MADISON, WI - NOVEMBER 18: Wisconsin Badgers running back Braelon Allen (0) hits the open hole durning a college football game between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Wisconsin Badgers on November 18th, 2023 at Barry Alvarez field at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, WI. (Photo by Dan Sanger/Icon Sportswire)
Jonathan Brooks, Texas
Brooks will likely be the first running back off the board as long as teams are comfortable with his medical reports, and still might be drafted until the back half of the second round. Because of that, any of these guys can get drafted pretty much anywhere because if the team doesn't spend the draft capital on a running back, they don't necessarily have to give him significant usage in year one. With that being said, we will focus a bit more on fit and less on potential landing spots than the other positions we are covering.
The best fit for him and the most likely landing spot is the Minnesota Vikings. They need a back to pair with Aaron Jones and replace Dalvin Cook as the RB1 of the future. He may not be 100% to start the season coming off injury, but that works out with Jones getting the work early, with Brooks being eased into the league. As long as he returns to pre-injury form, he is the best back in this draft and one of the few potential bell-cows.
Benson has all the physical traits to be a stud in the league and a potential every-down back. However, it might take him a year to mentally get to the level he needs to be at for a team to trust him as their three-down back.
The best fit for him may be the New York Giants. As a rookie, he can get plenty of touches while still being the RB2 behind Devin Singletary, who is coming off a surprisngly strong season in Houston. By next season, the team will hope he looks like a stud RB1 that they can come as close as possible to replacing Saquon Barkley with.
Wright's speed jumps out at you when you watch him on the field. He also has the ability to be an excellent pass-catcher on the next level. We would love to see him go to San Francisco and be the RB2 behind Christian McCaffrey for a year or two before taking over as the lead back.
His skill set would blend incredibly well with Kyle Shanahan's system in San Fran. Although he may not get a ton of looks right away, he would be an absolute stud once he got his shot.
The big back could be the Derrick Henry replacement in Tennessee. It's the closest thing you're going to find to him in this draft. We aren't saying he's close to as good as Henry, he's a rare talent, but he could fill the much-needed void left by Henry in the offense.
Last year, we found out that Tony Pollard isn't an every-down back who can carry the load for an offense. Allen could be the perfect piece to wear down the defense before letting Pollard do his thing like he did in Dallas in 2022.
Marshawn Lloyd, USC
Lloyd could be destined for Dallas. They have been talking about bringing back Ezekiel Elliott, however, bringing in a rookie would be both cheaper and a long-term answer. None of the backs currently on the roster have the physical capability or talent to be an RB1.
There is no lack of talent with Lloyd, who is built to be a workhorse if you need him to be. His combination of speed, power and elusiveness gives him a ton of upside.
Tracy may have the most upside as a pass-catcher in this draft being that he was a four-year wideout in college before changing positions. Despite being a wideout for most of his college career, he doesn't look fundamentally bad as a running back on film.
The NFL comp we'd give is Cordarelle Patterson, which is why he should go to the Steelers with Arthur Smith, who used Patterson very well. Patterson is actually on the team but his playing days will be coming to an end soon.
Irving is an extremely elusive back and an outstanding pass-catcher. His size may limit him to a third-down role in the NFL, however, he has a shot to be one of the best in the game at that role.
He would be a perfect fit in New Orleans as the eventual pass-catching replacement for Alvin Kamara. Irving and Kendre Miller could give them an outstanding backfield duo for the next half-decade.
