With The First Pick
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2018 NFL Draft: Ranking the top five running backs

By Maxwell Ogden

3ORLANDO, FL - JANUARY 01: Derrius Guice #5 of the LSU Tigers reacts after a two-yard reception for touchdown against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the fourth quarter of the Citrus Bowl on January 1, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. Notre Dame won 21-17. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
3ORLANDO, FL - JANUARY 01: Derrius Guice #5 of the LSU Tigers reacts after a two-yard reception for touchdown against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the fourth quarter of the Citrus Bowl on January 1, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. Notre Dame won 21-17. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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KNOXVILLE, TN – NOVEMBER 18: Derrius Guice #5 of the LSU Tigers runs with the ball against the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half at Neyland Stadium on November 18, 2017 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN – NOVEMBER 18: Derrius Guice #5 of the LSU Tigers runs with the ball against the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half at Neyland Stadium on November 18, 2017 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

The 2018 NFL Draft is flush with promise and talent at running back, but who are the five prospects whom you truly need to know?

The running back position has been devalued to a point that few expected it to reach. High-level prospects are falling down NFL Draft boards based off of position alone as teams firmly embrace the pass-heavy nature of the modern game.

As the 2018 NFL Draft nears, however, teams are beginning to accept just how much a star-caliber running back can help a team’s chances of winning.

The 2018 NFL Draft plays home to one of the deepest class of running backs in quite some time. One could debate how much star potential is truly present, but what’s clear is that there’s enough talent for teams to find a steady contributor at the position.

There’s also a sense that at least one of the players in this draft class could become an All-Pro talent at the position, which has inevitably ignited heated debates.

In some minds, the talent near the top of the board is strong enough to invest in a running back as a franchise-level player. Others believe the opposite, however, as they’ve instead accepted defense and quarterback play as their foundations.

The question is: Who are the running backs who might make the latter group regret not investing an early selection in them at the 2018 NFL Draft?

Home/Running Back Prospects