Darren McFadden and 5 RBs Who Will Run over NFL in 2012

The 2012 NFL season is nearing, so let's take a look at a few of the top running backs heading into the season.

Here are five running backs who will dominate this year, including Darren McFadden, who was on track to be among the league leaders in rushing in 2011 before a foot injury ended his season prematurely.

Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens

Ray Rice is perhaps the NFL's most versatile running back. 

He finished second in the NFL in rushing yards in 2011 with 1,364 yards on 291 carries (4.7 yards per carry) and also scored 12 touchdowns. On top of that, he racked up 704 receiving yards on 76 catches and added three more touchdowns. Furthermore, 2011 was the third consecutive season Rice ran for more than 1,200 yards and caught at least 60 passes.

And despite all the usage, Rice is as durable as they come, not missing one game in that span.

Rice enters the 2012 season still as the focal point in the Ravens offense. He will in all likelihood receive a similar workload and once again be a consistent source of excellent production.

Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders

Darren McFadden was on his way to having the best season of his career in 2011 before a foot injury sidelined him for the final nine games of the season.

McFadden, who ran for 1,157 yards the season prior, amassed 614 yards on 113 carries and scored four touchdowns in 2011. His 5.4 YPC finished the season tied for second best among RBs.

Also, his 87.7 yards per game ranked fourth in the NFL. And that YPG measure includes the seventh game of the season, in which McFadden only received two carries before sustaining his foot injury.

Through the first six games, McFadden was almost unstoppable, averaging 101.67 rushing yards.

And according to Raiders RB coach Kelly Skipper, McFadden is completely healthy entering this season.

"The thing about Darren is, he didn't have any major surgeries, so he's able to come back her healthy and he's playing at a high level right now and it's offseason," Skipper said. "He's out here. You would never know he got hurt. He's making cuts at full speed, everything."

If McFadden is able to stay healthy this season, he will finish among the top five in rushing yards.

Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars

While there were many concerns surrounding Maurice-Jones Drew's health entering 2011, he played in all 16 games and was absolutely magnificent in them. He rushed for 1,606 yards on 343 carries (eight touchdowns), which won him the rushing title by a whopping 242 yards.

He also just missed topping the 2,000 mark in total yardage as he added 374 yards in the receiving game on 43 grabs, three of which were for touchdowns.

With Blaine Gabbert proving to be ineffective in 2011, defenses will, as they did last year, stack the box in an effort to slow down MJD. However, with his excellent combination of strength and speed, it's unlikely the results will be any different.

LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles

LeSean McCoy just keeps on getting better and better.

He rushed for 637 yards in 2009 (his rookie season), 1,081 in 2010 and broke out in 2011 with 1,309 yards with a 4.8 YPC.

McCoy also displayed a knack for reaching the end zone, running for 17 touchdowns, which was five higher than any other running back in the NFL.

Additionally, he once again showed his versatility by catching 48 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns.

At only 23 years old, McCoy is still in his prime and likely to improve again in 2012. And considering how great he's already proven to be, the rest of the NFL should be terrified of that prospect. 

Arian Foster, Houston Texans

With a special blend of agility, strength and tackle-breaking ability, Arian Foster might just be the NFL's best overall running back in 2012.

Despite missing three games in 2011, Foster still racked up 1,224 rushing yards, 617 receiving yards and 12 total touchdowns. And he experienced the rushing success with a great deal of defensive attention paid to him due to injuries in the passing game, most notably to Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson.

With a healthy offense in 2012, it's not inconceivable to think Foster will come close to reaching the incredible numbers he did in 2010 (1,616 yards and 16 touchdowns).