Although coronavirus is impacting live sports across the world this Spring, we still have the NFL Draft scheduled for Thursday, April 23rd! That means it’s time to talk about the top prospects at each of the fantasy-relevant positions before they enter the league. Every year we see NFL rookies emerge as impact players in both real life and in fantasy football or DFS. It is always important to know who these guys are before everyone else jumps on the bandwagon. Below, we focus on the top running back prospects in the 2020 NFL Draft. Enjoy!
1) Jonathan Taylor -- Wisconsin
Height/Weight: 5’10” / 226 lbs.
Age/Year: 21 yrs old / Junior
Hometown: Salem, New Jersey
2019 Stats: 2,003 rush yds; 21 rush TD; 252 rec yds; 5 rec TD in 14 games
As a three-year starter in Wisconsin’s backfield, Jonathan Taylor finished his college career sixth on the FBS all-time rushing list while breaking Herschel Walker’s record for most rushing yards by a player through his junior season. Plus, Taylor was a unanimous All-American and the Doak Walker Award winner (given to the nation’s top college RB) in each of the last two seasons. He definitely benefited from playing in a run-heavy Wisconsin offense with a good offensive line blocking for him, but there’s no denying his talents as a ball-carrier when you watch the game tape or highlights. Taylor was patient to hit holes and then exploded through the next level of defenders to break off numerous long runs. The two notable weaknesses for Taylor are his slight issue with fumbling at Wisconsin, and his lack of experience catching passes out of the backfield. The Badgers’ didn’t utilize him as a pass-catcher much, but that’s not to say he can’t do it for an NFL team. Taylor could go late in the first round, but he’ll be gone by the time the third round comes along.
2) J.K. Dobbins -- Ohio State
Height/Weight: 5’9” / 209 lbs.
Age/Year: 21 yrs old / Junior
Hometown: La Grange, Texas
2019 Stats: 2,003 rush yds; 21 rush TD; 247 rec yds; 2 rec TD in 14 games
Some may have J.K. Dobbins as the top running back in this class and it’s hard to argue otherwise after we saw him dominate at Ohio State the last three years. In fact, he and Archie Griffin are the only Buckeyes to rush for 1,000 or more yards in three different seasons. Dobbins is a back who definitely benefited from playing in a talented offensive system and on a team that blew out opponents in 80% of games, but the talent is still very much alive. His skill set is built for an NFL backfield with a marriage of impressive vision, elusiveness, and power to help him be a legit three-down back. There’s a chance he goes late in the first round, but it’s more likely he’s a comfortable second round pick. If he lands on the right team, Dobbins could be a three-down starter right away much like Josh Jacobs last season.
3) Clyde Edwards-Helaire -- LSU
Height/Weight: 5’7” / 207 lbs.
Age/Year: 21 yrs old / Junior
Hometown: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
2019 Stats: 1,414 rush yds; 16 rush TD; 453 rec yds; 1 rec TD in 15 games
Although Clyde Edwards-Helaire was LSU’s starter for just one season, his emergence as an all-around back was a big reason why the Tigers ran the table and won a national championship. His 1,414 rushing yards aren’t as many as others on this list, but his 6.6 yards per carry average is very representative of how Edwards-Helaire usually provided a legit 5-10 yards any time he touched the ball. His 16 rushing touchdowns led the whole SEC last season, and four of his seven 100-yard rushing performances came against top 10-ranked opponents, meaning he was at his best when the team needed it most. Meanwhile, Edwards-Helaire is a dynamic pass-catcher out of the backfield with impressive run-after-the-catch skills to go with his slippery route running. He’s drawn comparisons to former LSU standout James White and it’s easy to see him being an elite receiving back at the next level, just like White has done with the Patriots. We should see Edwards-Helaire get drafted in the 2nd round and his receiving ability would make him valuable to more NFL teams that already have a starting RB too.
4) D’Andre Swift -- Georgia
Height/Weight: 5’8” / 212 lbs.
Age/Year: 21 yrs old / Junior
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2019 Stats: 1,218 rush yds; 7 rush TD; 216 rec yds; 1 rec TD in 14 games
On talent alone, you could make the case for D’Andre Swift being the best running back in this draft class. Unfortunately for Swift, though, many of the questions come down to health and if he can hold up as a workhorse back for NFL teams. He battled groin, toe, and ankle injuries as a sophomore and then played through a shoulder contusion last season that limited him to only six total touches in the SEC title game and Sugar Bowl. Plus, Swift was never a workhorse back in college with only three games of 20-plus carries in his 43 career games for Georgia. Outside of those concerns, though, Swift possesses some of the best natural talent of any RB in this draft. He’s explosive as a runner and very elusive to make multiple defenders miss, making him very tough to tackle one-on-one in the open field. If he can stay healthy, Swift could easily be the best back in this draft, but the injury questions and workload concerns are legitimate. Expect him to go off the board in the second or third round, but there's also a wide range of where he goes because of the weird combination of his talent and injury history. Some team could take him early in the 2nd or late in the 3rd because of the upside and risk.
5) Cam Akers -- Florida State
Height/Weight: 5’10” / 217 lbs.
Age/Year: 20 yrs old / Junior
Hometown: Clinton, Mississippi
2019 Stats: 1,144 rush yds; 14 rush TD; 225 rec yds; 4 rec TD in 11 games
Admittedly, Cam Akers is one of the toughest running backs to judge in this class. As a three-year feature back for Florida State, Akers saw a ton of volume, especially this past season when he averaged 21 carries per game on an underperforming team. That’s the thing with Akers, though, he played with a below-average offensive line and quarterback each of his three collegiate seasons. This is not ideal for a running back to develop and almost the opposite situation of Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins. His career 4.9 yards per rush average is also not too exciting, but then again opposing defenses were stacking the box against him because he was the Seminoles’ only threat at times. In terms of his physicality and tough running ability, Akers is one of the hardest runners in this draft, and he has the occasional shiftiness to make defenders miss as well. He’ll likely go in the second or third round and may just be waiting for the right offense to land on to show his true talents.
6) Zack Moss -- Utah
Height/Weight: 5’9” / 223 lbs.
Age/Year: 22 yrs old / Senior
Hometown: Hialeah Gardens, Florida
2019 Stats: 1,416 rush yds; 15 rush TD; 388 rec yds; 2 rec TD in 13 games
As a three-year starter for Utah, Zack Moss definitely has the experience and production to prove he can be a feature back for an NFL team. He rushed for 1,000-plus yards in each of his sophomore-senior seasons, and scored 39 total touchdowns in those three years with nearly a 6.0 yards per rush average. Moss is one of the backs in this class who seems ready to step right into a feature role, assuming he gets acclimated to the offense he lands on. He’ll probably be a third round pick who goes to a team with an incumbent starter, but we should keep an eye on him for fantasy purposes as he would be a viable three-down back in case of an injury ahead of him on the depth chart. The only concern with Moss is his durability, he played through ankle and shoulder injuries during most of his junior and senior seasons, respectively. That injury history could be a worry, but some teams may marvel at his toughness to play through pain the last two years.
7) Darrynton Evans -- Appalachian State
Height/Weight: 5’10” / 203 lbs.
Age/Year: 21 yrs old / Redshirt Junior
Hometown: Oak Hill, Florida
2019 Stats: 1,480 rush yds; 18 rush TD; 198 rec yds; 5 rec TD in 14 games
Although Darrynton Evans may not be as nationally well-known as other running backs in this draft class, we can’t ignore how productive he was in college and how his skills can easily translate to the next level. As a two-year starter for Appalachian State, Evans was the feature back in a run-heavy offense and he ultimately totaled 434 carries, 31 touchdowns and 2,667 rushing yards over those two seasons. He doesn’t boast great size or physicality, but his speed and elusiveness as a runner is something that could easily make him a value draft pick for some lucky team who did their homework. Obviously, facing Sun Belt defenses isn’t the best test in college, but it’s easy to see how dominant Evans can be when you watch his game tape. Plus, Evans was App State’s kick returner and slot receiver before becoming the featured back, giving him some extra value to NFL teams who need a speedy returner who can also be a backup in the backfield. Expect him to go in the third or fourth rounds.
8) Antonio Gibson -- Memphis
Height/Weight: 6’0” / 228 lbs.
Age/Year: 21 yrs old / Senior
Hometown: Stockbridge, Georgia
2019 Stats: 369 rush yds; 4 rush TD; 735 rec yds; 8 rec TD in 14 games
We now come to the ultimate wild card in this running back draft class. At Memphis, Antonio Gibson was actually a wide receiver who didn’t start getting normal carries until late in the 2019 season. Also, he only has one legit college season of sample size as he spent his first two years at community college before only getting six touches his junior year. As a senior, though, Gibson was an explosive play waiting to happen and it took Memphis a while to figure out what they really had. Since he is a converted wide receiver, Gibson boasts a bigger frame and size than most backs in this draft, and his physicality will allow him to break tackles while also exploding for big plays when he touches the ball. The only worry is his major lack of experience as a pure running back as he only had 33 carries in 14 games last year, and his raw talent as a ball-carrier. The speed and athleticism, though, should make him a third or fourth round pick with tons of upside for a team looking for a game-breaker.