• Jeanty stands alone at the top: Ashton Jeanty‘s talent and production at Boise State allow him to garner nearly every superlative despite a loaded RB class.

• A class with many styles: Powerful runners, explosive athletes, and dynamic receivers are available for all teams deep into Day 3 of draft weekend.

• 2025 NFL Draft season is here: Try PFF’s best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2025’s top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.

Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

The 2025 NFL Draft class features an incredible running back class with top-end talent and depth that hasn’t been seen in quite a while. It’s a far cry from the lack of such depth we saw in last year’s class, as so many of college football’s best rushers returned to school for another year of seasoning. 

Not only are there talented players, but there are many different types of players who will bring broad appeal, even to teams who may not appear to need help at the position. There are plenty of angles to take with regard to the analysis of this class, starting at the very top with a record-setting player with special talent.

In a stacked class, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty stands alone at the top

A comparison of so many traits can be used to evaluate this running back class, but even with the amount of talent to choose from this year, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty is clearly the best amongst the group. His combination of speed, strength, vision, tackle-breaking ability and receiving prowess makes him worthy of a top-10 selection.

Ashton Jeanty rushing ranks in PFF History (since 2014):

The eye test and a sweep of the analytics both display Jeanty as an elite talent on the level of Bijan Robinson, Saquon Barkley and other elite running backs who have been selected in the first round over the past decade.

There shouldn’t be a question about the level of competition he played in the Mountain West, either. He dominated that level at a rarely seen rate while racking up production against Power Four squads like Washington, UCF, UCLA, Oregon and Penn State throughout his career. Jeanty flashed his ability as a receiver as well, posting a 91.6 receiving grade in 2023.

Jeanty’s all-around talent is special and could be even more effective behind an NFL offensive line and within a professional passing game that actually threatens a defense. The New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders and Chicago Bears should all put heavy consideration into selecting him in the top 10.

A class full of tackle breakers

The best running backs in the NFL are the ones who can shake off tacklers in one-on-one situations. Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs and Bijan Robinson have proven that this skill makes a huge difference for tallying production beyond what the offensive line provides.

Many of college football’s best tackle breakers are among this year’s running back class.

MTF per attempt for 2025 Draft class since 2022

College running backs who can ascend above the 0.3 missed tackles forced per attempt – averaging three missed tackles per 10 attempts – mark for a sustained amount of time are the ones to look for. Several players in this draft sit above that threshold during the past three seasons, including Virginia Tech’s Bhayshul Tuten, who sits just barely behind Jeanty’s class-leading 0.38 mark.

Several other excellent players – DJ Giddens, Damien Martinez, Quinshon Judkins and Kaleb Johnson – sit just below this cutoff over this three-year period, further suggesting that this is an extremely deep group of tackle breakers heading into the NFL.

Yards after contact machines

Some running backs dance around tacklers, while others run directly through them. Predictably, Jeanty sits atop the yards after contact leaderboards, including a record-shattering total of 1,970 in 2024. However, several players in this class appear fully ready for the physicality of the NFL.

Yards after Contact per attempt for 2025 draft class since 2022:

Racking up over four yards per attempt after contact is extremely productive for any team’s rushing offense. Jeanty stands alone at the top again, but it’s not surprising to see North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton and Miami’s Damien Martinez near the top of this leaderboard as well. Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo, maybe the toughest runner in the class, isn’t far behind.

If a team is searching for a powerful player, one who may be tough to tackle in the cold postseason weather, they’ll have plenty of options throughout this draft class.

Home run hitters

When you examine the success of elite backs like Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley, they turn productive runs into explosive runs often. Postseason included, those were the two leaders in 10-plus yard runs this past season. Both had outstanding years, including Barkley winning a Super Bowl in Philadelphia.

Several running backs in this year’s class spent their careers, particularly 2024, gashing defenses with their explosive rushing ability and speed.

FBS explosive run ranks (2024):

Many of college football’s most explosive runners will be available in this year’s class. RJ Harvey gets it done with outstanding speed and vision. Hampton and Skattebo make it happen with brute force, though Hampton certainly has a nice top gear for his size.

The above chart doesn’t even include lower volume speedsters like TreVeyon Henderson or Jaydon Blue, who both made efficient use of their touches in deep running back units. There certainly isn’t a shortage of home run hitters in this running back class.

Dynamic Receivers

Truly dynamic running backs can also add an explosive element to the passing game. There will be a plethora of dynamic pass catchers who have proven it at the college level and will be available to teams throughout this draft.

Receiving Grades among 2025 HBs since 2023:

The depth of this class shows again as we see some names we hadn’t in the previous charts. Brashard Smith, a former wide receiver, is someone who should intrigue teams in the middle rounds with his ability to run routes from anywhere on the field. Syracuse’s LeQuint Allen led all FBS running backs in receptions in 2024, just as Tampa Bay Buccaneers standout Bucky Irving did at Oregon in 2023,.

Not only is this running back class filled with dynamic rushers, but also with terrific receivers who should be productive on passing downs. Teams who may not have running back as a primary need will probably select a player or two from this class just to add talent and depth to their rosters. The running back renaissance is officially here.