Ranking the NFL's Best Running Back Duos Ahead of the 2023 Season
The modern NFL backfield looks much different than it did even 10 years ago. The proliferation of running back by committee approaches has made depth at the position essential.
In 2012, there were 10 running backs who had at least 275 carries. In 2022, there were only four who eclipsed that mark, Najee Harris was close with 272.
There are still a few true featured backs left. Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Derrick Henry certainly fit the bill last season. But it's even more scary for a defense when there are two backs who can carry the load and pose different problems for the defense.
Here, we'll take a crack at power ranking the best duos in the league right now based on previous production, talent level, how their skill sets work together and what expectations are for 2023.
Honorable Mention
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With so many teams going to a multi-pronged approach in the backfield there are some strong duos that didn't make the list but deserve some of the spotlight. These pairings just missed the cut for one reason or another.
Baltimore Ravens: J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards
Dobbins has looked great when he's been on the field, averaging 6.0 yards per carry as a rookie and 5.7 in his second season. The problem is he's only played in 23 of a possible 34 regular season games. Edwards is a strong runner but neither of them have been used much in the passing game.
Philadelphia Eagles: Rashaad Penny and D'Andre Swift
The Eagles really rolled the dice putting Penny and Swift together this offseason. Penny has shown he can be electric when healthy, but he's never made it through a season healthy. Swift has been productive as a pass-catching back but took a backseat to Jamaal Williams last season and both are in the first season playing together on a new team.
Kansas City Chiefs: Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon
Pacheco and McKinnon have clearly defined roles, which is nice. Pacheco was the primary runner last season while McKinnon was an excellent third-down back and receiving option. The overall production wasn't quite there and it's hard to separate their success from the ideal situation.
Los Angeles Chargers: Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelley
Ekeler is one of the most unique and dynamic running back talents in the league. Joshua Kelley is fine as the more traditional runner who gives Ekeler a break, but there isn't enough of a rotation to really deem them a dangerous duo. The same logic applies to other backfields with one heavily featured runner like the Titans, Raiders and Giants.
7. Detroit Lions: Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery
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The Lions running back duo of Jamaal Williams and D'Andre Swift combined for 2,070 total yards and 25 touchdowns last season. Yet, they liked who they brought in this offseason enough to let Williams walk in free agency and trade away Swift.
David Montgomery is the capable veteran back in the new duo. He's only rushed for over 1,000 yards one time, but he's a reliable pass-catching option with 155 career receptions in four seasons and 1,240 yards.
Montgomery's rushing numbers could improve behind the Lions offensive line. He was ninth in juke rate but just 50th in run block rating by Player Profiler. Essentially, Montgomery was forcing defenders to miss but the blocking in front of him was uninspiring.
The wildcard in this pairing is Gibbs. It was shocking to see the Lions take Gibbs with the 12th pick overall, but it speaks to the talent the Lions saw in his film from Georgia Tech and Alabama.
Montgomery provides a solid floor, but Gibbs is the ceiling. He was a talented receiver as well as runner in college and the team has, "made it a point of emphasis to move him all over the place," per Colton Pouncy of The Athletic.
If Gibbs is anywhere near as good as advertised and Montgomery is used to free up the rookie's role while keeping him fresh then this pairing could be even better than Williams and Swift were last season.
6. Seattle Seahawks: Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet
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The Seahawks certainly have one of the youngest running back duos in the league, but it's also one of the more promising.
It starts with Kenneth Walker III who was good enough to finish second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2022.
According to Next Gen Stats' metrics, there wasn't a more explosive running back in the league last season than Walker. He hit more than 15 miles per hour on 25 percent of his runs and 29 runs of more than 10 yards.
Despite Walker's success in his debut season, the Seahawks made another serious investment in the running back position by taking Zach Charbonnet in the second round.
Charbonnet earned praise from Derrik Klassen for his, "elite balance and coordination" in his scouting report for B/R. But he should really thrive as a pass-catching element in their backfield.
Walker was alright as a pass-catcher out of the backfield but Charbonnet has shown a natural proclivity for receiving production. He had 61 catches for 518 yards over his final two college seasons.
Walker and Charbonnet don't have the proven production of some of the other backfields on the list, but there's a lot of reason to believe they'll end the season ranked higher.
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5. New Orleans Saints: Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams
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Alvin Kamara might be creeping toward the age where you start getting concerned for a running back but that didn't stop him from gaining 1,387 total yards from scrimmage last season.
The soon-to-be 28-year-old is still a great pass-catching back who is going to be a good friend to Derek Carr this season. The quarterback has already been wowed by his teammate's "not normal" route-running in practice.
Kamara can still make defenders miss and get more than what's blocked. He was ninth in the league in Player Profiler's "yards created" metric which attempts to quantify how many yards the running back gained over what was blocked.
Kamara has always needed a thumper to partner with who could earn the hard yards between the tackles. Last year, that responsibility was a combination of Taysom Hill and Mark Ingram.
The Saints got a major upgrade in Jamaal Williams.
The 6'0", 224-pound Williams is coming off a career year in Detroit. He had over 1,000 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns. He's going to give more than enough firepower to give them a strong two-headed monster and should be able to take over if Kamara winds up with a personal conduct suspension following an offseason assault arrest.
4. Atlanta Falcons: Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier
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Consider this a down payment on the Bijan Robinson hype.
Last season, Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson were one of the most productive running back duos in the league. The two combined for 1,991 yards and 12 total touchdowns. Arthur Smith knows how to scheme up the run game and has been instrumental in helping Cordarrelle Patterson go from receiver and kick returner to running back.
Now, he's going to get a true blue-chip prospect in Robinson to work with.
Patterson will likely take a step back in terms of volume, but he has been effusive in praise for Robinson. He recently told Josh Kendall of The Athletic, "there is not one spot he can not play on this field."
Robinson's receiving skills and dynamic ability in the open field are going to make him a fun watch on Sundays. It also means there's room for him to thrive while still keeping Tyler Allgeier involved.
The 2022 fifth-round pick averaged 4.9 yards per carry while tallying just over 1,000 rushing yards last season.
The Falcons will once again have one of the best rushing attacks in the league next season. If Robinson is able to live up to the hype this offense is going to be as dangerous as the combination of Robinson and Allgeier allows them to be.
3. Cleveland Browns: Nick Chubb and Jerome Ford
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The pairing of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt has been one of the best duos in the league since the Browns brought the two together in 2019.
Chubb does a lot of the heavy lifting. He's still one of the league's most productive backs and had the most carries of 10 or more yards while hitting at least 15 miles per hour on 50 runs last year, per Next Gen Stats.
Despite all of his success, the Browns still relied on a rotation with Hunt. Chubb was 15th in opportunity share, per Player Profiler.
Hunt's apparent departure leaves room for a new sidekick to emerge. The 27-year-old back remains unsigned but the Browns seem content to bring along second-year player Jerome Ford to fill the role.
Ford was really only used as a return man last season but running back coach Stump MItchell recently told reporters that he has as skill set that, "allows him to do anything and everything."
There's some projection involved but the Browns obviously believe that Ford is good enough that they didn't have to draft another back or sign one despite plenty of good options available this offseason.
2. San Francisco 49ers: Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell
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Christian McCaffrey was a pivotal element for the 49ers' offensive turnaround last season. Before trading for McCaffrey they were 20th in the league in scoring at 20.7 points per game.
They finished the season sixth at 26.5 points per game.
While the value of a running back can be contested, McCaffrey is proof that there are still backs who can move the needle on their own. The scary thing is that the Niners didn't get many opportunities to see what their offense looks like with McCaffrey and a healthy Elijah Mitchell.
Mitchell proved his worth as a rookie in 2021, rushing for 963 yards on 207 carries in 11 games.
Last season, Mitchell dealt with multiple knee injuries that had him in and out of the lineup. In total, he played five games and still managed to average 6.2 yards per carry.
A healthy Mitchell should allow head coach Kyle Shanahan to get creative McCaffrey's role. Last year, he played 124 snaps as a receiver. If Mitchell can take more of the traditional between-the-tackles running assignments then Shanahan can move CMC all over the formation and force defenses to identify where he is.
The combination is going to be one of the most stressful pairings for defenses to defend.
1. Green Bay Packers: Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon
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The Green Bay Packers might have some questions with Jordan Love and the quarterback position going into 2023. There are no questions about the backfield they'll have to support their young quarterback.
Even with Aaron Rodgers struggling to return to MVP form and the Packers lacking firepower in their receiving corps, the duo of Jones and Dillon were still constant threats to the defense.
Jones (1,516) and Dillon (976) combined for 2,492 total yards from scrimmage last season. Jones' receiving ability was particularly important. He snagged 59 of his 72 targets for 395 yards and five touchdowns.
Dillon's hard-charging running style gives them punch in short-yardage and goal-line situations. He had seven touchdowns on the ground.
As the Packers look to transition their offense away from Rodgers it's going to be even more important that they can lean on their two backs. The fact that they have two well-rounded backs who could be the featured player on other teams gives them a leg up on transitioning the offense.
The two veterans are going to be crucial for the Packers contending in the NFC North this season.
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