Top 10 Running Back Prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft
Last Updated: June 01, 2026 | Source: Consensus rankings from 9 outletsThe 2026 running back class is led by Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price, Mike Washington Jr. Here's a breakdown of the top 10 prospects at the position, with scouting reports, measurables, and projected draft range.
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1. Jeremiyah Love — Notre Dame
Consensus Rank: #3 overall | Projection: Top 15 pick | Measurables: 6-0, 212.0 lbs, 4.36s 40, 32" armsJeremiyah Love is Notre Dame's explosive playmaker and positioned to be the first running back off the board in April. Standing at 6'0" and 214 pounds, Love boasts a rare combination of track-verified speed, agility, and power that make him a nightmare for opposing defenses. A decorated track athlete who won the Missouri Class 5 state title in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.
Strengths: Elite track-verified speed and acceleration (10.76 100m state champion) ... One-cut style runner who gets upfield quickly ... Excels in zone and outside zone schemes Concerns: Route running needs refinement beyond screens and check-downs ... Pass protection skills need work to be complete three-down back NFL Comparison: Travis Etienne with similar speed and versatility Full scouting report for Jeremiyah Love →---
2. Jadarian Price — Notre Dame
Consensus Rank: #53 overall | Projection: Second round | Measurables: 5-10, 203.0 lbs, 4.49s 40, 30" armsJadarian Price is an explosive, dynamic running back whose elite speed and big-play ability have made him one of the most intriguing complementary backs in the 2026 NFL Draft class. At 5'11", 209 pounds with a projected 4. 44 forty-yard dash, Price brings game-breaking ability despite serving as the backup to Heisman Trophy finalist Jeremiyah Love for the past two seasons.
Strengths: Elite speed with projected 4.44 forty-yard dash ... Big-play ability with five career 65+ yard TD runs ... Exceptional elusiveness forcing 30 missed tackles in 2025 Concerns: Limited workload history with just 6.8 carries per game average ... Never had more than 15 carries in a single game NFL Comparison: Explosive utility back Full scouting report for Jadarian Price →---
3. Mike Washington Jr — Arkansas
Consensus Rank: #86 overall | Projection: Day 2 | Measurables: 6-1, 223.0 lbs, 4.33s 40, 33" armsMike Washington Jr is a late-blooming physically imposing running back who traveled an unconventional path from two-star recruit at Buffalo to New Mexico State to finally breaking out at Arkansas in the SEC. At 6-0.5 and 228 pounds he has a muscle-bound frame built to absorb contact running with aggression and a strong forward lean that consistently falls forward after initial hits. Washington surpassed 1000 rushing yards for the first time in 2025 leading the Razorbacks backfield while averaging 3.
Strengths: Power and physicality with muscle-bound frame built to absorb contact ... Patience and vision pressing close to blockers before cutting through holes ... Surprisingly sharp jump cuts and agility for 228-pound frame Concerns: Serious ball security concern with 10 career fumbles seven in past two seasons ... Hip stiffness limiting sudden movement changes on wide zone runs NFL Comparison: Latavius Murray Full scouting report for Mike Washington Jr →---
4. Jonah Coleman — Washington
Consensus Rank: #101 overall | Projection: Day 3 | Measurables: 5-8, 220.0 lbs, 28" armsJonah Coleman is a high-floor running back who profiles as a three-down utility player in the NFL. The 5'9", 228-pound Washington tailback followed coach Jedd Fisch from Arizona where he appeared in all 25 games over two seasons, amassing 1,243 yards and 9 touchdowns. His junior campaign at Washington saw Coleman explode onto the national scene, churning out 1,053 yards and 10 touchdowns behind an inconsistent offensive line-becoming just the 15th player in Husky history to eclipse 1,000 yards while earning third-team All-Big Ten honors.
Strengths: High-end vision finding holes and creating openings ... Dense lower half absorbs contact and stays balanced ... Zero fumbles in 400+ career carries - elite ball security Concerns: Top-end speed is average at best ... Gets caught from behind on longer runs NFL Comparison: David Montgomery - grinding power back wearing down defenses Full scouting report for Jonah Coleman →---
5. Emmett Johnson — Nebraska
Consensus Rank: #114 overall | Projection: Day 3 | Measurables: 5-10, 202.0 lbs, 4.56s 40, 30" armsEmmett Johnson emerged as one of college football's most productive running backs in 2025, establishing himself as a legitimate Day 2 NFL Draft prospect with his combination of elite agility, receiving ability, and workhorse production. The Minneapolis native was named Minnesota's Mr. Football in 2021 before arriving at Nebraska, where he developed into the kind of three-down back that Matt Rhule's offense demanded.
Strengths: Elite lateral agility and movement skills among RB class ... Third-leading rusher in FBS with 1,451 yards in 2025 ... Led all FBS running backs in receptions (46) Concerns: Undersized at 5'11" 200 lbs for workhorse role ... Lacks power to consistently push piles NFL Comparison: Breece Hall (shifty zone runner with receiving chops) Full scouting report for Emmett Johnson →---
6. Kaytron Allen — Penn State
Consensus Rank: #136 overall | Projection: Day 3 | Measurables: 5-11, 216.0 lbs, 29" armsKaytron Allen has established himself as Penn State's featured running back and one of the top rushing prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft class after taking over the lead role from teammate Nick Singleton during a tumultuous 2024 season. The 5-11, 217-pound running back broke out with a 145-yard performance against Iowa despite Penn State's 3-4 start and season-ending injury to quarterback Drew Allar. Allen has carried the offensive load with 98 rushe's for 612 yards and 9 touchdowns through the early portion of the season, demonstrating the ability to produce despite defenses keying on him as the primary offensive threat.
Strengths: Proven workhorse capability with 98 carries through partial 2024 season demonstrates ability to handle featured back workload at NFL level ... Excellent production efficiency averaging 6.2 yards per carry with 612 yards and 9 touchdowns shows explosive playmaking and finishing ability ... Physical running style with force allows him to break tackles, fall forward for extra yards, and consistently move chains in short-yardage situations Concerns: Limited sample size as feature back - primarily 2024 production raises questions about consistency over multiple seasons as workhorse ... Height at 5-11 is slightly undersized for NFL running back, may struggle to see over offensive line in pass protection Full scouting report for Kaytron Allen →---
7. Nick Singleton — Penn State
Consensus Rank: #144 overall | Projection: Day 3 | Measurables: 6-0, 219.0 lbs, 4.33s 40, 31" armsNick Singleton arrived at Penn State as the Gatorade Player of the Year and immediately delivered on the hype, rushing for over 1,000 yards as a true freshman while averaging an explosive 6. 8 yards per carry. The Reading, Pennsylvania native has maintained elite production throughout his career, averaging 6. 4 yards per attempt in 2024 with 1,099 yards and 12 touchdowns while adding 41 catches for 375 yards and five receiving scores.
Strengths: Excellent vision allows him to identify and set up run lanes effectively, reading the line of scrimmage and finding creases to exploit creatively ... Elite lateral agility enables him to string together multiple moves-jump cuts, spin moves, hurdling defenders-to navigate through traffic and gain extra yards ... Possesses both quick acceleration and top-end speed with 4.33 forty time, separating from defenders and creating explosive plays in the open field consistently Concerns: Generally maintains contact balance to gain extra yards, but there are moments where defenders can trip him up causing him to lose balance and miss opportunities for bigger gains ... Often relies on his exceptional athleticism to evade defenders rather than consistently lowering his pads and running through contact when power is needed NFL Comparison: Elite speed back (4.33) with three-down versatility Full scouting report for Nick Singleton →---
8. Demond Claiborne — Wake Forest
Consensus Rank: #149 overall | Projection: Day 3 | Measurables: 5-9, 188.0 lbs, 4.37s 40, 30" armsDemond Claiborne is a dynamic playmaker who became the first Wake Forest running back since Cade Carney in 2018 to eclipse the thousand-yard mark. At 5'10" and 195 pounds, he's undersized but makes up for it with hyperactive leg churn, surprising lean mass, wiry strength, and elite contact balance. Claiborne torched ACC defenses in 2024 for 1,049 yards and 11 touchdowns on 228 carries while hauling in 23 passes for 254 yards and 2 scores-earning third-team All-ACC honors as both a running back and all-purpose threat.
Strengths: Elite contact balance despite undersized frame ... Devastating evasion fusion with vertical explosiveness ... Rapid recalibration and lateral burst Concerns: Undersized at 5'10" 195 lbs ... Lacks mass to work through cluttered interior gaps NFL Comparison: Complementary back with crazy agility and twitch Full scouting report for Demond Claiborne →---
9. Le'Veon Moss — Texas A&M
Consensus Rank: #160 overall | Projection: Day 3 | Measurables: 5-11, 203.0 lbs, 4.58s 40, 31" armsLe'Veon Moss is a talented three-down running back from Texas A&M who excels in gap scheme and downhill running concepts with the vision patience and short-area quickness to be a productive NFL back. A former 4-star recruit and All-SEC Second Team selection Moss rushed for 765 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024 before being sidelined with an injury suffered against Florida. At 6-0 and 210 pounds Moss runs well behind his pads between the tackles powering through arm tackles and pushing piles with strong leg drive.
Strengths: Gap scheme and downhill running specialist who runs well behind his pads ... 22 career rushing touchdowns showing elite goal-line and short-yardage production ... Good short-area quickness and suddenness accelerating through lanes Concerns: High and upright running style limiting speed-to-power conversion ... Questionable top-end speed despite track background caught from behind too often NFL Comparison: Josh Jacobs (less explosive) Full scouting report for Le'Veon Moss →---
10. Seth McGowan — Kentucky
Consensus Rank: #162 overall | Projection: Day 3 | Measurables: 6-0, 223.0 lbs, 4.49s 40, 31" armsSeth McGowan is a physically gifted downhill running back who took a winding five-school journey from Oklahoma to Texas College to Butler Community College to New Mexico State and finally to Kentucky where he produced 12 scrimmage touchdowns in 2025. A former consensus four-star recruit McGowan flashed at Oklahoma as a true freshman averaging 6. 4 yards per carry before being released from the program following legal issues.
Strengths: Impressive acceleration and burst through creases for a 215-pound back ... Aggressive downhill north-south running style wearing defenses down ... Goal-line effectiveness with 12 scrimmage touchdowns in final season Concerns: Will turn 26 during rookie season extremely old for an NFL running back ... Off-field concerns released from Oklahoma following legal issues in 2021 NFL Comparison: Isiah Pacheco / Damien Harris Full scouting report for Seth McGowan →---