With the upcoming season quickly approaching, I’m going to be taking a look at the landscape of the NFL, position by position, over the course of the next several weeks. We’ll be talking about the who’s who of the NFL in our own little version of the NFL Network’s “Top 100 Players” bit they do every year. Up next, we have the running backs!
THE TOP 10 NFL RUNNING BACKS FOR 2019
Conspicuous by his absence: Le’Veon Bell – I know that everyone thinks because of the immense talent Bell possesses that he’ll just be an instant fit in New York, but the guy had a year away from football, and it’s the fucking Jets we’re talking about here. My “bold prediction” for 2019 – Bell doesn’t crack the top 10 rushing seasons.
10. Nick Chubb/Kerryon Johnson (tie) – It’s my list, I can do what I want to. Really, I just wanted to mention both of these guys. Chubb is undoubtedly going to break 1,000 yards this season, but Johnson is my big sleeper pick at the position for 2019.
I know the Browns brought in Kareem Hunt, but man – when the Browns finally decided to start giving Chubb carries last October, he became the fuckin’ GUY. He had a whopping 16 carries for 193 yards the first six games of 2018. But, from October 21st (against Tampa Bay) on, he was a FORCE, finishing the season with 996 yards and eight touchdowns. Until further notice, that’s HIS backfield in Cleveland, and I think he’s easily one of the 10 best backs in the league.
Now, on to Johnson. 641 yards in 2018 isn’t exactly going to wow anyone, but his situation wasn’t so different from Chubb’s. Entering the season as a rookie, he wasn’t atop the depth chart – that was LeGarrette Blount. And, they tried to ride Blount in the running game, giving him 154 carries to Johnson’s 118. But, Johnson outperformed, averaging 5.4 yards per carry to Blount’s 2.7.
Blount’s no longer in Detroit – but C.J. Anderson is. I understand that people are concerned about that timeshare, and the knee injury that kept Johnson out of some games last year. But, if I’m Matt Patricia – the writing’s on the wall. Johnson’s the bell cow. They’ve made over the offensive line in the last few seasons. Back in January, they hired run-first philosopher Darrell Bevell to serve as offensive coordinator. This could be the year that it all comes together for this Lions run game.
So, I’m calling my shot – Kerryon Johnson’s going to be the breakout back of 2019.
9. David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals – Johnson topped 100 yards just once last season. That’s a far cry from the performance he gave in 2016, when I thought he should’ve been considered for NFL MVP honors. But, I think the Cardinals offense is going to be significantly improved in 2019, and we should see closer to 2016 numbers than 2018 numbers this season.
8. Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers – Gordon’s 2018 was still a relative success given he only played in 12 games. He’s still one of the all-around most talented backs in the league, playing on a great offense to boot. Despite the ongoing contract standoff, I still say he ends up having a great 2019.
7. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals – There were a few quiet 1,000-yard rushers in 2018, but Mixon was chief among them. I think that’s sort of indicative of Mixon’s game as a whole – he’s not going to leap off the page at you, but he’s steady and consistent when given carries. I expect him to get an increased workload in 2019, so expect another quietly solid year from the guy who dropped a woman in a restaurant (fuck Joe Mixon).
6. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans – Y’all are going to call me a homer. And, maybe I do have my two-tone blue blinders on. But, ffs no running back finished 2018 hotter than Henry did. This Titans offense is still going to be a run-heavy unit, the offensive line has gotten better in front of him, so what reason do we have to think this isn’t going to translate into 2019? If you project his numbers from the last four games of 2018 to a full season, you’re looking at 2,340 yards and 28 touchdowns. No, I don’t think we’ll quite get those numbers, but I think 2019 will be Henry’s official coming-out party.
5. Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams – I know Gurley’s 2018 campaign fizzled out pretty unspectacularly due to a knee injury, but he’s saying it’s fine. Now, whether it really is fine or this is the equivalent of hearing “I’m fine” after asking your girlfriend what’s wrong remains to be seen. I still think Gurley is one of the best traditional style running backs in the league, and the dude is a touchdown machine, scoring 17 times in 2018. If he’s healthy, I think he’s still a top five grinder.
4. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers – McCaffrey crept into the top six in rushing last season after a 1,098-yard rushing season. Combine that with his 107 receptions for 867 yards and he was just 35 yards shy of 2,000 total yards. He’s the key cog in that Panthers offense, and I think another year of experience puts him in the elite category of NFL running backs.
3. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints – Kamara may be the best dual-threat running back in the NFL. He’s easily on the Mount Rushmore of the position, and now, he doesn’t have to split time with Mark Ingram (and I know the Saints signed Latavius Murray, but come on…). The Saints offense has been the Drew Brees show for over a decade now, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see this year turn into the Alvin Kamara show in New Orleans.
2. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants – Don’t be surprised if Barkley steps up and becomes the best running back in the league this season. If the Giants can get any improvement along the offensive line at all, it should bode well for Barkley. He showed last season that he can shoulder the burden of carrying an offense, so I’m not worried about the question marks at quarterbacks – this guy could become the most talented back in the NFL. He had 2,028 total yards in 2018, and I don’t see any reason (other than injury) to think he can’t do that again.
1. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys – Maybe it’s a cop out, but it’s hard not to absolutely love what Elliott has in Dallas. One of the best offensive lines in the league, plus, that whole ‘immense talent’ thing. He led the league in rushing a season ago with 1,434 yards. Given his combination of ability and the situation he’s in in Dallas, I don’t think his status as #1 changes. The king stay the king.
OTHER 2019 NFL TOP 10S
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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