2021 NFL Draft: Top 10 Running Backs

Running back is one of the most interesting positions in this year's draft. There have been a ton of players rising and falling throughout the year. There is a lot of talent this year, with three players I see as potential feature backs at the next level, and a few more backs that can be extremely valuable additions to any team's offense. I’m not sure if it’s as good as last year’s class as a whole, but it’s pretty close with a lot of value on days two and three.

Here are my top 10 running backs in the 2021 NFL draft class.

Just Missed The Cut: Jermar Jefferson, Oregon State. Javian Hawkins, Louisville. Khalil Herbert, Virginia Tech.

1. Najee Harris, Alabama

Najee Harris is just an incredible running back prospect. The only knock that I can find on him is that he doesn’t have the best long speed. He isn’t going to light the world on fire at the 40-yard dash, but it’s ok. Harris is so big and he runs with great violence. He slashes through holes, leaving a trail of devastated would-be tacklers in his wake. He hits the hole in a hurry and with great power. He almost always falls forward. Alongside the power and the burst, Harris has a ton of finesse to his game. He has superb feet and vision, almost like former Alabama running back Derrick Henry. 

What’s most impressive about Harris though, is that at 6’2 230 he’s one of the best receiving backs in the class. Over four years in college, he had 80 catches for 781 yards and 11 touchdowns. This past season, Harris had 43 catches for 425 yards and four touchdowns. He is a natural hands catcher that can challenge DBs in the air. He’s a true three-down threat and should eventually become one of the best backs in the NFL.

2. Travis Etienne, Clemson

There are no good tackling angles when facing Travis Etienne. Routine stops against a normal running back, turn into 60-yard touchdowns with Etienne. Travis Etienne has game-breaking explosiveness and is a home run threat every time he touches the ball. It’s truly special how quickly he can go 0 to 100. For being such an explosive threat, he doesn’t play too off-script either. He isn’t going to dance too much in the backfield or look to bounce everything outside. He can be patient and wait for holes to form, then it’s off to the races. He isn’t necessarily a power back, but can easily break tackles. He has some of the best contact balance that you will see. 

With how athletic he is though I wish he was a tad bit more agile and elusive, and while he’s continued to grow as a receiver there’s still a ways to go. Despite that, he’s going to be a dangerous threat when he reaches the league.

3. Javonte Williams, North Carolina

Javonte Williams is extremely hard to tackle, with insane physicality and balance. Williams is a bully, leaving a trail of defensive players without their lunch money all the way to the end zone. He almost always breaks the first tackle, and he’s a great bet to break the second and third ones as well. He has good patience and vision too, and his burst is pretty solid as well. Williams will be able to stay on the field on 3rd downs, simply because he blocks like a 6th lineman.

He’s not a bad athlete, but I wouldn’t put him on the level of some other guys in this class. That might hamper his stock a bit, where teams might prefer other speedier backs. He reminds me a lot of Nick Chubb coming out of Georgia. He might not straight up outrun the defender, but he will run over that defender.

4. Kenneth Gainwell, Memphis

I really like Memphis running backs. Darrell Henderson was in my top 3 in 2019. Antonio Gibson was tied with Cam Akers as my RB5 last year. I really like Kenneth Gainwell this year. I really like his potential as a receiver at the next level. Not only was he a threat out of the backfield, but he also did damage last year for Memphis out of the slot. He might be the overall best pass-catcher out of all the running backs this year. He has really good athleticism and elusiveness and has a surprising amount of pop. What I’m most interested to see with Gainwell is how well he’ll do after not playing football last year. It’s the interesting aspect with all of these players that opted out.

Overall Gainwell reminds me a ton of Austin Ekeler. His floor is a really good 3rd down back that can make magic happen when his number is called, but don’t be surprised that if given a chance Kenneth Gainwell does extremely well.

5. Michael Carter, North Carolina

Michael Carter is one of the most fun backs to watch. He’s a homerun threat every time he touches the ball. He has great athleticism and some astonishing elusiveness. His ability to set defenders up and make them miss is second to none. The first tackler almost never gets hands-on Carter. He has good vision, able to find holes, and makes the defender miss at the next level. He has shown to be a good receiver in college, with over 20 catches in each of the past three years. I think he’ll see an even more increased role in the passing game at the next level.

Carter is a bit smaller at 5’8, and won’t break a ton of tackles. His game relies more on his athleticism and making guys miss, rather than contact balance and breaking tackles. Better watch your ankles when facing Carter! He may not be a workhorse back, but I could see Carter making the most out of his weekly 15 carries and doing damage in the receiving game.

6. Trey Sermon, Ohio State

Trey Sermon was someone I was extremely interested to watch this year at Ohio State. He impressed me at Oklahoma and impressed me even more at Ohio State. Over his last three games of the season, he was as good as any running back. He isn’t a big back that you just use as a battering ram. He has good patience, vision, and has crazy flexibility and agility for someone that’s 6’1 215. He has really good strength and contact balance, able to break a tackler after making the initial man miss (and vice versa). He doesn’t have the best overall speed and probably isn’t going to be the best receiving back out there, but I absolutely love his running style. It reminds me of Kareem Hunt a bit. I think he can do the less glamorous dirty work as part of a team’s 1-2 punch.

7. Jaret Patterson, Buffalo

Jaret Patterson had one of the best seasons in college football that nobody heard of. Patterson finished top 3 in rushing touchdowns and finished with over 1,000 yards… despite only playing six games. Patterson had over 300 yards and 4 touchdowns against Bowling Green, and over 400 yards and 8 touchdowns against Kent State. Of course, it is not all about stats with Patterson. Patterson has really good vision and is extremely good at navigating through space. He has a good burst and some surprising contact balance despite being slightly undersized, which allows him to pinballs off of defenders. 

Patterson hasn’t done much yet as a receiver, mostly because he ran the ball so much, but he showed promise catching the ball. Where Patterson comes short is some of his physical attributes. He isn’t the biggest, and might not have the best long speed. He might not be the workhorse back he was at Buffalo, but I think he can be very good either splitting carries or in a committee.

8. Rhamondre Stevenson, Oklahoma

Rhamondre Stevenson turned heads with a bowl performance for the books against Florida. He had 186 yards and a touchdown against the Gators to help the Sooners win the Goodyear Cotton Bowl. I didn’t know a ton about Stevenson before that game, but afterward, I wish I did. Stevenson is one of the most underrated backs in the 2021 class. Stevenson’s a big back that plays big. He is a nightmare to try and wrap up. He was listed at 246 throughout the season and participated at the Senior Bowl at 227. He has scary size and great nimble feet to boot. He isn’t going to be the fastest back but has surprising athleticism for his size. He can be great in an early-down power back role for a team.

9. Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State

Chuba Hubbard may not have looked like the same back this year as he did in 2019, where he was one of the most productive backs in all of college football. His yards were down, his touchdowns were down, and now consensus opinion on Hubbard is down. Potentially a top 5 running back in a stacked 2019 class, Hubbard now finds himself 9th in 2020. I still do like what Hubbard does well. He still is one of the best athletes this year. He has great burst and if he finds an opening it’s hard to catch him. He still has great potential as a pure rusher.

There are legitimate concerns with Hubbard though. He doesn’t add really anything on passing downs, not improving this season as a pass-catcher nor as a pass blocker. There are times he’ll try to pass block, but other times he looks simply disinterested. This might in itself limits how much time he spends on the field. Hubbard to me is inconsistent but intrigues me if I’m a team that has a good pass-catching back and wants just a pure rusher on day three.

10. Demetric Felton, UCLA

Demetric Felton out of UCLA most likely won’t be a feature workhorse back in the NFL. I would be very shocked to see him toting the rock 15-20 times a game. I think Demetric Felton has a lot of potential as a versatile weapon on offense. He was a receiver his first three years at UCLA, transitioning more to a running back this year. He’s very athletic and does well on outside runs. As a smaller back, he can’t be relied on to consistently win in between the tackles.

He is a very good pass-catcher out of the backfield and works very well out of the slot. He isn’t just a threat in the screen game, he showed at the Senior Bowl the ability to run legitimate routes. Felton’s role in the NFL looks to be someone that can make the most out of his 5-10 touches out of the backfield, whether it's in the run game or in the passing game. Look for Felton to split time out of the slot and out of the backfield. He’s a true weapon that can be a good complementary piece.

Writer

-By: Jacob Keppen