Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Gibbs Lead Top 10 NFL RB Rankings by Coaches, Execs

Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley led the way in the annual running back rankings from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Fowler compiles the list based on input from executives, scouts and coaches from around the NFL. The insider said Barkley received all but one of the first-place votes.

The Baltimore Ravens' Derrick Henry and Detroit Lions' Jahmyr Gibbs both made big moves up to second and third, respectively.

Running Back Rankings

1. Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles

2. Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens

3. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions

4. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons

5. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers

6. Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers

7. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts

8. James Cook, Buffalo Bills

9. Joe Mixon, Houston Texans

10. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

Barkley became just the ninth player to run for 2,000 yards in a single season. He was also instrumental in helping the Eagles win the Super Bowl.

"It was almost like this was expected—he was always expected to be this," one NFL personnel director told Fowler. "You can call it confirmation bias. Everybody thought he was a great player [at Penn State] and he proved what people thought he would be. It just took some peaks and valleys. And he was in a bad offense [in New York]."

That official foresees a few more elite seasons ahead for the 28-year-old as well.

The outlook for San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey isn't quite so rosy after he was limited to four appearances in 2024 due to Achilles tendinitis and then a PCL injury. The two-time MVP went from first to fifth in Fowler's rankings as a result.

"He's a great player, but he's always had durability issues, even in college," one personnel executive said. "He's an elite trainer and takes great care of himself. He's just not a big body and will lose a step eventually."

Maybe McCaffrey can have a return to form in the same way Henry did with the Ravens.

Durability wasn't the issue for the five-time Pro Bowler, but people wondered how his game would continue to hold up when he had carried the ball 1,529 times from 2019-23.

Henry answered his skeptics by running for 1,921 yards and an NFL-best 16 touchdowns. He was as devastating as ever out of Baltimore's backfield.