Top 2024 NFL Draft RB Prospects for Teams Facing Offseason Contract Decisions
The animosity between running backs and those in front offices unwilling to make significant long-term investments in the position continues to intensify, with a large impact on the incoming talent and how it's viewed.
The New York Giants' Saquon Barkley and Las Vegas Raiders' Josh Jacobs don't want to play under the franchise tag this fall. The possibility of missing training camp and part or all of the regular season is on the table.
As Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport noted, Barkley's and Jacobs' negotiations are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the positional market. Multiple high-profile backs are due paydays within the next 12 months.
But the NFL's stance is clear.
"The sad reality for a lot of running backs, most of running backs, is that your most extended deal is probably your first deal if you are a first-round selection," an anonymous general manager told Hondo Carpenter Sr. of Raiders Today.
Large investments are saved for premium positions, not at running back where similar production can be found at a reduced price.
"Fundamentally, people don't think that it's a position that leads to greater expected points and surplus value," a source told Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio. "It's a salary-cap league, with finite resources. That matters. So teams will spend on quarterbacks, receivers, pass rushers, and corner. Those are the positions that provide the most surplus."
Those teams facing upcoming negotiations with veteran backs should already have their eyes set on the 2024 NFL draft class and potential replacements.
Braelon Allen, Wisconsin
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College Football hasn't seen a running back quite like Braelon Allen since Adrian Peterson. Some may believe the previous statement is hyperbolic. It's not.
Like Peterson, Allen dominated from the moment he stepped onto campus, with the physical ability to jump straight to the NFL much sooner than allowed.
As a 17-year-old true freshman, Allen ran for 1,268 yards, averaged 6.8 yards per carry and scored 12 touchdowns against Big Ten competition. According to Pro Football Focus, he led all Power Five running backs that season in yards after contact per attempt. He then became a back-to-back second-team all-conference performer by running for 1,242 more yards as a sophomore.
Allen's age isn't the only impressive aspect of the back's accomplishments so far. He's a tank of a ball-carrier. Wisconsin's official site lists its lead back at 6'2" and 240 pounds. Allen is big, fast and physical, with unbelievable weight room strength.
He's also going play in an opened-up Badgers offense this fall under the direction of head coach Luke Fickell and offensive coordinator Phil Longo. Instead of Wisconsin's traditional run-heavy attack, Longo brings spread principles that should open up massive running lanes.
A huge season should be forthcoming for Allen to establish himself as the 2024 draft class' RB1.
TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
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Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson has the potential to be a first-round possibility, even as a running back. But he needs to come back strong from last season's foot surgery to re-establish himself among the nation's best.
As a true freshman, Henderson burst onto the scene with 1,560 yards from scrimmage 19 total touchdowns. He tied for the lead among all Power Five running backs with 150 or more carries by averaging 6.8 yards per tote. He also added a vital component in the passing game.
Henderson generated the highest quarterback rating when targeted among Big Ten running backs, according to Pro Football Focus. The 5'10", 215-pound back caught 27 passes for 312 yards.
The 2022 campaign went sideways due to a lingering injury.
"You try and come practice/play with torn ligaments and a broken bone in your foot every week," Henderson tweeted (h/t Eleven Warriors' Chase Brown). "My brothers know I been trying to do whatever it take to fight alongside of them every week."
Raheim Sanders, Arkansas
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To be nicknamed "Rocket" in any sport, the individual must be special. Arkansas' Raheim Sanders definitely looked the part during his sophomore season with the Razorbacks.
"Rocket, of course, comes with speed," Sanders told Pro Football Focus' Max Chadwick. "When you get to the next level, it's not all about the speed though. It's about knowing what I have in front of me.
"My first year, I second-guessed myself. [This past season,] I was going for the first move and not second-guessing myself. I was just more comfortable. The more comfortable you are, the easier you'll learn things and attack them."
Sanders finished second in the SEC last season with 1,443 rushing yards but led all conference backs with 150 more carries by averaging 6.5 yards per tote. He also finished second among Power Five runners with 16 carries of 20 or more yards, per PFF.
As the the junior prospect rightly stated, his nickname comes with certain connotations. However, Sanders isn't a small scat-back. Arkansas lists the first-team All-SEC performer at 6'2" and 237 pounds. The burst for takeoff is obvious. At the same time, Sanders forced 65 missed tackles last season.
Two seasons of elite production stacked together will create plenty of excitement around Sanders' potential.
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Will Shipley, Clemson
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The idea of a traditional lead back isn't as sought after as it once was. Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara helped make incoming backs like Saquon Barkley and Bijan Robinson more valuable based on framing their skill sets as "offensive weapons."
The ability to affect more than one phase of the game creates more opportunities rather than just serving as an old-school workhorse runner.
Case in point, no returning Power Five running back had more yards from scrimmage last season than Clemson's Will Shipley.
As a runner, Shipley is decisive with good vision. The 5'11", 205-pound back also plays with excellent contact balance. He won't run through many tacklers, but he'll certainly find ways to create yardage. Shipley's 1,182 rushing yards ranked second in the SEC last year.
The running back also caught 38 passes and served as the Tigers' primary kick turner.
As Clemson assistant athletic director Ross Taylor noted, Shipley was the only player in the country last season to run for 1,150 yards, add 200 receiving yards and provide 300 or more yards courtesy of kick return.
Shipley will continue share the backfield with the 230-pound Phil Mafah, but the former's versatility gives him an edge over most prospects.
Blake Corum, Michigan
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Michigan's Blake Corum looked well on his way to becoming Heisman Trophy finalist and a future high-round draft pick until he suffered a season-ending knee injury during a Nov. 19 contest against the Illinois Fighting Illini.
Corum underwent surgery on Dec. 1, but he appears well on his way to a full receovery for the start of fall camp.
Prior to the injury, the first-team All-Big Ten performer racked up 1,463 rushing yards and 19 total touchdowns. Corum's 95.9 overall grade was the best by an FBS running back during the Pro Football Focus era, according to PFF's Dave Sulfaro.
The sawed-off runner may be listed at 5'8", yet he's compactly built with a thick lower body and fantastic shiftiness.
"We're really similar, he's just faster," former NFL running back and Michigan run-game coordinator Mike Hart said, per ESPN's Adam Rittenberg. "I always tell him I'm a better short-yardage back. But he's awesome. Everything you want in a back is Blake Corum. When the [NFL] scouts ask me about him, there's no red marks on the kid at all."
Corum must remain healthy and fend of Donovan Edwards to an extent, because the fellow Wolverine has the type of talent to be a top prospect in his own right.
Frank Gore Jr., Southern Miss
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Frank Gore Jr. continues to run from the shadow of his father's legacy.
The elder Gore ranks third in NFL history with 16,000 rushing yards. Only Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton are above him. Sooner or later, Frank Gore Sr. will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Junior doesn't shy away from the spotlight, though. The first-team All-Sun Belt runner broke an NCAA bowl game record last season when he amassed 329 rushing yards against the Rice Owls in the LendingTree Bowl.
"I told him [about the record] when he came on the field and let him know that I'm the best in the family," the younger Gore told reporters. "Thanks to my O-line, they opened up a lot of good holes and got me into the secondary. As Coach [Will Hall] said, the first person could rarely tackle me. And if you're able to get down the field untouched, that leads to a lot of big plays."
The 5'8", 195-pound ball-carrier has a lot of his father in his game, with his vision and how he finishes runs. Frank Gore Jr. has improved every season, too. He led the Golden Eagles in rushing during the past three seasons, though last year's 1,382-yard effort placed him among the nation's best.
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