Categorizing the 2025 NFL Draft RB Class

Christian Williams breaks the rookie running back class into groups to help contextualize rankings ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Rankings without context can be misleading and frustrating (says the person who makes a living from ranking players). The 2025 NFL Draft running back class is full of potential impact players, with many serving as specialists. Being a specialist isn’t necessarily bad, but it can change floors, ceilings, and the fantasy football impact of a player. To contextualize this, I’ve separated this running back class into categories: workhorse, change-of-pace, early-down, passing-down, and boom-or-bust.

Workhorse Backs

A workhorse back is a player who can stay on the field for all three downs without suffering in efficiency. These are your 300+ snap, 250+ carry running backs that can impact the passing game meaningfully. Classification as a workhorse doesn’t mean that’s the role a player will receive, but it’s a role they could inherit without concerns.

Ashton Jeanty | Boise State

5084 | 211 LBS | RAS: N/A | Position Rank: 1 | Prospect Grade: 88.61

Jeanty is a patient, explosive back with a strong receiving skill set (though evaluators will have to watch the 2023 season for proof). He’s a powerful player (he squats over 600 pounds) who continuously churns his legs and gains extra yards; defenders struggle to knock him backward despite his shorter, more diminutive stature. He has elite vision, consistently manipulating linebackers and creating holes for himself. The game seems very slow for him, and that processing should lead to early success at the NFL level. He consistently displays elite footwork, which helps him navigate tight spaces between the tackles with ease. He’s a super-powered version of Maurice Jones-Drew, who eclipsed 299 carries thrice in his career. Considering Jeanty's consensus top-ten NFL Draft pick projection, he should receive every opportunity to be a workhorse back when he hits the NFL field.

NFL Comparison: Maurice Jones-Drew

Omarion Hampton | North Carolina

5116 | 221 LBS | RAS: 9.68 | Position Rank: 2 | Prospect Grade: 79.87

Hampton’s light feet, decisiveness, and one-cut ability separate him from most big backs in this class. He hugs his blocks well, helping him remain slippery, yet arguably the most powerful in the class. He’s an excellent athlete with above-average speed and burst through the line of scrimmage. He has scheme versatility, though his best work comes between the tackles, navigating tight spaces incredibly well for a big back. He has remarkable contact balance, bouncing off arm tackles and using his powerful leg drive to gain extra yards. As a receiver, Hampton is compelling enough to stay on the field. He ranked eighth in the FBS in receiving yards among running backs, despite catching mostly dump-offs. He averaged 11.7 yards after the catch per reception, ranking 20th in college football and third among 2025 NFL Draft prospects. He probably won’t make a living running Texas and seam routes, but he can have a passing-game impact similar to Josh Jacobs or David Montgomery in the NFL.

NFL Comparison: Deuce McAlister

Quinshon Judkins | Ohio State

5115 | 221 LBS | RAS: 9.87 | Position Rank: 6 | Prospect Grade: 75.11

Judkins improved drastically from 2023 to 2024, showing off more burst, vision, and desire to be great down the stretch of Ohio State’s national championship run. He runs with power and aggression, consistently breaking tackles with leg drive and strength in his lower half. He isn’t the most elusive back in the open field. Still, his ability to get to the open field in the first place is impressive, as he regularly displays patience, above-average footwork, and burst through the first line of defense. He struggles as a pass-blocker but has an adequate frame and showed coachability throughout the 2024 season, offering promise that he could improve. As a receiver, he shows strong hands and the ability to be more than just a checkdown option. There are still unknowns in his receiving game, as he shared a field with one of the best receiving backs in the country in 2024. Still, Judkins has an intriguing skill set that NFL teams could highly covet this spring.

NFL Comparison: Marion Barber

Devin Neal | Kansas

5111 | 213 LBS | RAS: 7.85 | Position Rank: 12 | Prospect Grade: 73.61

Neal is one of the more unique players in the draft class. He’s a patient runner with excellent vision and the ability to make defenders miss in space, but his initial burst is some of the worst in the class, making for a strenuous evaluation. Neal had arguably his best year in 2024, despite Kansas having one of their worst. His 207 yards and three scores against Colorado were the high point of his season, as he showed off every elite skill in his bag, consistently splitting defenders, shaking them in space, and breaking off explosives. He also got caught from behind regularly, displaying the speed problems that often popped up throughout his career. Neal plays with an outstanding tempo, putting defenders on their heels and negating his athletic deficiencies. His receiving skill set isn’t as advanced as others in the workhorse-back category. Still, he’s consistently shown creativity as a receiver, and his improvements in pass protection suggest he can sustain a workhorse role.

NFL Comparison: Bucky Irving

Change-of-Pace Backs

Change-of-pace backs are vital in today’s NFL; Jahmyr Gibbs, De’Von Achane, James Cook, Chase Brown, and Kyren Williams fell into this category as prospects, and each has claimed a massive share of their respective backfields early in their careers. A change-of-pace classification doesn’t suggest the player is less talented, but a power back who can handle a more significant workload would help increase their efficiency. Change-of-pace backs can evolve into workhorses, depending on their playcaller and scheme.

TreVeyon Henderson | Ohio State

5101 | 202 LBS | RAS: 8.82 | Position Rank: 3 | Prospect Grade: 77.04

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