The 2022 NFL Draft is almost here, and that means dynasty startup and rookie drafts will begin soon, if they haven’t already! We’re going to have you covered with our 2022 Dynasty Rookie Draft Kit. As part of that offering, we’ll have updated rankings throughout and following the 2022 NFL Draft. Here’s an early look at our consensus dynasty rookie running back rankings. You can find our full consensus dynasty rookie rankings here.

 
Breece Hall (Iowa State)
Running back Breece Hall was my No.1-ranked rookie in non-Superflex formats heading into the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine, and his elite showing solidified his status atop the rookie rankings. The Iowa State product measured in at 5-foot-11 and 217 pounds, which was slightly different than his listed playing size in school (6-foot-1, 210 pounds).

But his slightly stockier build did nothing to impede the Iowa State Cyclones’ on-field performance because he lit the testing drills ablaze: 4.39 40-yard dash (93rd percentile), 40? vertical jump (94th percentile) and 126? broad jump (91st percentile).

Hall’s 116.85 size-adjusted speed score was nearly identical to former Dallas Cowboys running back, DeMarco Murray.

Pairing Hall’s athleticism with an off-the-charts college production profile – over 4,500 yards from scrimmage and 50 touchdowns – makes him my 1.01 in dynasty rookie drafts.

Consider his abilities as a slick receiver out of the backfield – 82 catches over three seasons, just two drops in his last two seasons – and Hall provides immediate fantasy football appeal. He has the requisite size and all the tools to be a three-down running back who never leaves the field.

Kenneth Walker III (Michigan State)
Kenneth Walker III made a massive splash upon transferring to Michigan State in 2021, leading his class in rushing yards (1,634), missed forced tackles (89) and explosive runs (46) en route to winning the Doak Walker Award – an honor bestowed upon college football’s best running back.

His success earned him a 34% dominator rating, which considers the number of touchdowns and receiving yards a player commands within their offense.

The number is solid considering Walker commanded just a 4% target share in his junior year, catching 13 passes for 80 receiving yards.

His massive accomplishments this past season were inevitable after he rushed for 13 touchdowns as PFF’s 15th-best graded running back in 2020 as a sophomore at Wake.

With the second-most missed tackles forced over the past two seasons – trailing only Iowa State’s Breece Hall – and third-most rushing yards after contact, Walker possesses the groundwork to be an effective rusher at the next level. Breaking tackles and creating after contact in college translates to the pros extremely well, as seen most recently by Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams.

Williams led the nation in missed tackle rate (48%) in his final season at North Carolina and would go on to lead the NFL in the same metric at the conclusion of his stellar rookie season.

Elusiveness is just one trait Walker has in common with Williams, as both skipped their senior years to enter the draft. Declaring early is a positive sign for a running back in dynasty formats, as they save themselves from another year of wear and tear.

The lack of work in the passing game is really the only major blemish on Walker’s prospect profile because his testing at the NFL scouting combine was also exceptional. He weighed in at 211 pounds and ran a 4.38 40-yard dash (96th percentile).

Isaiah Spiller (Texas A&M)
Age-adjusted production is a critical metric for dynasty managers, and no running back is better there than Isaiah Spiller. Since Day 1 at Texas A&M, Spiller has been the lead dog for the Aggies. As a true freshman in 2019, he scored 10 rushing touchdowns and finished 16th in the nation in yards after contact per attempt en route to a 22% dominator rating.

The power running back capped off his first year in impressive fashion with back-to-back seasons of 1,000 rushing yards and 100 missed tackles. Spiller also displayed receiving prowess, commanding at least an 8% target share and an average of 25 receptions per season.

With an all-encompassing skill set and desirable size – 6-feet and 217 pounds – Spiller should be a solid producer at the next level, although his lack of top-notch speed could keep him from being elite. He had only eight carries of 20-plus yards in 2021.

The testing numbers at the NFL combine also did no favors to his draft stock. He elected to not run the 40-yard dash on Indy’s fast track and laid an egg in the jumping drills. 7th percentile vertical jump and 22nd percentile broad jump will make it tougher for him to demand high Day 2 draft capital.

Spiller reportedly went through drills with an injury, which may explain the poor showing. Either way, he will get an opportunity to boost his numbers at Texas A&M’s pro day on March 22nd.

Rachaad White (Arizona State)
The premier pass-catching specialist in the 2022 NFL Draft Class is Rachaad White. The Arizona State product ranked first in his class in receiving yards, No. 1 in yards per route run (2.24) and second in receptions (43).

His 16% target share is absolutely bonkers for a running back at the college level, and it will do wonders for his draft capital.

The same sentiment can be made for White’s 31% dominator rating and 3.33 offensive yards per snap over the past two seasons. Both would have ranked in the top three in last year’s class.

His yards per snap and PFF receiving grade also both rank first among the class. White’s career receiving grade was superior to anybody from last year’s class as well.

After a strong showing at Senior Bowl week – PFF’s highest-graded rusher (74.9) – and at the NFL combine – White is soaring up the dynasty rookie rankings. The Sun Devil flaunted his explosiveness with a 38-inch vertical jump (86th percentile) and a 125-inch broad jump (87th percentile).

Watch any clip of White from college and you will immediately be overwhelmed by shades of Arian Foster and Le’Veon Bell. White’s got great vision at the line of scrimmage to go along with extremely light feet.

Check out our top-60 dynasty rookie superflex rankings here

Zamir White (Georgia)
Zamir White runs with strong intent and decisiveness at the line of scrimmage. He knows where to go and how to hit the hole. Solid explosiveness and burst; constantly get yardage after first contact. Elusive in space as a receiver.

The Georgia Bulldog is built like a three-down back at 6-feet and 214 pounds. Great testing measurables from the NFL Combine: 4.40 40-yard dash (93rd percentile) and 128″ in the broad jump (94th percentile).

White’s overall counting stats are not particularly great, but that’s because he split work with James Cook and Kenny McIntosh, as many Georgia backs often do. What matters more is White’s career three yards per snap – a mark that stacks up with the likes of Michael Carter from last year’s draft class.

As PFF’s third-highest graded running back in the SEC last season, White is in strong contention to earn Day 2 draft capital – a threshold that is very important to hit for fantasy.

Brian Robinson Jr. (Alabama)
As is the case for many Alabama running backs, Brian Robinson had to bide his time for an opportunity to see a steady workload. Sharing the highly coveted backfield with Najee Harris, Josh Jacobs and Damien Harris over the past four years didn’t lend itself to Robinson seeing much of the field.

To his credit, the 225-pound behemoth bulldozed over the competition when given work in 2020, ranking 10th in yards after contact per attempt (4.05) in the FBS. After Harris was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Robinson delivered a worthwhile senior season to put him firmly on the NFL radar.

The big back finished third in missed tackles and seventh in PFF rushing grade (90.4) while also flashing his chops in the passing game. He caught 35 of 38 targets for 296 receiving yards.

Robinson is far from a can’t-miss prospect but offers the physicality and size to be a thumper at the next level. The bruiser-back greatly improved his draft stock by showcasing 4.53 speed at the NFL combine (61st percentile).

Dameon Pierce (Florida)
Dameon Pierce took the title as PFF’s highest-graded running back in the FBS (92.0) despite seeing just 100 carries. The senior’s 39% missed tackle rate ranked second among the 2022 draft class.

There’s no doubt Pierce’s freakish athleticism aided in his colossal rise in 2021. Bruce Feldman listed Pierce at No. 21 on his annual “College Football Freaks” list, which highlights the most athletically gifted players around the country. According to Feldman, Pierce squats 705 pounds, benches 390 pounds, has a 37-inch vertical jump and has been clocked at 4.50 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

However, the fact Pierce never fully took over Florida’s backfield does raise red flags. His 12% career dominator rating is eerily similar to Trey Sermon (12%) from last season, and Sermon struggled to separate himself from the pack in his rookie campaign.

Even during his breakout senior season, the 5-foot-10 and 218-pound running back earned just a 22% dominator rating while sharing the backfield alongside fellow draft-eligible running back Malik Davis.

However, I am willing to offer some benefit of the doubt after Pierce never topped 106 carries in college. There may have been some underlying issue with former Gators head coach Dan Mullen that prevented Pierce from seeing a more featured role. Case in point: Pierce only had two games with double-digit carries in 2021, both of which came after Mullen was fired toward the end of the season.

Pierce’s lackluster dominator rating doesn’t capture his coach’s potential ineptitude. The fact Pierce competed with NFL talent like Jordan Scarlett and La’Mical Perine very early in his college career paints a better picture of how his impact will be felt in years to come.

His running style and body type bears striking resemblance to Patriots running back Damien Harris.

James Cook (Georgia)
There’s fantasy football juice to squeeze with running backs who possess top-tier pass-catching ability, and Georgia’s James Cook fits that mold to a tee. The younger brother of Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook finished with the fifth-highest PFF receiving grade at the position in 2021 among his draft class.

He hauled in 27 of 30 targets for 274 receiving yards, including 112 in the College Football Playoff game against Michigan.

His overall counting stats are not particularly great, but that’s because he split work with Zamir White and Kenny McIntosh, as many Georgia backs often do. What matters more is Cook’s career three yards per snap – a mark that is a strong indicator of future production at the position.

If Cook added 10-plus pounds of muscle to his frame, he’d look extremely similar to his brother. At his current build, he just looks like a smaller, faster version of Dalvin – Andre Ellington-esque.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio

If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup, based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant – that allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and by how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.