Rookie Rankings

Even in a league well-stocked with running back talent, Jeanty is likely the position's best prospect in many years. That doesn't mean he'll be the best in the NFL -- Trent Richardson showed how things can go wrong even for seemingly infallible prospects -- but Jeanty nonetheless ranks on that level. At 5-foot-9, 211 pounds, he's naturally anchored and densely built, seemingly nailed to the floor and floating at the same time. He breaks tackle attempts with minimal effort, and his top on-field speed last season (21.7 mph) was the best of any RB from the incoming draft class, allowing him to skip pre-draft testing without hurting his stock. Jeanty dominated in two different roles at Boise State, thriving as a dual threat in 2023 (18.3 carries, 3.6 catches per game) before serving as more of a pure rushing workhorse in 2024 (26.7 carries, 1.7 catches). This means Jeanty likely can thrive as a Bijan Robinson-style workhorse or as more of an in-space specialist like early career Alvin Kamara. Large workloads won't take long to materialize in Las Vegas, where the No. 6 overall pick joins a backfield that was arguably the league's worst last season. The other new addition, 33-year-old Raheem Mostert, is unlikely to stand in Jeanty's way. Concerns about team context will be justified until the Raiders prove otherwise, but there is real hope for a competent offense under the guidance of new coordinator Chip Kelly and starting QB Geno Smith. For all of Kelly's other shortcomings, his four years as an NFL head coach produced offenses ranked first, ninth, 14th and fourth in rushing yards. Jeanty figures to step right in as the engine of the offense, with he and TE Brock Bowers being centerpieces of the Raiders' latest rebrand.

Ashton Jeanty tends to hog the headlines, but if Hampton were in any other draft there might have been more spotlight to properly appreciate him. Hampton is either blue-chip or close to it in his own right, heading to Los Angeles as the 22nd overall pick after topping 1,500 rushing yards in back-to-back seasons for UNC. At 6-feet, 221 pounds, Hampton logged excellent athletic testing at the combine, running a 4.46-second 40-yard dash with strong jumps (38-inch vertical, 130-inch broad jump) to finalize a standout prospect profile. He averaged 23.4 carries and 3.2 catches per game in 2024, and more than 20 touches per game in 2023, boasting elite efficiency in both samples without missing any games. Hampton may eventually rank among the league leaders in touches, but he'll first need to compete with Najee Harris, who signed a one-year, $5.25 million contract with the Chargers this offseason. While not on Hampton's level as a pure runner, Harris offers an unusual combination of size, durability and passing-down competence, making him a threat to handle high-value touches even if/when the rookie takes over as the Chargers' lead back.

After winning the Heisman Trophy last year, Hunter will soon become the NFL's first true two-way player since his mentor, Deion Sanders, played about half of the Cowboys' snaps on offense in 1996. While some called him a cornerback first and foremost during the pre-draft process, the Browns said otherwise, only to then trade the No. 2 overall pick to Jacksonville. Fortunately for prospective fantasy managers, the Jaguars used the pick on Hunter and were quick to announce that he'll start off prioritizing offense. Landing in Jacksonville rather than Cleveland also means better QB play, catching passes from Trevor Lawrence, although it'll be hard to eclipse 2024 first-round pick Brian Thomas as the primary target in a new-look attack under former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen. Coming off a 1,258-yard, 15-TD effort in his final season at Colorado, it shouldn't take long for Hunter to emerge as Lawrence's second-favorite option ahead of free-agent signing Dyami Brown and TE Brenton Strange. While he's only about average in terms of size (6-0, 188) and didn't go through pre-draft testing, Hunter has the speed and fluidity one might expect of a former No. 1 overall recruit who became the best college cornerback in the country before also making his case as the top wide receiver. The biggest question now is whether his ability on defense limits his playing time on offense.

Harvey was originally recruited to Virginia to play quarterback, but at 5-foot-8, 205 pounds that would have been a disorienting sight. Harvey found his true calling upon transferring to UCF, where he moved to running back and quickly caught fire. After an initial redshirt season Harvey went nuts over the next three years, turning 576 carries into 3,789 yards (6.6 YPC) and 43 touchdowns in 38 games. Harvey was also lethal as a receiver, turning 79 targets into 61 receptions for 720 yards and five touchdowns (77.2 percent catch rate, 9.1 YPT). While he might look small at a glance, Harvey is densely built for his height and his low center of gravity lends him a great deal of natural anchor, making it easy for Harvey to slip under defenders who can't generate the necessary leverage. This ability to break tackles while avoiding direct hits allowed Harvey to thrive as a workhorse the last two years, and it's possible he'll emerge as the clear starting running back in Denver after they selected him in the second round of the 2025 draft, 60th overall. Jaleel McLaughlin is largely just a smaller, slower version of Harvey, and 2024 fifth-round pick Audric Estime might not earn much more than power-specialist functions. Perhaps Harvey was a surprising second-round pick, but no one should be surprised if he takes over the Denver offense in 2025.

Most were surprised when the Browns selected Judkins 36th overall in the 2025 draft, but it's easy to make the case that Judkins was worth the pick. At 6-feet, 221 pounds Judkins has almost the exact same frame as 22nd overall pick Omarion Hampton, and Judkins' 4.48-second 40 nearly matched Hampton's 4.46. Before Judkins ran that 40 he was mostly thought of as a power specialist, because he was one of the most violent runners in college football at Ohio State (2024) and Mississippi (2022-23). Judkins' game always showed plenty of big-play ability, though, because his collegiate rushing average of just 5.1 yards per carry was largely informed by how close those carries were to the goal line – Judkins' 45 rushing touchdowns in 42 career games is a testament to how a relatively high percentage of his carries occurred in short-yardage and high-leverage situations. In other words, when a defense needs a crucial stop Judkins is one of the last people they want to see. Judkins should be Cleveland's top runner even in Week 1, though Jerome Ford is likely the favorite to play the majority of Cleveland's passing-down snaps. Fourth-round pick and fellow rookie Dylan Sampson is likely the distant RB3 in the meantime due to passing-down limitations.