For what it’s worth, when we are first scouting these rookie prospects, you have to leave room to be wrong and adjust. We will be receiving constant updates and news as the pre-draft process takes place.
In today’s article, I’ll be bringing you Part 1 of my Rookie RB series, covering my Top 5 Rookie RBs from a scouting lens and discussing the possibility of outcomes. The fact is, a lot will change with these guys due to draft capital, landing spots, and schemes they are drafted into. But keeping an eye on these players now is key and will get you ahead of many. Knowledge is key. Understanding these players’ profiles now will help you during the draft process.
Film vs. Analytics
I am a believer in watching film on these rookie prospects. However, please do not ignore the analytics, as they play a large role. A lot can differ between what the game film and analytics show, so you need both to see the complete picture. Sometimes, we miss guys by ignoring our very own eye test. Film is important, but many times, using it alone is misleading.
Over the next few months, much of what we think about these players’ values will change, from the analytics we know now to their height and weight. There may be a running back we think is 6’1″ and 215 lbs who ends up measuring in at 5’10 and 205 lbs. That’s just the range of outcomes we see yearly from some of these players.
NFL Draft CapitalÂ
Before we dive into my Top 5 rookie RB prospects, I’d like to throw out examples of two previous prospects where everything changed during the NFL Draft. I was terrified in the 2023 evaluation process of QB Malik Willis. Pre-draft, consensus had him as a top pick in Superflex. For the ones who did startups or rookie drafts before the actual NFL draft and selected Willis, it bit them big at the price it took to acquire him. The actual NFL draft changed everything regarding his fantasy value.
In 2024, a player that comes to mind is WR Troy Franklin. Coming off his final season in college and the entire pre-draft process, I LOVED Troy Franklin. But he fell in the draft and didn’t get the draft capital most thought he would. That changed everything. We can’t ignore what the NFL tells us about a player during the actual draft. The fact of the matter is that the Dynasty price of these players can change drastically after the NFL Draft. However, it’s still up to us to find the guys who were devalued as well. Dig up that diamond in the dirt. WR Puka Nacua is one example of this type of prospect. It’s up to us to adjust what we need to, as far as these players’ values go after the draft. We have to adapt either way. What ADP a prospect is sitting at right now will not be their ADP post-draft. Until then, we are making educated guesses based on our findings from their analytics and film. We are at a time of the year when everyone has different opinions about these players.
2025 vs. 2024 RB Class
Truth be known, many of these players we are going to talk about in this series come from college with some real success. And many of them just won’t pan out in the NFL. At the same time, many players from this past season did work out. Very few who did work out were running backs – essentially just Tyrone Tracy and Bucky Irving. These two guys, you got value in the past draft. The many top guys drafted above them did not give us the production these two players gave. We have so many guys we scout for so many to bust. It boils down to hitting on the skill set of these guys correctly.
However, this year is entirely different than last year. Last year, we witnessed a QB/WR-heavy class. The running back impact was low. This year, we see the loaded running back class to come. I’m not saying there aren’t other good positional players that are studs in this draft. But it doesn’t appear it will be anything like last year’s draft. This year, we have running backs who offer skill sets the previous year’s class didn’t. Looking at last year’s class, we had Jonathan Brooks as the top running back, with Trey Benson as the RB2. This year, we know a handful of these guys are better. If the running backs of this class had been in last year’s class, Brooks or Benson would not have been at the top of the list. Perspective: I think back to last year before we knew if TreVeyon Henderson would enter the draft, but many had him over Brooks on their big board. There is something else to speak on: we recently had our DFF League of Record startup draft. I selected Trey Benson at 153 overall. Eight rookie RBs in the 2025 class were selected ahead of him. Clearly, there’s a lot to be excited about here. With that out of the way, let’s get to Part 1, with my 1-5 Rookie RB rankings.
1. Ashton Jeanty – Boise State
The Top RB to list here is obvious. This is the guy we all know. When splitting hairs, the biggest knock to Jeanty is he didn’t play in a Power 5 conference. However, he performed against some Power 5 conference teams. And what’s not to love about his game? That stiff arm! It’s as if his arm is made of bionic steel, which works well with his shorter height. 151 missed tackles in college football, that’s a record. It is like Jeanty was guaranteed to break tackles every single play. His play style, along with his speed and his burst, is elite. He is different from what we are used to. I see him as a Bijan, but faster! I honestly have him ahead of Bijan as far as a prospect. Don’t mistake that for rankings. Personally ranking Jeanty now, before his destination is determined, I have him RB 3 overall, only behind Bijan and Gibbs.
2. Omarion Hampton – North Carolina
At #2 on my list, we have an LA 4-star recruit, Mr. Football of North Carolina. Hampton already appears to be a full-grown man with a three-down build. Despite QB Drake Maye entering the NFL, he proved himself even further this season. They had a different offensive line. Their starting quarterback got injured in Week 1. With so many changes and cards stacked against Hampton’s success rate, the man ended up being an absolute monster this past season. He had over 1,600 rushing yards and 38 receptions with 15 touchdowns. This man is a beast at 6’0 tall and 220 lbs. He’s currently 21 years of age and about to be 22. He is the ideal workhorse running back.
There is a chance he gets drafted in the first round, but I don’t see any way he falls out of Round 2. The draft capital should be very good. An RB with this capital will go as a top pick in our Dynasty drafts. He is the consensus 2nd RB off the boards. Analytically, he looks great. When watching him, I didn’t see a lot of great make-you-miss ability, but he makes up for that by being a bruising plow-you-over runner. He uses that big-bodied physicality. Also, he is an incredible pass-blocker. He is a very well-rounded back. Hampton has tremendous balance; wimpy tackles will not stop him.
3. TreVeyon Henderson – Ohio State
Henderson was a 4-year guy at Ohio State. His best trait is his vision. His footwork is good, his speed is fantastic, and he has the speed to burst to the outside. He also has smooth hands for receiving. He’s one of those guys who keeps his eyes on the ball when receiving and doesn’t miss a beat. His labeled weight right now is 215 when I looked it up. This is one where I could see him weighing in 10 lbs less at the NFL Combine. Henderson emerged as a freshman, where he had his best season statistically overall. Of all these backs, he may fit today’s NFL the most with the timeshares. He could excel in say a 60/40 split, with Henderson getting the 60%.
4. Kaleb Johnson – Iowa
Big boy, big runner. I believe Johnson needs the right landing spot. He has the highest dominator rating (52%) of last year than anyone in this class. Not to take anything away from him, but it’s fair for us to credit this to his offensive line. These hogs created some massive lanes for him to run through. They were awesome! His production and body size tells us he should make it. He may go in the back of the second round, but more than likely into the third. Don’t crucify me for this, but I see a lot of Derrick Henry-type running from Kaleb without the size and 250-pound frame of Henry. I’m only comping with the run style. But he’s not as strong or nearly fast as Henry in the open field. I see Kaleb and Henry running similarities after watching his tape. He’s just not the same type of human as Henry. The better comp could be DeMarco Murray, but the running style is more of Henry. Johnson is very explosive, running in a straight line. He has a lot of speed for the big size that he is. He could give us 4.4 40 speed at 220 lbs. His receiving game can’t be talked up much because we just didn’t see much of it. If you give him space, though, his speed will break the defense. I think pre-draft, I prefer Kaleb over Judkins; that may change with what the NFL tells us though
5. Quinshon Judkins – Ohio State
Buckeyes’ previous RB we discussed (TreVeyon Henderson) teammate from Ohio State. Judkins was the bigger back that the Buckeyes preferred to have run into the beef of the defense. Judkins is the guy who will need the volume. If he gets 18-20 carries a game, he’s going to give us a nice production. I just don’t think he will give us the fluidity that Henderson will give us. Just watching the two, Henderson is more fluid and the better talent. I think Henderson has more explosive stuff that will benefit us for fantasy. But Judkins is the guy who gives us the better opportunity to produce double-digit touchdowns. He is just not the athlete that Henderson is. But he will punish the opposing defense with an aggressive smash-mouth style of running. The NFL Draft will more than likely determine between Henderson and Judkins who is the top RB of the two in this class. But during the pre-draft process, I do have TreVeyon over Judkins.
