the first two seasons of his collegiate career, Dylan Sampson exploded as a junior with 1,491 yards and 22 touchdowns. Sampson will likely have the fastest 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine this year, which could put him even more on the map ahead of the draft.
At 5-foot-11, 201 pounds, Sampson is built similarly to 49ers running back Isaac Guerendo. His high-end speed will earn him an opportunity at the next level, along with his size and contact balance, but he may need some time to adjust to the NFL level.
Devin Neal, Kansas
Comparison: Devin Singletary
Devin Neal has been tearing up the Big 12 since his freshman season in 2021. He rattled off three straight 1,000+ yard rushing seasons and totaled 17 touchdowns in each of his past two seasons.
Devin Neal’s feet are elite
— Thor Nystrom (@thorku) January 30, 2025
Neal does not have elite top-end speed, but he is great at forcing missed tackles, has a compact size (5-foot-11, 215 pounds), and has an elite vision. He doesn’t have an incredible 1,920-yard, 32-touchdown season as Devin Singletary did at Florida Atlantic, but he does have the extended success at the college level and the instincts of a successful running back that have allowed Singletary to carve out a six-year-and-counting career in the NFL.
Cam Skattebo, Arizona State
Comparison: Isiah Pacheco
Cam Skattebo became a household name during Arizona State’s magical run to the Big 12 title and near-upset in the College Football Playoff. Skattebo totaled 1,711 rushing yards, 21 rushing touchdowns, 605 receiving yards, and three receiving touchdowns in his senior campaign.
Cam Skattebo Big 12 Championship game has to be in contention for non-Ashton Jeanty RB performance of the year pic.twitter.com/r49lNUsFSS
— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) February 11, 2025
Skattebo’s lack of elite speed and elusiveness will prevent him from being an early pick despite his strong production, but his physicality, vision, run power, and receiving ability should all translate into being a part of a committee. Think Isiah Pacheco but with receiving utility.
Jordan James, Oregon
Comparison: Rico Dowdle
After rushing for 11 touchdowns as a sophomore while splitting the backfield with Bucky Irving, Jordan James broke out as a junior with 1,267 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. The engine of the Oregon offense, James proved that he was capable of being a lead back.
While James is a good runner with a rock-solid build and the ability to make one cut and go, nothing about his game is particularly elite. He is a running back who can step in and fill an early down role instantly but doesn’t appear to be anything special. Much like what Rico Dowdle did this year in Dallas, James plays a similar game and could have similar success if given an opportunity.
LeQuint Allen, Syracuse
Comparison: Alvin Kamara
LeQuint Allen turned in the most productive season in 2024, as he rushed for 1,021 yards and 16 touchdowns while also catching 64 passes for 521 yards and four scores. Projected to run in the 4.5s, he does not have elite speed but possesses all of the intangibles.
Allen’s three-down skill set is coveted at the NFL level. He can operate as both a goal-line back and a receiving back, much like New Orleans’ Alvin Kamara. Standing 6-foot, 201 pounds, Allen has coveted size paired with skill.
Damien Martinez, Miami
Comparison: Jonathan Taylor
Damien Martinez burst onto the scene as a true freshman at Oregon State with 982 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. After another successful sophomore season, he transferred to Miami for his junior season in which he ran for 1,002 yards and 10 scores.
Standing 6-foot, 232 pounds, Martinez is one of the bigger running backs in the class. Despite his size, Martinez still has adequate burst and elusiveness. He runs quickly and through defenders much like Jonathan Taylor. Martinez does his best work between the tackles and could step in as an instant early down back in the league.
RJ Harvey, UCF
Comparison: Kareem Hunt
Initially a quarterback out of high school, RJ Harvey had the start of his career derailed by season-ending knee injuries. He is an older prospect due to the position changes and medical redshirts, but his last two seasons have been particularly impressive as he has rushed for 2,993 yards and 38 touchdowns as one of the sport’s premier running backs.
UCF RB RJ Harvey may be as quick as RB in the class, but what makes him special to me is his physicality. The dude knows how to finish a run 🚜
Has some shades of Bucky Irving from his time at Oregon. pic.twitter.com/4FuRhPHflw
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) February 13, 2025
Harvey is projected to run in the 4.4s. His mix of speed, vision, and elusiveness make him a very intriguing option as a part of a committee. Harvey has similar stats, measurables, and speed as Kareem Hunt did coming out of Toledo. Hunt was a third-rounder, and while Harvey may fall to the fourth or fifth due to the depth of the class, he could have a similar level of impact.
Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
Comparison: Gus Edwards
Ollie Gordon II followed up his elite sophomore season (1,732 rushing yards, 21 rushing touchdowns) with a not-so-great junior season in which he tallied 880 yards and 13 touchdowns. While he did start to pick it back up at the end of the season, it is unclear why his production tapered off so significantly.
Standing 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, Gordon is as physically imposing as any back in the class. Mix that size with his balance, vision, and footwork, and you have an elite running back prospect. While his ceiling is Jonathan Taylor, a more conservative comparison is Gus Edwards. Gordon can be a short-yardage thumper with the potential to be more.
DJ Giddens, Kansas State
Comparison: Brian Robinson Jr.
Formerly a walk-on at Kansas State, DJ Giddens turned in back-to-back 1,200+ rushing yard seasons after splitting the backfield with Deuce Vaughn in 2022. Giddens did not even start playing football until his sophomore year of high school, which is why he was a walk-on.
Standing 6-foot-1, 212 pounds, Giddens’ vision and elusiveness stand out. While he does not possess the top-end speed some of these other backs do have, he has the size and vision to make up for it. Similar to Washington’s Brian Robinson Jr., his instincts and size make him an impactful running back. He will be selected later on in the draft but could make an impact from Day 1.
Woody Marks, USC
Comparison: Austin Ekeler
After spending four seasons at Mississippi State, Jo’quavious “Woody” Marks spent his final year of eligibility at USC where he compiled his first career 1,000-yard rushing season. Throughout his career, Marks has been one of the best receiving backs in college football. Due to his unique skill set, he will likely find himself instantly in a committee backfield that lacks a pass-catcher.
#USC RB Woody Marks is way too low on draft boards — Runs with good lateral agility, quickness, vision and contact balance. He was a bellcow for the Trojans.
Great receiving threat out of the backfield. Will be a mid-round steal for some NFL team. pic.twitter.com/hsaZMlUqO6
— Kendell Hollowell (@KHollowell_) January 29, 2025
Marks is smaller in stature (5-foot-10, 208 pounds) but utilizes his size to lose defenders. He is the most accomplished pass-catcher in this running back class, as he totaled 261 receptions for 1,546 yards and five touchdowns through the air in his college career. Marks can step in and instantly provide a boost in the receiving game at the next level, much like an early career Austin Ekeler.
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