Football season is coming and everybody’s already excited for the gridiron action to come. Before you dive into all the hullabaloo concerning the upcoming NFL season, you’ll need to know the best players to look out for. Here we bring you the top 10 running backs heading into the 2015-16 NFL Regular Season.
Get a sneak peak on the best players on offense with our lists of top 10 quarterbacks and wide receivers.
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Top 10 Running Backs in 2015-16
10. Justin Forsett, Baltimore Ravens
[sc:NFL240banner ]Nobody benefitted from the release of Ray Rice more than journeyman running back Justin Forsett. Many believed that the Baltimore Ravens would turn to a running-back-by-committee backfield last season, only for Forsett to steal the spotlight. He ran for career-highs of 1,266 yards and eight touchdowns on 235 carries. His 5.4 yards per carry was the best among all running backs in the league, but his age (he turns 30 in October) and size (he’s only 5’8” and under 200 lbs.) leave some questions ahead of the season.
9. Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints
Considering how the Saints struggled to gain any footing in 2014, Mark Ingram’s 964 yards and nine touchdowns seem very impressive. The Saints may emphasize the running game now especially after shipping off tight end Jimmy Graham to Seattle. Ingram has the size (215 lbs.) and the offensive line (ranked ninth in run blocking in 2014 as per PFF) needed to possibly top 1,000 yards this season.
8. LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills
LeSean McCoy had some awesome numbers in 2014, rushing for at least 80 yards in nine of his last 12 games to finish with 1,319 yards and five touchdowns for the season with the Philadelphia Eagles. Eagles head coach Chip Kelly hauled in DeMarco Murray through free agency though, and shipped McCoy over to Buffalo. McCoy may find plenty of success with the Bills and Rex Ryan’s preferred run-first offense.
7. Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals
Giovani Bernard went down due to injury last season, but Cincinnati rookie Jeremy Hill filled in for him nicely. Hill became a reliable back topping 140 yards four times in nine contests, finishing the season with 1,124 yards and nine touchdowns. It gets even better with Hill; he’s also a decent blocker in passing situations. His ability to pound past potential tacklers in the run should also mean more touchdowns for the second-year player.
6. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
Adrian Peterson is back and ready to take the gridiron by storm, but he’s not quite happy with the Minnesota Vikings. Peterson felt betrayed by the organization after he missed 15 games last season due to a domestic abuse allegation. But still, he’s being a trooper and will do his job nonetheless. He also promised to shock the world perhaps to the tune of 2,000-plus yards akin to his 2012 MVP winning season.
5. Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers
Le’Veon Bell could be much higher up these rankings if not for being suspended for the first two games of the regular season due to violating the league’s substance abuse policy last year. The Steelers running back is entering the season on the heels of a largely successful 2014 campaign. Bell ran for 1,361 yards and eight scores while also catching 83 passes for 854 yards and three touchdowns.
4. Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs
Jamaal Charles had his lowest workload since his 2008 rookie season after finishing with only 206 carries in 2014. But he made the most out of those carries, putting up 1,033 yards and nine touchdowns over 15 games; he ranked fourth among running backs averaging five yards per carry. What makes Charles so dangerous is his pass-catching ability; he caught 40 passes for 291 yards and five touchdowns last season.
3. Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers
Eddie Lacy has tacked on back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons with 20 total rushing touchdowns in his first two years in the league. That makes the 5’11”, 230 lbs. running back even scarier. Lacy should continue to improve despite still being a young stud at 25 years of age. He’s already shown considerable growth as a pass catcher, catching 42 passes for 427 yards and four touchdowns last season.
Having 2014 NFL MVP Aaron Rogers terrorizing opponents with a cannon of an arm should also free up some space for Lacy to wreak havoc on the ground.
2. DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys
DeMarco Murray had a monster of a 2014 regular season, leading the league with a career-high 1,845 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns with the Dallas Cowboys. His stellar performance alone should make him the No. 1 running back heading into the 2015 season.
Wear and tear may be an issue after carrying the ball a career-high 392 times though, which also prevented the Cowboys from offering him a new contract. Murray was picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles through free agency, and should be solid if he remains as good as he was last season.
1. Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks had a dream scenario at Super Bowl XLIX. While down 28-24, they had the ball on the New England Patriots’ one-yard line with 26 seconds remaining, and they also happened to have one of the league’s best running backs in Marshawn Lynch.
It’s easy to think Lynch would get the ball to punch it in for the victory. Instead, the Seahawks elected for a pass play, which resulted in a game-sealing interception for New England. Lynch is back and should be as good as he’s always been after leading the league with 13 rushing touchdowns last season.
