2024 NFL Top Rookie Running Backs

Running Backs

Jonathon Brooks, Texas

With Bijan Robinson leading the Longhorns at running back in 2021 and 2022, Brooks only touched the ball 54 times. He gained 389 combined yards with seven touchdowns and three catches despite gaining 7.2 yards per touch. Last year, Texas gave him 212 chances, leading to 1,425 yards with 11 touchdowns and 25 catches over 10 games. From his third game through his 10th matchup, he averaged 159 yards while gaining more than 100 combined yards in each contest. Brooks suffered a torn right ACL in mid-November, ending his season.

Brooks runs with patience and eyes up, waiting for daylight at the line of scrimmage. His acceleration allows him to hit a hole with home run upside. His hands graded well, even with a short resume of chances. Brooks’s pass protection will be tested in the NFL, but he should improve in this area with more experience.

His explosiveness and potential third-down ability could be the missing link to a high-profile offense. Brooks has nine months to recover from his knee injury, suggesting a limited role in September. If he slides to a favorable price point, an NFL offense will gladly buy him at a discount.

Jaylen Wright, Tennessee

Over the past two seasons at Tennessee, Wright only had more than 15 rushes in five of his 25 contests. In 2023, he gained an impressive 7.4 yards per rush, helping him set a career-high in rushing yards (1,013) on 137 carries with four touchdowns. Wright also set a new top in catches (22) and receiving yards (141), but he failed to hit on big plays in his career catching the ball (5.7 yards per catch).

Wright posted a 4.38 40-yard dash at the NFL combines. He brings an outside home run style to the run game. His value in pass protection is in question, making him a change-of-pace runner. Wright must secure the ball better while improving his success in tight quarters. I expect him to develop as a pass catcher, but his ceiling early in his career points to eight to 10 touches per game.

Trey Benson, Florida State

Over the past two seasons, Benson gained 2,267 combined yards, 24 touchdowns, and 33 catches over 343 chances. He gained 6.1 yards per rush and 11.2 yards per catch. Last year, Benson gained more than 100 yards rushing only once (11/200/2) while averaging only 12 touches. He gained 80 of his 227 receiving yards on a scoring play against Wake Forest. His freshman season with Oregon ended before the season started with a right knee injury.

Benson is a between-the-tackles runner with the wiggle and power to make defenders miss in tight quarters. He ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at the NFL at the combine, showing his ability to finish runs over the long field if given daylight at the second level of the defense. His role/opportunity points to workhorse upside at the next level. Bensen will get plenty of opportunities at the goal line, with a chance to be active catching the ball, depending on the roster structure of his new home in the NFL. His vision must improve, and his speed is more built up than sudden. Benson should handle himself in pass protection.

MarShawn Lloyd, Southern Cal

Lloyd only had 325 touches over three seasons with South Carolina and USC. He had 129 chances in each of his final two years in college, with his best success coming in 2023 (1,052 combined yards with nine touchdowns and 13 catches), thanks to gaining 7.1 yards per rush and 17.8 yards per catch. Lloyd had two impact showings (14/154 with one catch for negative four yards and 17/115/2 with three catches for 72 yards). USC gave him fewer than 10 rushes in seven of his 11 games.

His college career started with a torn ACL in his left knee in 2020 at South Carolina. Lloyd has a dig-in-the-dirt running style, meaning his power step drives his upfield acceleration when seeing daylight through the line of scrimmage. He will run with patience with the power to finish runs. Lloyd ran a 4.46 40-yard dash in this NFL combine while benching 225 lbs. 25 times. I view him as a grinder back with flashes of explosive plays.

Tyrone Tracy, Purdue

By the fifth running back of research for the 2024 NFL Draft, the quality of this year’s class doesn’t stand out. Tracy saw minimal snaps at Iowa as a wide receiver over four seasons (66/871/5) before transferring to Purdue. In 2022, he gained 336 combined yards with 28 catches while failing to score. The Boilermakers switched him to running back last year, and Tracy responded with 113 rushes for 716 yards and eight touchdowns with 19 catches for 132 yards. His best play came in their ninth (174 combined yards with two touchdowns and a catch) and tenth (198 combined yards with one score and four catches) games.

Tracy is dangerous with the ball in his hands in the open field, and his experience as a wide receiver bodes well for his potential to catch the ball out of the backfield. He is willing to run inside while offering more upside when given space outside the tackles. Tracy turns 25 in November, leaving him with a short window to earn a check in the NFL. His next step is proving he can win in smaller running lanes. He returned kicks last year for Purdue, increasing his value at the next level. The question to be answered is: where has he been for five seasons?

Re'Mahn Davis, Kentucky

In his freshman season at Temple, Davis gained 1,117 combined yards, 10 touchdowns, and 15 catches on 208 touches. The following season, he struggled over four games, leading to him losing his starting job and jumping to Vanderbilt in 2021. Davis regained a prominent role over the past two years, leading to 2,663 combined yards with 29 touchdowns and 62 catches on 232 chances. His best play came in 2023 (199/1,129/14 with 33 catches for 323 yards and seven scores).

Davis had growth last year, especially in his playmaking as a receiver. He offered vision and short-area quickness, with a nose for the endzone. His acceleration range appears to be about 20 yards of giddy-up while offering 4.5 speed in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. Davis will compete for a backup role, with a chance to be a viable option on third downs. He is another player who will turn 25 in November.

Will Shipley, Clemson

Clemson gave Shipley three years of winning snaps, with his best play coming in his sophomore season (210/1,182/15 with 38 catches for 242 yards). Over 36 career games, he gained 3,350 combined yards with 33 touchdowns and 85 catches. Last year, he rushed for more than 100 yards only twice (17/114 and 18/126/1). Shipley suffered a right knee injury last December that appears to be minor.

Shipley ran most of his plays out of the shotgun formations with Clemson. He runs with shimmy through the line of scrimmage with the acceleration to win over the short areas of the field. When in space, his decision-making could be better to add more distance to his carries. Shipley doesn’t win with power, requiring him to find daylight quickly in tight quarters. His catching ability puts him on the field in passing situations while offering change-of-pace value on early downs.