The running back position may be devalued in the NFL, but that doesn't mean some very good prospects enter the league every year, and the 2020 NFL Draft class is no different. While there may not be an elite first-round player, teams will be finding productive backs well into Day 3. Here are the five best.
5. J.K. Dobbins, Ohio State
Dobbins may not be spectacular at any one thing, but he has no true weaknesses and is truly a complete back in this NFL Draft. At 5'9″ 209 lbs he has very good size and is able to pound the ball between the tackles with no issue. His breakaway speed is solid, his vision is excellent, and he is a legitimate threat in the passing game. Dobbins was very good as a freshman, gaining 1,403 yards and seven touchdowns on 194 carries. He wasn't quite as good in 2018, as his yards per carry dropped from 7.2 to 4.6, and he finished with 1,053 yards on 230 rushes. But he rebounded in a huge way as a junior, ranking third in the country with 2,003 yards and 21 TDs on 301 carries. He finished sixth in Hesiman voting behind teammates Chase Young and Justin Fields. On a bum ankle against the Clemson Tigers in the College Football Playoffs, Dobbins ran for 174 yards on 18 carries against one of the country's best defenses.
Dobbins is likely to be a Day 2 pick in the NFL Draft, and should be an instant starter and Offensive Rookie of the Year contender. He may never be elite, but his skillset should translate extremely well to the pros, and he should be a very productive player, and the next in a long of Buckeyes turned NFL RBs.
4. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, LSU
LSU may have had perhaps the most prolific passing offense in college football history, but their RB was quite productive on the ground as well. Edwards-Helaire ran for 1,414 yards and 16 scores on 215 carries, and added 453 yards and a score on 55 catches. He is incredibly quick and nimble, able to cut on a dime. At 5'7″ 207 lbs he is built stoutly and has the power to run through defenders. He forced 71 missed tackles, and 782 of his yards came after contact. His 39.5″ vertical jump at the NFL Draft Combine shows how explosive he is, and his tape backs that up; with his smaller stature, he can get lost in the scrum of large bodies at the line of scrimmage, and then all of a sudden he's bursting out of the pile for a nice chunk of yardage.
He isn't the best pass protector, but given his receiving ability, Edwards-Helaire can be a true three-down back. He is more quick and shifty than he is fast, so don't expect him to be a major home-run hitter, but he always gets the yardage he's supposed to, and then some. He should be a third-round pick, but won't last long into the fourth-round if he is not selected on Day 2 of the NFL Draft.
3. Zack Moss, Utah
Moss is a solid 5'9″ 223 lbs with good power, but elusiveness is how he wins as a player who makes an intriguing NFL Draft prospect. His cuts are quick and smooth, and he broke an incredible 89 tackles in 2019. 1,416 yards and 15 scores on 235 carries is very good production, and Moss improved significantly as a receiver, dropping just one of his 31 targets and turning his 28 grabs into 388 yards and two touchdowns. Moss's 4.65s 40-yard dash was disappointing, but Moss's game is not predicated on speed, and he reportedly had tweaked his hamstring earlier in the day, which contributed to his slower time. At a private workout later in March, Moss ran a 4.52, a much better time, but still unofficial. Either way, Moss's new team won't be getting a home run hitter, but they'll be getting a very elusive player who is difficult to bring down. Moss should be a Day 2 or early Day 3 pick, and while he may never be a star, his ability to make defenders miss should make him a productive player for as long as he's a starter.
2. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin
Calling Taylor productive is an understatement for this NFL Draft prospect. On 926 carries over three seasons, he gained 6,174 yards and 50 touchdowns. In 2019, he showed some receiving ability, nabbing 26 passes for 252 yards and five scores, but that is not his game – of 65 career targets, he dropped eight passes, including four last year. At 5'10” 226 lbs, he is difficult to bring down, as evidenced by his 87 forced missed tackles in 2019.
At the NFL Combine, Taylor put up excellent numbers across the board, headlined by a 4.39s 40-yard dash. With his size, speed, and vision, Taylor should be a second-round pick and an instant feature back, even if he struggles in the receiving game and isn't the most reliable player (17 career fumbles). There just aren't many athletes as good as him at the position. He will join Corey Clement, Melvin Gordon and James White as Badger RBs currently in the NFL, and could easily become the most productive runner of the bunch in the NFL Draft.
1. D'Andre Swift, Georgia
Swift may not be as athletic or productive as Taylor, but he's a more complete player. He is a well-built 5'8″ 212 lbs and ran a 4.48s 40 at the Combine. As a runner, he put up 1,218 yards and seven TDs on 196 carries, in his second year as a starter. He is next in an excellent line of Georgia RBs that includes Sony Michel, Nick Chubb, and Todd Gurley. Where Swift aligns more with Gurley is his ability to contribute in the passing game. Swift's route running is excellent, so good in fact that he lined up in the slot and outside at times. He dropped none of his targets in 2019 and turned his 24 catches into 216 yards and a score; modest numbers, but he showed excellent receiving skills, and should be featured much more in the passing game in the NFL. Swift could also stand to improve his ball security, as while his seven career fumbles aren't a terrible number, it's not great either.
Swift will challenge to be the first RB selected this year, and should be a second-round selection. He is exactly what NFL teams are looking for in a back; perhaps not overly dynamic, but he will burst through holes when they present themselves, and his receiving chops make him a three-down player.
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