Breece Hall, Travis Etienne Jr. Fall Out of Top 10 RB Rankings by NFL Execs, Coaches

The New York Jets' Breece Hall and Jacksonville Jaguars' Travis Etienne Jr. were among the big fallers in ESPN's annual NFL running back rankings.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN canvasses coaches, executives and scouts to get a feel for the best players at every position. He released his running back list on Monday.

Hall, Etienne and the Houston Texans' Nick Chubb all tumbled out of the top 10. The drop was particularly pronounced for Hall and Chubb, who had been second and third, respectively, in 2024.

"He's been one of the best in the league at points," one NFL coordinator said of Hall to Fowler. "I just haven't felt the same way recently. I know the injuries have been an issue."

The Jets ball-carrier didn't make the jump a lot of people were expecting after nearly eclipsing 1,000 rushing yards in his second season. He went for 876 yards and five scores on the ground in 16 starts.

Hall is headed for free agency, while New York no longer has to deal with the drama and baggage surrounding Aaron Rodgers. Perhaps this is when the 2022 second-round pick makes his full breakthrough.

Etienne has a similar incentive in a contract year.

The 5'10", 215-pound back averaged fewer than four yards per carry for the second straight season, and his 37.2 yards per game were a far cry from when he debuted (66.2 in 2022).

Turning quarterback Trevor Lawrence back into a Pro Bowl quarterback is the most pressing objective in front of first-year head coach Liam Coen. Making Etienne an effective option on the ground and through the air would help achieve that aim.

In the case of Chubb, his career is an example of how quickly the narrative can turn for an NFL running back. Three years after making a fourth straight Pro Bowl, he settled on a $2.5 million prove-it contract with Houston.

Injuries limited Chubb to 10 appearances between 2023 and 2024, and his production when he suited up for the Cleveland Browns a season ago was a worrying sign as to his value moving forward. He had 332 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 102 carries.

Chubb's days as a top-10 running back might be behind him for good. At the very least, sharing a backfield with Joe Mixon is unlikely to give him a great showcase in 2025.