The 2025 NFL Draft running back class is special. It wouldn’t be hyperbolic to suggest this could be the best rushing class of all time. It is high praise, but it’s warranted given the talent present in this group, which is loaded with studs who will produce at the next level.
Here are the top 10 running backs in the 2025 NFL Draft. But several more running backs will make an impact in the NFL as rookies.
10) R.J. Harvey, UCF
R.J. Harvey is a quick, elusive, decisive runner who has had an extremely productive college career. The UCF Knights rusher has 3,792 career rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns, averaging 6.8 yards per attempt in 2024.
At 5’8” and 205 pounds, Harvey is explosive through rushing lanes and is able to layer his acceleration. His vision allows him to spot gaps before his dense frame and then elusively glide through. In the passing game, the Knights rusher is a developing pass catcher and makes things happen on screens.
9) DJ Giddens, Kansas State
DJ Giddens is a smooth rusher who has gliding movement and light footwork. The Kansas State Wildcats running back is by no means a burner, but he has the body control to bounce off contact and remain balanced. His active feet give him enough lower-half movement to squeeze through gaps while he has the skill moves to make defenders miss in close proximity.
At 6’0” and 212 pounds, Giddens can play high, and he lacks the powerful ,twitchy movement to work laterally. However, his vision allows him to locate and operate in space to fire off chunk plays.
8) Devin Neal, Kansas
Devin Neal is a super-explosive, slippery runner who can evade tackles. His exceptional vision opens up the field once into the second level, but he is also patient behind the line of scrimmage before bursting through gaps.
Neal can also see it and hit it with speed, and he is able to dip his shoulder into the contract. The Kansas Jayhawks’ running back is a valuable receiver and is elusive enough in short areas to make defenders miss.
He will likely be a rotational back at the next level, but Neal has gone over 1,000 yards rushing for the last three seasons, ending his four-year career with 4,343 yards and 49 touchdowns.
7) Dylan Sampson, Tennessee
Dylan Sampson is a dynamic athlete whose explosive movement powers through the line of scrimmage and exploits space. The Tennessee Volunteer rusher has a low center of gravity to change direction sharply, and his elusive movement allows him to avoid contact through his running lane and power into space.
Sampson has exceptional initial burst and top speed to be a home run hitter at the next level. He can carry the load in a running back rotation, as showcased by his 1,491 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2024.
6) Kaleb Johnson, Iowa
Kaleb Johnson is more than a north/south runner, but he thrives working between the tackles, where he can use his ankle flexibility to make defenders miss.
The 6’0”, 224-pound running back has a dense frame and powerful lower half, making him an excellent short-yard back at the next level. His vision is exceptional, and his toughness to fight through contact and gain extra yards is some of the best in this class.
However, Johnson lacks twitchy movement and gets locked up behind the line of scrimmage too often. He doesn’t have the game-changing speed that can transform a down when the offensive line collapses.
Nevertheless, the Iowa Hawkeyes’ rusher has the build, strength, and power to be a lead back in the NFL in a thunder-and-lightning combination.
5) Cam Skattebo, Arizona State
Cam Skattebo was one of college football’s top players in 2024 and deserved to be in the Heisman Trophy race. The Arizona State Sun Devil is a workhorse who has elite contact balance. His uncompromising, rugged running style forced missed tackles while his thunderous movement creates substantial leg drive.
Skattebo doesn’t have the top-tier athletic traits that others do, but his playstyle is proven to be productive, and his highly energized lower half and core strength allow him to be efficient as a pass protector.
4) Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State
Quinshon Judkins is an electric running back who can do it all. He can be physical, bruising rushing on one play to punish defenders. Then, on the next, he displays light feet and exceptional twitchy movement to make defenders miss.
The Ohio State Buckeyes’ runner consistently displays an explosive first step. He rarely gets locked up behind the line of scrimmage and exploits the smallest of holes. His light movement and powerful leg drive make him elusive in space while he guarantees ball security, only registering three career fumbles.
3) TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
TreVeyon Henderson is an exceptional change-of-pace back. He offers elite athleticism and is the best running back operating in the pass game in the class. The other Buckeye in Ohio State’s rotation, Henderson, is a clean receiver, but he is also the best pass-blocking back in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Ball security is also never a problem. Henderson only has one career fumble, while his explosive, twitchy movement can real off big plays consistently. His suddenness, paired with his patience behind the line of scrimmage, is a compelling mesh of traits that the NFL should be excited about.
2) Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
Omarion Hampton can genuinely do it all. He is a strong, dense rusher who powers through contact. He plays over his toes to turn what looks like an automatic three-yard loss into a one-yard gain. The North Carolina Tar Heels’ natural lean allows him to fend off contact and avoid tackles while also playing with his eyes up to exploit space.
At 6’0” and 221 pounds, Hampton plays low and has a churning leg drive. His vision is exceptional, and he also has the creation capacity to make plays when the play breaks down.
In most other classes, Hampton would be spoken more highly of, but a certain back at the top is stealing all the attention. Which may mean someone will get a steel in the North Carolina product later than he should go.
1) Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
After a historic season, Ashton Jeanty is rightly being spoken about as one of the top prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. The running back is elite in every way. His 2,601 yards led the FBS and are the second most all-time, only 27 yards short of the great Barry Sanders’ all-time record.
What makes Jeanty so unique is his contact balance. The Boise State Broncos running back forced 170 missed tackles in 2024, with 1,970 of his rushing yards coming after contact. It is an extraordinary stat for a remarkable player.
Jeanty’s elite vision, explisive movement, and patient style are translatable to the NFL, and his tape is also completely clean as a projection to the NFL. The one knock on his tape – the pass blocking technique needs developing.
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