Overlooked Rookie RBs Who Can Have a Major Impact on 2026 NFL Season

In recent years, the running back position has become devalued in the NFL draft.

But when the Arizona Cardinals made Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love the highest-drafted RB since Saquon Barkley in 2018, it appeared things might be changing—at least temporarily.

When the Seattle Seahawks drafted Love's Fighting Irish teammate, Jadarian Price, to close out Round 1, it marked the second straight season multiple backs were drafted in the first round.

After Price came off the board, though, the bottom fell out. Those two backs were the only taken inside the first 75 picks. Only one more ball-carrier went inside the top 100. Only 13 backs were taken in total.

However, just because the position flew under the radar a bit in 2026 doesn't mean those backs don't have an opportunity to make a dent with their new teams. There are some highly talented young runners who fell in the draft for whatever reason. Some of those backs landed in situations with a positive potential path to touches.

And there are a handful of running backs who have a real shot at making a significant contribution in the NFL in 2026.

Kaelon Black, San Francisco 49ers

AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

After a pair of running backs were selected in Round 1 this year, the third RB wasn't selected until late on Day 2.

That was Kaelon Black, who went to the San Francisco 49ers at No. 90 after rushing for 1,040 yards and 10 scores at Indiana last year.

Veteran fullback Kyle Juszczyk has been impressed by what he's seen from Black so far:

"I've been so impressed by Kaelon Black. Number one, he's a ball of muscle. This guy is absolutely jacked, and he's explosive. That's really what has stood out to me, is how twitchy and explosive he gets to that hole. He runs so hard, and you can feel that even in practice without pads on, which is unique because I know and I've felt it. I've been engaged in a block, and him just working through the hole and just being forced to run into that guy that I'm already engaged [with]. And I can feel that force that he was exerting. So, I've been really impressed with him physically. Mentally as well, he's just a guy that seems to get it, that works hard, that cares about the classroom. I think there's a lot of good things ahead of Kaelon, and I think he's going to help us."

Christian McCaffrey topped 2,000 total yards for the 49ers last year, but he's also a 30-year-old back coming off a season where he had a career-high 413 touches. After each of his first two 2,000-yard campaigns, he missed at least 13 games.

If McCaffrey goes down, Black is going to be thrust into a prominent role—potentially as San Francisco's lead back.

Jonah Coleman, Denver Broncos

AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Jonah Coleman had a productive career at the University of Washington, topping 1,000 yards on the ground in 2024 and scoring 25 times on the ground over the past two seasons.

However, Coleman didn't hear his name called until Day 3, when the Denver Broncos picked him at No. 108.

It's a pick that Justin Melo of Sports Illustrated believes could be the biggest steal of the draft in the backfield:

"Despite having J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey at the position, the Denver Broncos obviously weren't satisfied with the state of their running back position. That's precisely why they drafted Jonah Coleman in the fourth round. Coleman projects as a productive three-down back with excellent vision, contact balance, and patience. The hard-nosed runner is an average athlete, but possesses the intangibles required to eventually become a member of a one-two punch in Sean Payton's backfield."

The Broncos re-upped Dobbins in the offseason after he averaged five yards a carry in his first season in the Mile High City, but he also missed seven games for the fourth time in six seasons.

Harvey showed some flashes as a rookie, especially as a receiver out of the backfield, but he also averaged just 3.7 yards per carry.

At the very least, Coleman is going to be used to spell Dobbins in an effort to keep him healthy. It's not especially difficult to imagine Coleman eating into Harvey's share of the backfield workload.

And if Dobbins goes down (again), Coleman could go from Day 3 rookie to the lead back for a Super Bowl contender.

Nicholas Singleton, Tennessee Titans

AP Photo/Caleb Craig

Nicholas Singleton had something of an up-and-down career at Penn State.

The 6'0", 219-pounder eclipsed 1,000 yards on the ground twice, but his 2025 season was something of a letdown—just 549 yards on the ground.

However, Singleton scored at least a dozen touchdowns on the ground three times in four years, and the Tennessee Titans saw enough to use a fifth-round pick on the youngster.

That uneven play and a broken foot sustained at the Senior Bowl caused that slide into Day 3. But as Dane Brugler noted for The Athletic, Singleton also offers athletic potential that few backs in this class can match:

"Singleton is muscled up with the explosive speed to be a one-cut runner and home-run threat. Though he's one of the most impressive pound-for-pound athletes in the class, he can be a frustrating watch because of his inconsistent run discipline and vision. But he offers big-play potential with an exceptional blend of size and speed."

The Titans somewhat surprisingly didn't do a lot to upgrade the backfield in the offseason—it appears the team will open the season with the same Tony Pollard/Tyjae Spears combo as a year ago.

Pollard is a steady vet who has topped 1,000 rushing yards in four straight seasons, but he's not an especially explosive runner. Spears is a dangerous receiver out of the backfield, but he has had all kinds of trouble staying on the field.

If Singleton can impress in camp, he could push Spears for passing-down work. If Spears gets hurt again, Singleton won't even have to push.

Kaytron Allen, Washington Commanders

AP Photo/Nick Wass

Nicholas Singleton wasn't the only Penn State running back who was drafted this season. After setting a career high with 1,303 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns last year with the Nittany Lions, the Washington Commanders selected Kaytron Allen at No. 187 overall.

While speaking to reporters, the 5'11", 216-pounder said he's eager to try to carve out a role in Washington's offense this year:

"I'm ready to get to work right now. I feel like I'm a competitor, and me being in the room, I feel like it's going to make everybody better for sure. I just feel like when players around me, they got no other choice but to get better around me just because of my work ethic and how I go about playing football. I love football, so I put everything into it. And I just feel like if you're around me, you gotta love football, or if not, it's going to show. I feel like if they draft me, that means they want me to come there and do something special, and I'm ready for it. I'm ready for the challenge, and I'm ready to get to work, man."

The Commanders have already shown they will hand a large role in the backfield to a rookie. Last year, Jacory Croskey-Merritt went from a seventh-round pick to the lead back in the nation's capital.

This isn't to say Allen will immediately usurp Croskey-Merritt in that role in 2026.

But given his punishing running style, it would not be a surprise if Allen eventually claimed a larger share of the workload.

Demond Claiborne, Minnesota Vikings

AP Photo

At 5'8" and 188 pounds, Demond Claiborne isn't the biggest running back. The Wake Forest product fell all the way to the sixth round of this year's NFL draft before the Minnesota Vikings took a flier on him.

But what Claiborne lacks in size he makes up for with speed, elusiveness and the ability to do damage as a receiver out of the backfield, and while talking to reporters veteran running back Aaron Jones Sr. made a lofty comparison while talking about Claiborne's skill-set.

"You can tell he's special when he steps out there on the field. He has a different gear to him," Jones said. "Honestly, [he] looks a little bit like Jahmyr Gibbs in terms of that speed and that burst, so I'm excited to see it (during games), as well."

That's not the only eye-opening comp that Claiborne has earned—he has been called  a "Diet De'Von Achane."

That's pretty lofty praise.

Granted, the Minnesota backfield is fairly crowded—Jones is the Vikings' lead back, and Jordan Mason led the team in rushing last year and averaged 4.8 yards per attempt.

But Jones is a 31-year-old running back who missed five games in 2025, and while Mason is talented he has never had 160 carries in a season.

If Jones falters again, Claiborne is going to see significant action as the "lightning" component in a two-headed backfield. Even if Jones stays healthy, Claiborne brings some things to the table Minnesota's other backs do not.

He could easily open some eyes in his first professional season.