For those who may not have their finger on the pulse of player movement in the NFL, let me be the first to tell you that it’s been a whirlwind of an offseason at the running back position. Several household names are now with new teams, which not only is poised to shake up your fantasy football drafts later this summer but should have an impact on the league itself in 2024.
As these clubs get together over the next few weeks and months for the offseason workout program including mandatory minicamp, it’s a good time to take stock of all these backfield changes and stack them against one another. Below, we’ve collected every backfield in the league and slotted them into one of seven tiers ranging from the “Thoroughbreds” to the “Work In Progress” section.
Tier 1: Thoroughbreds
Not only will you find stars in this tier, but what separates these teams is the depth behind their stars as well. While Christian McCaffrey is arguably the top back in the league, the 49ers also have capable backs like Elijah Mitchell Jordan Mason, and rookie Isaac Guerendo in their stable along with fullback Kyle Juszczyk.
As for the rest of the teams in this top tier, they’ve all gone through seismic change this offseason with some of the biggest signings in free agency. Baltimore added Derrick Henry to headline a backfield that also sports Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell (recovering from a torn ACL). On top of their impact out of the backfield. Meanwhile, the Eagles added Saquon Barkley and the Packers signed Josh Jacobs, who are both capable of leading the league in rushing if fully healthy. The Ravens and Eagles also have the luxury of having quarterbacks (Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts) factoring into the rushing attack.
Tier 2: Quality depth
This is a group that may not have the top-end star power as the group above but possesses plenty of depth to make them a formidable unit. The Lions are knocking…
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