Expect more first-round running backs in 2025!
With the 2025 NFL Draft less than a month away, it is time to look at the running backs.
We have a standout class in 2025 to look at and here we go through the top five that your team needs to draft.
#1 – Ashton Jeanty – Boise State – 5’9″, 215lbs
In a good year for running backs, Ashton Jeanty is a standout.
He has great size and strength for a running back and most importantly has elite contact balance. Jeanty has superb footwork, agility and vision. Having all three attributes are huge for a running back and his long speed is good as well.
It is not all positives for Jeanty though as he has been used a lot in college and long-term durability could be an issue.
He has also had nine fumbles in two seasons which is a red flag. On top of that, his power is not elite but is still decent.
Despite those issues, Jeanty has got pretty much everything you would want from a draft prospect in his position.
He is a first-round talent, and the Raiders, Bears and Cowboys would all love to get him. If you want a comparison, then Kenneth Walker III from the Seattle Seahawks would be close.
#2 – Omarion Hampton – North Carolina – 6’1″, 220lbs
Although Jeanty is considered the number one running back in this class by some way, Omarion Hampton is right on his tail.
Hampton has ideal size and strength, and his contact balance is just as good as Jeanty. He is shifty and can break tackles along with the vision to make big runs.
One area that Hampton has been better than Jeanty is that he does not fumble the ball.
He is good in the receiving game and has plenty of power as well. He could do with getting better at pass protection but that is about it when it comes to weaknesses.
Hampton has not got the hype that Jeanty has this year, but he really is not far off him. He is a first-round talent, and it will be surprising if he is not taken on day one. The Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers would make sense at picks 20 and 22 respectively.
A comparison for him would be former Cardinals running back David Johnson who bought a great mix of power and pass catching to the NFL.
#3 – TreVeyon Henderson – Ohio State – 5’10″, 208lbs
It does feel like there is a drop off after the first two running backs but not by much.
TreVeyon Henderson is an explosive playmaker who posses great balance and acceleration. He has plenty of spin moves and is just as good in the passing game as well as traditional running back plays.
On top of that he also has great ball security, having no fumbles in two years at Ohio State.
He does have some red flags with his durability being a question mark. He is not a big bodied short yardage guy as he lacks enough power. However, if a team uses him correctly then he could be a huge asset for around 12 plays a game.
Henderson gets compared to Jahmir Gibbs a lot but that is not a fair one. He is more of a pass-catching back, while Gibbs can be used more than 12 plays a game.
For a more accurate comparison a higher quality TyJae Spears is closer to the truth. Henderson should go early in the second round and the Patriots at pick 38 would be a good spot for him.
#4 – Quinshon Judkins – Ohio State – 6’0″, 219lbs
We have got another second-round prospect here with Quinshon Judkins. He has had a great college career with Ole Miss and then last season with Ohio State.
Judkins is an angry runner who crashes through people with ease. He has great balance and superb vision that others do not possess. He has only fumbled the ball once in the last two years and will make a great NFL running back.
During his time at Ohio State, it did feel like he was just a downfield runner, but he has shown how good he can be in the passing game as well.
He does have some negatives as he is an upright runner, and he lacks some lower body strength.
Zack Charbonnet and Brian Robinson have been thrown out as comparisons for Judkins; however, DeMarco Murray is a closer one for me.
Murray was a real bruiser for the Titans but also was underrated as a pass catching back. Judkins is the same. He will be taken in the second round and the Bengals at pick 49 makes a load of sense.
#5 – Kaleb Johnson – Iowa- 6’0″, 225lbs
Our final guy on the top five list is a rock-solid bruiser of a running back in Kaleb Johnson.
He is one of the angriest runners in the draft and has a great size and speed combination for the NFL. Johnson is not just about power though, as he possesses agility and balance to get through the tightest of gaps.
He also gets better as games go on. In the fourth quarter of games, he has an average of 5.8 yards per carry showing that he grinds defenses down.
He does lack the top speed of other backs, and he has not got much experience in the passing game, but he is still a top-quality prospect.
Johnson has drawn comparisons to Derrick Henry because of his bruising running style but no one is really like Henry. A more accurate comparison is ex-49ers back, Tevin Coleman or Commanders running back Brian Robinson.
Expect Johnson to be a day two running back and any team in need of one will be lucky to get him.
