Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Saquon, CMC Lead Top 10 NFL RB Rankings by Coaches, Execs in New Poll

As the 2026 NFL season draws nearer, a new batch of player rankings has been revealed on Monday.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler polled NFL coaches and executives on the league's top 10 running backs, and Atlanta Falcons star Bijan Robinson topped the list ahead of Detroit Lions speedster Jahmyr Gibbs and Philadelphia Eagles veteran Saquon Barkley.

The full top 10 from Fowler's running backs poll is as follows:

1. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
2. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
3. Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
4. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
5. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
6. Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens
7. James Cook III, Buffalo Bills
8. De'Von Achane, Miami Dolphins
9. Kenneth Walker III, Kansas City Chiefs
10. Breece Hall, New York Jets

Fowler noted that Gibbs "registered nearly as many first-place votes" as Robinson, but Robinson's average rating of 1.78 in the composite voting gave him the edge. The 24-year-old led the NFL with 2,498 yards from scrimmage in 2025 while scoring a combined 11 touchdowns.

"Bijan is just more dynamic than the rest of the field in terms of creating positive runs despite blocking failure," an NFC executive said. "Combo of his bend, feet and agility. His size shows up with physicality. And while Gibbs is top-end faster, Bijan is still explosive in his own right, creating home run plays."

Still, some around the league maintained that Gibbs deserved the top spot, with one NFC exec pointing out, "He's got 39 [rushing] touchdowns in three years while splitting time. It's crazy." The Lions traded veteran ball-carrier David Montgomery to the Houston Texans this offseason, opening the door for Gibbs to reach even greater heights in Detroit.

"Your eyes tell you there's no one like him with the ball in his hands," an NFL coordinator said. "He plays with better pace because of his vision, and then the gear is different. You see him blow by guys with angles. And he's elite in the passing game."

Barkley was ranked No. 1 in last year's poll after achieving a 2,000-yard campaign in 2024, but his production slipped slightly last season. However, some around the league felt that the dip was due to the Eagles' lackluster year.

"I'm not going to penalize him for a terrible all-around offense last year," a high-ranking personnel official with an NFL team said. "He's still a three-down weapon and if I needed a running back for one season I'm still taking him 1."

San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey is also starting to show some signs of aging, but he still has the respect of the rest of the league.

"He's declined some -- I think you will see more juice if he doesn't have to be the focal point of both the run and pass game," an NFC executive said. "But he's such an elite overall player with versatility who takes care of himself that he can be a top guy for at least one more year."