It’s that time again. Dynasty rookie fever SZN is here. The 2025 NFL Draft will be here before we know it, and rookie drafts will start flying daily. Before you dive head-first into our fantasy football mock draft simulator and run 3,000 rookie drafts in preparation, please read up on this talented prospect class as I roll through my quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end positional primers.

Check out our expert consensus dynasty rookie draft rankings as you prepare for your leagues. Here is our dynasty rookie draft primer for the running back position, including my rankings and tiers, stats, 2025 NFL Draft scouting reports and player comps.

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Dynasty Rookie Draft Primer: Running Backs

Ashton Jeanty

has a Batman-level tool belt of tackle-breaking moves pic.twitter.com/saHrYACQDL

— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) February 17, 2025

Dynasty Rookie Draft Rankings: Tier 1

1) Ashton Jeanty (RB – Boise State)

Stats:

• 2024 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 1st
  • Breakaway rate: 12th
  • PFF elusive rating: 1st
  • PFF receiving grade: 103rd
  • Yards per route run: 109th
• 2023 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 3rd
  • Breakaway rate: 53rd
  • PFF elusive rating: 2nd
  • PFF receiving grade: 1st
  • Yards per route run: 2nd

Scouting Report:

• Ashton Jeanty is an elite rusher of the football. His combination of contact balance and effortless acceleration is incredibly fun to watch. Jeanty doesn’t lose speed when stringing tackle-breaking moves together. He has a Batman-level tool belt to deploy against incoming defenders. Jeanty can juke, jump cut, stiff arm and spin out of wraps.
• In his final collegiate season, defenses knew they were going to receive a heaping dose of Jeanty, and they were powerless to slow him down. He had at least 100 rushing yards in every game in 2024 except his season finale (six games with at least 200 rushing yards).
• Defenders have to attack Jeanty with superb tackling technique or he’ll make them pay. Jeanty has a unique combo of speed and power packed into a muscled-up frame. He sheds defenders with ease and routinely makes the first would-be tackler miss. It’s rare to see the first defender he encounters bring him down.
• Jeanty has a no-nonsense running style. He is quick and decisive, diagnosing how to weave through the offensive line and the second level of a defense. Jeanty has superb vision, as he will also let off the gas at times to allow his blocks to set up in front of him. I have no worries about his speed. His home run gear might not be truly “elite,” but he has plenty of juice to break long runs and snap the spine of a defense in the process.
• If there’s one area Jeanty can improve in the NFL it’s his skills as a short-yardage back. He has the leg drive and lower-half power to excel in this role, but at times he runs too upright when there are only a few yards to gain or a goal-line situation. Defenders can get up under his pads and push him back or halt his momentum.
• Jeanty is a pass-game weapon. His usage in the passing game changed drastically from 2023 to 2024. In his final season, Boise State stripped him of his versatility and poured more touches into the early downs. In 2023, he lined up in the slot or out wide on 18.3% of his snaps. In 2024, that figure dropped to 2.3%.
• Jeanty is fluid in his route running. His smooth hips allow him to turn on a dime. He was utilized mainly on flat routes and as a check-down option. Jeanty did have an expanded route tree in 2023 with some go routes and outs. He displayed easy separation and superb body control with these reps, securing some back-shoulder targets. Jeanty has the skills as a receiver to see his role expand immensely in this area in the NFL.
• Jeanty still needs to hone his pass-protection skills. He was a chip-only option on plenty of passing downs. He will drop his eyes at times and lunge at defenders. He also needs to square up defenders better and get low to lock them down and anchor. Jeanty has the necessary lower-half strength, tenacity and play strength to improve in this area in the NFL.

Player Comp: LaDainian Tomlinson

Dynasty Rookie Draft Rankings: Tier 2

2) Kaleb Johnson (RB – Iowa)

Stats:

• 2024 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 8th
  • Breakaway rate: 5th
  • PFF elusive rating: 14th
  • PFF receiving grade: 58th
  • Yards per route run: 47th

Scouting Report:

• Kaleb Johnson is a fluid mover. He glides across the field with good bend around the edge. Some have questioned Johnson’s speed, but I have no worries about his raw speed. Johnson hits the gas as soon as he sees a sliver of daylight and can hit dingers. He has home run speed, hitting 21.2 miles per hour (MPH) in 2024.
• Johnson has a great feel for pressing and flowing through a run in sync with his offensive line. He can stop on a dime in the second level, pivoting and then hitting the gas again as he blows past a defender. He can make people miss in a phone booth.
• Johnson can stiff-arm a defender into the ground, but he isn’t a dominating physical runner. He excels with vision, footwork, bend and speed. He isn’t a pile-pushing physical presence as a rusher, but he does keep his legs moving through contact.
• Johnson is still a work in progress in pass protection, but he has all the tools to become a serviceable option in this realm. His hands are strong like magnets. Once he gets his mitts on a rusher, he isn’t letting go of them. He needs to improve his pass-blocking technique by utilizing his lower half and setting up lower, but the raw intangibles are there.
• Johnson was utilized as a receiving option in a limited capacity. He was a trustworthy option, though, with only two drops in his collegiate career. He mostly was used as a check-down option running flat or swing routes from the backfield. He did get the occasional angle route or outside alignment with a slant route. His loose hips and short-area agility give hope that he offers more in the NFL as a receiver than he showed in college.

Player Comp: Joe Mixon

TreVeyon Henderson is a top 3 RB for me in this class.

The question isn't if he is top 3…

It's where does he fall inside the top 3

— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) February 19, 2025

3) TreVeyon Henderson (RB – Ohio State)

Stats:

• 2024 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 7th
  • Breakaway rate: 10th
  • PFF elusive rating: 30th
  • PFF receiving grade: 22nd
  • Yards per route run: 55th
• 2023 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 42nd
  • Breakaway rate: 37th
  • PFF elusive rating: 86th
  • PFF receiving grade: 21st
  • Yards per route run: 24th
• 2022 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 127th
  • Breakaway rate: 112th
  • PFF elusive rating: 153rd
  • Only six targets* (0.26 Yards per route run)
• 2021 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 8th
  • Breakaway rate: 18th
  • PFF elusive rating: 14th
  • PFF receiving grade: 52nd
  • Yards per route run: 48th
• Career
  • Multiple injuries
    • 2021: missed the final two games of the season with a foot injury
    • 2022: missed five games with a broken foot (required surgery)
    • 2023: undisclosed injury (missed three games)

Scouting Report:

• TreVeyon Henderson’s juice jumps out immediately as soon as you turn on the film. He consistently looks shot out of a cannon. Henderson, at times, will take a handoff and slow play the beginning of a rushing play as he casually inches toward the line before dropping the hammer into fourth gear and exploding upfield. The change-up can leave defenses on their heels.
• Henderson runs angry like a pissed-off Tasmanian devil. Despite his smaller muscular frame, Henderson runs with underrated power. While he’s not a player who will consistently punish defenses with his physicality, he can run through contact and deal out a mean, stiff arm.
• Henderson’s feet are electric. He’s a big play waiting to happen. He’s shifty, utilizing jump cuts and jab steps near the line and in the open field to find space in defenses to exploit.
• Henderson also has a wicked spin move he’ll use when defenders immediately penetrate the backfield and he has to evade a tackler immediately after receiving a handoff.
• His tenacity as a pass protector is evident. He has no issue launching himself at incoming rushers to keep his quarterback clean. He plays with fearlessness as a pass protector. Henderson anchors well for a back his size and has numerous reps where he puts defenders on their butts when they attempt to get near his quarterback.
• Henderson is a serviceable receiver. He operated out of the backfield with flat routes and swing passes on many plays. He has the short-area agility to grow as a route runner at the next level.
• Henderson’s size and lengthy injury history likely slot him in as the thunder component of a running back-by-committee situation, but that doesn’t mean he can’t handle 12-15 touches weekly and make the most out of his volume.

Player Comp: C.J. Spiller

4) Omarion Hampton (RB – North Carolina)

Stats:

• 2024 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 12th
  • Breakaway rate: 30th
  • PFF elusive rating: 16th
  • PFF receiving grade: 49th
  • Yards per route run: 32nd
• 2023 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 11th
  • Breakaway rate: 82nd
  • PFF elusive rating: 26th
  • PFF receiving grade: 28th
  • Yards per route run: 85th

Scouting Report:

• Omarion Hampton is a north/south, upright and linear runner. Hampton has quick acceleration as he gets to top gear quickly. He doesn’t have a high-level second gear or elite long speed. He’ll get caught from behind on long runs, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a chunk play artist in the NFL. He has only one year in college where his breakaway percentage eclipsed 40%.
• Hampton isn’t the most fluid runner when changing direction in the open field. He’ll utilize jump cuts at the line to get to a free lane, but in the open field, he is a straight-line runner. His footsteps get choppy and he loses speed in the second level when attempting to change course. His hips look stiff at times.
• Hampton is a volume-gobbling machine. In his final collegiate season, he had 20+ carries in 67% of his games. His physical running style can wear down a defense throughout a game. Hampton will lower the boom plenty throughout a game, serving as a tone-setter. This physical running style doesn’t do much in the realm of gaining him extra yards as he doesn’t fall forward many times when lowering his shoulder and instead gets stood up. However, the physicality still isn’t something defenders want to deal with 20-25 times during a game. He can soften up a defense with these repeated body blows.
• Hampton’s upright running style can get him into trouble at times. His lower half is strong enough to run through weak wraps and defenders diving at his ankles, but if a defender can wrap him up decently, he can get chopped down.
• Hampton is a check-down option only in the passing game. He is reliable in this realm, with only two drops and a 90% catch rate in college, but I don’t see him growing into a pass-game weapon in the NFL. His stiff hips, short-area agility and raw speed limitations will limit his route-running upside.
• He isn’t a skilled pass protector at this juncture. Hampton has a decent punch but doesn’t engage or anchor in pass protection well right now. He can chip and slow defenders down, but his pass-protection technique is lacking. He drops his eyes and lunges at defenders too often.

Player Comp: Zach Charbonnet

Dynasty Rookie Draft Rankings: Tier 3

5) RJ Harvey (RB – Central Florida)

Stats:

• 2024 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 31st
  • Breakaway rate: 14th
  • PFF elusive rating: 19th
  • PFF receiving grade: 75th
  • Yards per route run: 36th
• 2023 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 53rd
  • Breakaway rate: 15th
  • PFF elusive rating: 18th
  • PFF receiving grade: 35th
  • Yards per route run: 42nd
• 2022 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 36th
  • Breakaway rate: 44th
  • PFF elusive rating: 27th
  • PFF receiving grade: 30th
  • Yards per route run: 11th

Scouting Report:

• RJ Harvey is a tough runner. His leg drive allows him to pinball off defenders and pick up tough yards. He sheds arm tackles well, especially in the second level and is a better short-yardage runner than you’d expect from a player his size.
• Harvey’s lateral agility and burst improved toward the end of the 2024 season. After watching some of his early-season games, I questioned his long speed, initial burst and lateral agility. All of those improved as the 2024 season moved along. While he might not be a home run hitter in the NFL (he gets caught from behind plenty), he should have the ability to break off chunk runs.
• He has a good feel for when to press and flow with outside-zone runs. He can get tentative at the line with some inside zone and interior runs. His vision isn’t horrible by any stretch of the imagination, but when the picture is muddier, his feet can get choppy. Needs to be more willing to bounce runs at times.
• Harvey’s grit shows in pass protection. He’s a willing and able blocker who can stick his nose in there and get physical. His strong lower half serves him well here.
• As a receiving option, he is nothing more than a dump-off option at this juncture. Harvey was tasked with only leaking out the backfield for check-downs in college. He does have moments as a receiver where he has concentration drops when he gets ahead of himself and worries too much about what he is about to do with the ball in his hands before securing the pass.

Player Comp: Aaron Jones

DJ Giddens is a RB prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 9.89 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 23 out of 1935 RB from 1987 to 2025.

Pro day pending for remaining tests.https://t.co/iCzcWwpGVC pic.twitter.com/rHsVdGEJ73

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 11, 2025

6) D.J. Giddens (RB – Kansas State)

Stats:

• 2024 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 16th
  • Breakaway rate: 6th
  • PFF elusive rating: 22nd
  • PFF receiving grade: 118th
  • Yards per route run: 59th
• 2023 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 76th
  • Breakaway rate: 117th
  • PFF elusive rating: 55th
  • PFF receiving grade: 72nd
  • Yards per route run: 40th

Scouting report:

• Giddens is an upright runner with surprisingly nimble feet and underrated contact balance, especially considering his running style. Most upright rushers get cut down easily with low hits and can struggle in short-yardage situations, but not Giddens. Giddens has the leg drive and finishing power to push piles and carry defenders for a few extra yards after first contact.
• Giddens is a second-level yards-creating artist. He has an explosive jump cut and impressive lateral agility. He has a plethora of runs where he sticks his foot in the turf and teleports laterally, evading defenders in the second level. It’s incredibly fun to watch. He loses little speed in the process and can quickly hit his second gear and leave defenders flailing.
• Giddens wins with footwork, vision, and explosive lateral agility. While you don’t see him stiff-arm defenders into the ground much, he does have a wicked spin move that can make the opposition look silly. Giddens has plenty of raw speed to hit homers in the NFL. His sixth-best breakaway rate last year is no fluke.
• He still needs to grow at the next level in the pass protection department. Giddens will drop his eyes and lunge at incoming defenders. There are plenty of reps where he’ll land his shoulder shot in the mid-section of a rusher, but there are also snaps where he looks like a bull versus a matador. All it will take is for his quarterback to get smushed once when his bull in a china shop routine misses, and he’ll kick work diligently to rid his game of this approach.
• Giddens has some untapped potential as a passing game weapon. He lined up in the slot or out wide with 12.4% of his collegiate snaps. Giddens was utilized as a check-down option in the passing game while also excelling with wheel routes, angle routes, and more. His route tree could be expanded in the NFL, but he does have stiff hips at times, but his crisp footwork helps to cover it up. Giddens did pile up five ghastly drops in 2024, but many of these were more of the concentration variety than Giddens having flawed hands.

Player Comp: Ryan Mathews

7) Bhayshul Tuten (RB – Virginia Tech)

Stats:

• 2024 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 10th
  • Breakaway rate: 10th
  • PFF elusive rating: 8th
  • PFF receiving grade: 77th
  • Yards per route run: 114th
• 2023 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 34th
  • Breakaway rate: 91st
  • PFF elusive rating: 10th
  • PFF receiving grade: 99th
  • Yards per route run: 60th

Scouting Report:

• Bhayshul Tuten has a solid burst and nice long speed, but Tuten doesn’t consistently win the edge on stretch plays. He’s best suited for a run scheme that will allow him to get north/south with one cut and hit the gas.
• He has good bend in traffic and can utilize decent footwork to solve problems in space, but you won’t see Tuten with jump-cut highlights where a defender is launched into the shadow realm. He loses speed substantially when attempting to string together multiple moves to spring himself.
• Tuten has a short, squatty build and can run through weak wraps with decent power, but don’t expect him to be a short-yardage back or pile mover in the NFL. He needs momentum built up to access this, with these flashes occurring in the second level of defenses.
• Tuten’s ball security issues will be brought up at the beginning of any conversation regarding his game. That’s an unfortunate fact when you have nine fumbles over the last two years. This could be related to small hands, as his faulty hands have also plagued him in the passing game, with nine drops over the last three seasons.
• He’s a decent check-down option in the passing game, operating with flat routes, leaks out of the backfield and with swing passes primarily. His short-area lateral agility limitations and questionable hands cap his upside in the passing game.

Player Comp: Elijah Mitchell

8) Devin Neal (RB – Kansas)

Stats:

• 2024 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 41st
  • Breakaway rate: 75th
  • PFF elusive rating: 61st
  • PFF receiving grade: 53rd
  • Yards per route run: 40th
• 2023 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 47th
  • Breakaway rate: 19th
  • PFF elusive rating: 29th
  • PFF receiving grade: 47th
  • Yards per route run: 53rd
• 2022 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 103rd
  • Breakaway rate: 19th
  • PFF elusive rating: 84th
  • PFF receiving grade: 69th
  • Yards per route run: 77th

Scouting Report:

• Devin “Sweet Feet” Neal is a fun player to watch. He can carve up run defenses with his insanely quick feet. Neal’s stop/start ability is special, with the skill to cut on a dime and change directions effortlessly. Neal can string together multiple moves fluidly without losing a ton of speed.
• Neal has a great feel for the press and flow of outside zone runs, the short-area agility to excel and the vision to operate well within inside zone. He’s a nice fit in multiple-run schemes, which can add to his appeal to NFL teams.
• Neal wins with quickness and lateral agility while flashing immediate speed. He gets up to top speed in a hurry. It helps offset the fact that he doesn’t have an elite home run gear. Neal’s tackle-breaking ability isn’t great, though. He goes down easily when wrapped up well or hit low. He needs to continue to add strength to his lower half and improve his leg drive. I can’t wait to see how his game evolves in the NFL, especially after spending some time in an NFL strength and conditioning program. If he can add some more in this realm to his game, his upside is huge.
• Neal was deployed out of the backfield on check-down passes. He displayed a set of soft hands that rarely dropped a ball. I want to see Neal deployed with a creative play-caller in the NFL. He didn’t see more than an 8% slot rate in the 2024 season until his final three games of the season. I want to see what Neal can do from the slot, on wheel routes and with angle routes. His short-area quickness leads me to believe there’s another evolution of his game as a receiver that could take place in the NFL.
• Neal made substantial improvements as a pass protector in 2024. He only allowed five pressures all season — four came in one game. Neal had a 76.2 or higher pass protection grade in seven games in 2024. In previous seasons, he had a hard time anchoring and would routinely get blown off his spot and out of his cleats. He has the willingness and tenacity to develop into a trusted pass protector. His improvements in 2024 suggest he could take that next step in the NFL.

Player Comp: Nightcrawler

9) Brashard Smith (RB – SMU)

Stats:

• 2024 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 79th
  • Breakaway rate: 34th
  • PFF elusive rating: 74th
  • PFF receiving grade: 2nd
  • Yards per route run: 22nd

Scouting Report:

• Brashard Smith is a converted slot wide receiver who transferred from Miami to SMU and switched to running back. He was also a wide receiver in high school. His feel for the running back position is impressive, considering the short timeframe he has been a full-time player at the position.
• Smith is lightning in a travel-sized bottle. He is a quick and decisive runner with silky smooth feet. He runs with conviction but also has the patience to allow his blocks to set up in front of him.
• He wins with lateral agility, speed and vision. Smith’s frame and wide receiver background show up in his rushing style. He isn’t a powerful or physical runner, but he can churn out yards quickly.
• Smith isn’t a decorated pass protector. He is adept at picking up rushers and understanding his assignment, but will sometimes drop his head and eyes and lunge at defenders.
• Smith’s wide receiver background is evident when you watch him run routes. He was deployed from the slot or out wide on 14.7% of his snaps in 2024. He can exploit the soft spots in zone coverage and also has the raw speed (4.4 40-yard speed) to burn corners with a double move. Smith plucks balls out away from his frame. He could be a nice chess piece for a creative offensive coordinator in the NFL.

Player Comp: Jahvid Best

Dynasty Rookie Draft Rankings: Tier 4

10) Quinshon Judkins (RB – Ohio State)

Stats:

• 2024 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 121st
  • Breakaway rate: 41st
  • PFF elusive rating: 95th
  • PFF receiving grade: 29th
  • Yards per route run: 55th
• 2023 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 82nd
  • Breakaway rate: 128th
  • PFF elusive rating: 66th
  • PFF receiving grade: 71st
  • Yards per route run: 97th
• 2022 (minimum 100 carries)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 46th
  • Breakaway rate: 23rd
  • PFF elusive rating: 44th
  • Yards per route run: 0.63* (only 17 targets)*

Scouting Report:

• Quinshon Judkins has a compact build and can utilize his upper body strength to shed incoming tacklers. It’s not difficult for him to get loose from a lazy wrap. He has a nasty stiff arm that he’ll deploy.
• Judkins is a one-speed runner. He gets up to top speed quickly, but his raw speed isn’t eye-popping. He will be able to rattle off chunk plays in the NFL, but I doubt he will hit many home runs. Judkins ranked 41st or lower in breakaway rate in his final two seasons in college.
• With many runs, Judkins gets what is blocked, but not a ton more. He’s a linear runner who needs to rely on his offensive line to clear the way more than some other backs in this class. Judkins does keep his legs moving through contact, which helps him fall forward and finish runs well at times.
• Judkins is passable as a pass protector. He has no issues sticking his nose in there and getting dirty with an incoming defender. However, Judkins will drop his eyes occasionally and lunge at incoming rushers, which he’ll have to stop in the NFL.
• Judkins is a dump-off option only in the passing game. Most of his passing game action was as a check-down option or on swing passes.

Player Comp: Isaiah Crowell

11) Cam Skattebo (RB – Arizona State)

Stats:

• 2024 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 21st
  • Breakaway rate: 91st
  • PFF elusive rating: 11th
  • PFF receiving grade: 9th
  • Yards per route run: 10th
• 2023 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 104th
  • Breakaway rate: 148th
  • PFF elusive rating: 39th
  • PFF receiving grade: 86th
  • Yards per route run: 44th
• 2022 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets for FBS & FCS RBs*)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 37th
  • Breakaway rate: 93rd
  • PFF elusive rating: 11th
  • PFF receiving grade: 32nd
  • Yards per route run: 25th

Scouting Report:

• Cam Skattebo runs like a dancing rhino with anger management issues. He’s a volume-vacuuming tone-setter who can be a workhorse for a run-heavy offense. Unless a team is smitten with him during the draft process, he is likely better viewed as a committee back at the next level. His vision at the line and in the second level allows him to weave through traffic and make the most of his physical abilities.
• He’s not a twitchy player, but he can deploy jump cuts with success and has the lateral agility to make people miss in a phone booth. Skattebo has an underrated quick first step and is decisive with his runs. The run scheme he operates in the NFL will be key. I’d love for him to land with a team that utilizes duo and inside zone. I have no clue what Arizona State was thinking when featuring Skattebo with some tosses and stretch zone plays. Get this tank moving downhill and allow his quickness in short areas to work to his advantage.
• Skattebo isn’t a home run hitter. While he can rip off some long runs with well-blocked plays, that likely won’t be a hallmark of his game in the NFL. He’s a physical/tough runner with strong contact balance and leg drive that fights for every blade of grass. He quickly gets up to top speed, but that also means he is pretty much a one-speed runner who lacks the second and third gear to outrun speedy corners in the open field. He gets caught from behind plenty.
• He has soft hands and can be a trusted check-down weapon in the passing game. His athleticism will limit what all you can do with him in the passing game, but he has the attributes to operate as a dump-off option with the occasional wheel or angle route. His underrated short-area agility works to his advantage on angle routes.

Player Comp: Tyler Allgeier

12) Dylan Sampson (RB – Tennessee)

Stats:

• 2024 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 51st
  • Breakaway rate: 118th
  • PFF elusive rating: 31st
  • PFF receiving grade: 48th
  • Yards per route run: 88th
• 2023 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 77th
  • Breakaway rate: 83rd
  • PFF elusive rating: 50th
  • PFF receiving grade: 6th
  • Yards per route run: 14th

Scouting Report:

• Dylan Sampson is an upright-running speedster who wins with speed, vision and smooth footwork. He also navigates traffic in the second level well with jump cuts.
• Sampson’s play strength limitations show up in pass protection and as a runner. Sampson goes down easily with first contact many times, especially if defenders are aiming at his legs or feet. He can break tackles when defenders hit him high. His raw upper body strength makes its way to the field more consistently than his lower half. Sampson can hold his own in pass protection. He engages well but can be blown off his feet or moved as his anchor isn’t great. He’s best utilized as a chip option at this juncture.
• Sampson is a runway back. His speed is more of the build-up variety and he can create yards on his own with speed and footwork in the second level. If he’s contacted near or behind the line of scrimmage, he’s most likely going down.
• He’s a serviceable pass-catcher. Sampson had only three drops in his collegiate career. He was utilized as a check-down option. His speed could lend itself to wheel routes and some creative usage in the NFL, but that didn’t come to fruition in college.

Player Comp: Jerome Ford

13) Damien Martinez (RB – Miami)

Stats:

• 2024 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 8th
  • Breakaway rate: 71st
  • PFF elusive rating: 16th
  • PFF receiving grade: 67th
  • Yards per route run: 73rd
• 2023 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 26th
  • Breakaway rate: 64th
  • PFF elusive rating: 27th
  • PFF receiving grade: 91st
  • Yards per route run: 99th

Scouting Report:

• Damien Martinez has average burst and lateral agility. Martinez can get too cute at times in the open field, attempting to juke defenders when he would be better off to jump cut or power through a defender with a decisive downhill attack plan. He can create bad angles for tacklers with his footwork at times, but he’s not explosive enough to dance around as much as he does at times.
• The hallmark of Martinez’s rushing is his tenacity. He always has his legs churning and fighting for extra yards. He finishes runs well and has enough pure strength to carry defenders along with him.
• Martinez is a volume back and chunk play author, as he doesn’t have the home run speed to break many 40+ yard runs in the NFL. I wouldn’t be shocked if he trained hard, dropped a few pounds and ran a 4.5 40-yard dash, but he’s likely a 4.6 40-speed type of back.
• Martinez is a classic check-down-only back with little upside in the passing game. His pass protection is inconsistent. He has several snaps where he’ll stand up defenders at the attack point, but he also has snaps where he’ll drop his eyes and chip defenders blindly or get blown out of his cleats.

Player Comp: Jordan Howard

Dynasty Rookie Draft Rankings: Tier 5

14) Marcus Yarns (RB – Delaware)

Stats:

• 2024 (FBS/FCS minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 22nd
  • Breakaway rate: 82nd
  • PFF elusive rating: 81st
  • PFF receiving grade: 35th
  • Yards per route run: 19th
• 2023 (FBS/FCS minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 52nd
  • Breakaway rate: 71st
  • PFF elusive rating: 133rd
  • PFF receiving grade: 7th
  • Yards per route run: 18th

Scouting report:

• Yarns’ 84th percentile 10-yard split is on display immediately. He has quick acceleration, getting up to top gear quickly. Yarns has the raw speed (4.45 40-yard dash) to hit homers as well as the necessary short-area quickness to author chunk plays.
• Yarns is more of a linear runner than a twitchy jitterbug. That doesn’t mean that he can’t hit a defender with a juke and leave them in the dirt. Yarns is a decisive runner who gets downfield quickly, wasting little time hitting the hole.
• He has decent finishing power at the end of his runs, as he can fight for some “dessert yards” after the main course. Yarns has solid contact balance for his size and can run through arm tackles.
• Yarns is a true pass-game weapon. He has lined up in the slot or out wide 13-19.4% of his snaps over the last two years. He was tasked with plenty of branches of the route tree running outs, ins, fades, whip routes, and wheels. He is crisp at the top of his routes and looks like a legit receiver.
• He should quickly earn passing down snaps in the NFL not only because of his route prowess but also because of his aptitude for pass protection. Yarns is more than willing to get his uniform dirty and doesn’t shy away from incoming rushers with chips or diving at their ankles. While he won’t knock rushers back a few yards, he can definitely defend his patch of grass and keep his quarterback clean.

Player Comp: James Cook

15) Jarquez Hunter (RB – Auburn)

Stats:

• 2024 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 20th
  • Breakaway rate: 22nd
  • PFF elusive rating: 10th
  • PFF receiving grade: 55th
  • Yards per route run: 97th
• 2023 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 16th
  • Breakaway rate: 31st
  • PFF elusive rating: 48th
  • PFF receiving grade: 79th
  • Yards per route run: 100th
• 2022 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 24th
  • Breakaway rate: 22nd
  • PFF elusive rating: 7th
  • PFF receiving grade: 39th
  • Yards per route run: 11th

Scouting Report:

• Jarquez Hunter shows immediate and palpable speed on film. Hunter hits the accelerator to the metal as soon as he gets the ball in his hands. He has 4.4/4.5 (low) 40-yard speed. He can gain the edge consistently in outside-zone runs. His smooth lateral agility sneaks up on you. Hunter doesn’t wow with insane twitchiness, but he has good bend and can deploy jump cuts to avoid would-be tacklers or adjust to hit the hole quickly.
• His low center of gravity allows him to get skinny through the hole. He has a nice leg drive for his size and consistently fights for extra yards. He finishes runs well, fighting for an extra 1-2 yards with every carry. He can push a pile.
• Hunter is an adequate check-down option in the passing game out of the backfield. He is also a willing blocker in pass protection. He engages quickly with incoming rushers and can anchor them. He can get into trouble when tasked with sustaining his blocks, but considering his size, he is more than passable in protecting his quarterback.

Player Comp: Jeremy McNichols

16) Jaydon Blue (RB – Texas)

Stats:

• 2024 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 35th
  • Breakaway rate: 51st
  • PFF elusive rating: 26th
  • PFF receiving grade: 59th
  • Yards per route run: 25th

Scouting report:

• Blue is a gliding slasher back. He wins with vision and razor-sharp short-area agility. Blue can jump-cut a defender out of his shoes. He creates something out of nothing routinely with his nifty footwork.
• He is a decisive runner with quick decision-making. Blue has very little wasted movement. He can string together moves and quickly get downhill with little decrease to his speed.
• Blue has superb raw speed (4.4) with quick acceleration (94th percentile 10-yard split). He has an easy second gear and can hit home runs in the open field. He isn’t a powerful runner, which isn’t surprising considering his build.
• Blue should be a passing game weapon at the next level. He can turn on the jets on a wheel route, leaving defenders in the dust (vs. Ohio State). Blue can also snap off a mean angle route.
• He is relatively untested in pass protection. He had only 44 pass-blocking snaps in college and allowed two sacks and four pressures.

Player Comp: Justice Hill

17) Trevor Etienne (RB – Georgia)

Stats:

• 2024 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 68th
  • Breakaway rate: 113th
  • PFF elusive rating: 46th
  • PFF receiving grade: 39th
  • Yards per route run: 69th
• 2023 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 15th
  • Breakaway rate: 29th
  • PFF elusive rating: 21st
  • PFF receiving grade: 48th
  • Yards per route run: 35th

Scouting Report:

• Trevor Etienne maximizes every opportunity. He is a patient, savvy runner who allows his blocks to set up in front of him. He has a fantastic vision paired with smooth lateral agility and tenacious legs. He keeps his legs churning through contact and breaks plenty of tackles because of it.
• He has 4.4/4.5 40-yard dash speed that plays up because of his vision and decisiveness. Etienne has the second gear to erase plenty of pursuit angles. His well-rounded skillset allows him to be a scheme-agnostic back.
• Georgia’s offensive line didn’t do him many favors in 2024, ranking 43rd in run blocking grade.
• Etienne is a sound receiving option out of the backfield. He can operate from the slot and split out wide with the ability to get open on out routes and slants. Etienne’s hands are as dependable as they come with only one drop in college. He secured 62 of his 63 collegiate targets.

Player Comp: Kenneth Dixon

18) Kyle Monangai (RB – Rutgers)

Stats:

• 2024 (minimum 100 carries)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 76th
  • Breakaway rate: 77th
  • PFF elusive rating: 64th
  • Yards per route run: 0.44* (only 17 targets)*
• 2023 (minimum 100 carries)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 46th
  • Breakaway rate: 108th
  • PFF elusive rating: 28th
  • Yards per route run: 0.79* (only 14 targets)*

Scouting report:

• Monangai has a thick, squatty bowling ball. He’s a no-nonsense one-cut downhill runner. Monangai has no issues dropping his shoulder to run over a defender or set the tone.
• He has enough lateral agility to create extra yards with jump cuts. He’s at his best utilizing his low center of gravity and contact balance in the second level of a defense with some steam built up.
• He’s a chunk-run author lacking the juice to hit explosive runs. He has at least 33 ten-plus yard runs in each of the last two seasons, but that is flanked by a 29.6% breakaway rate in college. He ranked outside the top 75 rushers in FBS (minimum 100 carries) in each of the last two seasons in breakaway run rate.
• He’s a proven volume rusher. Last year, he had 25 or more carries in 55% of his games and at least 18 carries in every game.
• His size and lateral agility limitations show up in pass protection. He can get burnt easily by speed rushers and blitzing members of the secondary. He can impede the flow of a rusher to the quarterback with a chip attempting to buy his quarterback time, but he’s not a back that will latch onto a rusher and drive them into the dirt.
• Monangai isn’t known for his pass-catching. He never had more than 17 targets in any collegiate season and only 0.53 Yards per route run (career). Any passing game action that he offers in the NFL is a plus and isn’t a given.

Player Comp: Zac Stacy

Dynasty Rookie Draft Rankings: Tier 6

19) Ollie Gordon II (RB – Oklahoma State)

Stats:

• 2024 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 91st
  • Breakaway rate: 126th
  • PFF elusive rating: 80th
  • PFF receiving grade: 25th
  • Yards per route run: 94th
• 2023 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 39th
  • Breakaway rate: 7th
  • PFF elusive rating: 61st
  • PFF receiving grade: 76th
  • Yards per route run: 71st
• Career
  • Multiple leg injuries in 2024

Scouting Report:

• Ollie Gordon is a smooth mover for his size. He has solid lateral agility for his size, but he can get happy feet at times. With some runs, he dances too much at the line when he needs to be decisive and get downhill. This isn’t a problem on every run, but it does pop up.
• Gordon has build speed (4.6-ish 40-yard time). Is at his best when he has one cut and gets upfield or uses his bend around the edge. Gordon has the problem most big backs do, which is that he can go down easily in the backfield when the offensive line doesn’t give him some room to get moving. If Gordon can get moving he is a problem for defenses. His feet can play up in the second level of a defense. Is tougher to bring down when that big body is barreling through a defense 4-5 yards past the line of scrimmage.
• He’s a decent receiving option out of the backfield, thanks to his soft hands. Gordon doesn’t have a developed route tree from the backfield, with dump-offs and screens comprising most of his routes. Gordon had zero drops in his final collegiate season.
• The limiting factor for Gordon on passing downs could be his pass protection. For a back his size, his play strength doesn’t shine here at all. He has plenty of reps where he squares up an incoming rusher and gets blown back. He attempts to compensate by chipping rushers or blindly diving low at them to take them out. This won’t cut it in the NFL, and it barely worked in college.

Player Comp: D’Onta Foreman

20) Woody Marks (RB – USC)

Stats:

• 2024 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 122nd
  • Breakaway rate: 68th
  • PFF elusive rating: 131st
  • PFF receiving grade: 26th
  • Yards per route run: 61st
• 2023 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 102nd
  • Breakaway rate: 106th
  • PFF elusive rating: 117th
  • PFF receiving grade: 7th
  • Yards per route run: 38th
• 2022 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 136th
  • Breakaway rate: 110th
  • PFF elusive rating: 154th
  • PFF receiving grade: 66th
  • Yards per route run: 62nd
• 2021 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 166th
  • Breakaway rate: 166th
  • PFF elusive rating: 149th
  • PFF receiving grade: 19th
  • Yards per route run: 50th
• Career
  • 257 collegiate receptions

Scouting Report:

• Woody Marks is a linear runner. His physical limitations show up on film. He’s at his best when he runs downhill, utilizing good vision with little wasted movement. Marks will continually get what is blocked, but the down-to-down question is how much more he can get.
• His burst is average and lateral agility is limited. He can get into trouble at times when pressing a run and overcommitting. At times, Marks will do this and run into the back of one of his blockers as he lacks the explosiveness to change courses quickly enough.
• His thinner lower half doesn’t allow him to do much more than run through weak arm tackles or defenders with poor pursuit angles. This also shows up in pass protection. Marks is a willing blocker. There’s nothing I’ll add besmirching his technique, but his physical limitations show up here as well. Marks will engage with defenders in pass protection, but he can struggle to anchor his defender or get blown out of his cleats by stronger defenders.
• Marks displays a soft set of hands as a receiver and the ability to snag balls outside of his frame, but his route running is limited. He was moved to the perimeter at times at USC. His limited deceleration and change of direction skills showed up when he was asked to run curls and stop routes.

Player Comp: Eric Gray

21) Raheim Sanders (RB – South Carolina)

Stats:

• 2024 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 47th
  • Breakaway rate: 75th
  • PFF elusive rating: 21st
  • PFF receiving grade: 42nd
  • Yards per route run: 28th

2023 – limited to six games (shoulder and knee injuries)

• 2022 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 78th
  • Breakaway rate: 20th
  • PFF elusive rating: 45th
  • PFF receiving grade: 88th
  • Yards per route run: 54th

Scouting report:

• Sanders is an upright runner who looks to get downhill quickly and punish defenders when he has momentum built up. Sanders has build up speed like a train locomotive. When he is forced to string moves together, or he is contacted early in the run, he can look lumbering as he attempts to get back to top speed.
• Sanders is a linear mover with substantial upper-body strength. When tacklers look to hit him high or wrap up poorly, Sanders can easily break their weak tackling attempts.
• Sanders has soft hands in the passing game, snagging balls out of his frame. He’s a competent check-down option in the passing game, with only four drops in college.
• His play strength doesn’t really translate to pass protection. He looks to chip incoming rushers and buy time for his quarterback. His punch is weak, and he doesn’t anchor well.
• Sanders’ vision can lapse at times. He’ll miss a hole or cut back lane at times. He’s best suited for a running game in the NFL that features a heavy dose of gap runs.

Player Comp: Zamir White

22) Jordan James (RB – Oregon)

Stats:

• 2024 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 107th
  • Breakaway rate: 151st
  • PFF elusive rating: 68th
  • PFF receiving grade: 103rd
  • Yards per route run: 83rd

Scouting report:

• James is a one-cut linear runner with average burst. He’s a one-speed runner who lacks the extra gear to pull away from defenders in the second level. James won’t rip many long runs in the NFL, as it wasn’t even part of his game in college (151st in breakaway rate in 2024).
• He has decent short-area agility and can make people miss with well-timed jump cuts. Despite his thick lower half, James isn’t a powerful rusher.
• James is a check-down option in the passing game with questionable hands. With only 53 collegiate targets, James earned seven drops and didn’t impress on a per-route basis, with only 0.95 Yards per route run in college.

Player Comp: Scottie Phillips

23) LeQuint Allen (RB – Syracuse)

Stats:

• 2024 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 128th
  • Breakaway rate: 147th
  • PFF elusive rating: 126th
  • PFF receiving grade: 8th
  • Yards per route run: 42nd
• 2023 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 119th
  • Breakaway rate: 125th
  • PFF elusive rating: 97th
  • PFF receiving grade: 57th
  • Yards per route run: 77th

Scouting Report: N/A (No All-22 film available.)

Player Comp: N/A

24) Kalel Mullings (RB – Michigan)

Stats:

• 2024 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 55th
  • Breakaway rate: 54th
  • PFF elusive rating: 81st

• Collegiate Yards per route run: 0.59*

(Only 10 targets in college across three seasons)*

Scouting Report:

• Kalel Mullings is a classic downhill thumper. He has strong legs to push through first contact and move a pile in short-yardage situations. Mullings has build-up speed and needs a runway to get going, but he can do damage in the second level of defenses. If defenders can contact him immediately or early in a play he can have issues.
• Mullings offers some nice pass-protection reps. His physical strength shows up again here. He has plenty of reps where he takes on free rushers, stands them up and corrals them with a solid anchor.
• Mullings utilizes jump cuts to access different running lanes instead of choppy footwork. When he can’t jump cut in a situation he does face some challenges changing course.
• Mullings offers little in the passing game. He had only 10 targets across three seasons of collegiate football and 0.59 Yards per route run to show for it. His value to NFL teams will arise primarily from what he can do as a rusher, although his pass protection skills could get him plenty of hollow passing down snaps, depending on his NFL backfield.

Player Comp: Jeremy Hill

25) Donovan Edwards (RB – Michigan)

Stats:

• 2024 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 141st
  • Breakaway rate: 121st
  • PFF elusive rating: 146th
  • PFF receiving grade: 36th
  • Yards per route run: 107th
• 2023 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
  • Yards after contact per attempt: 132nd
  • Breakaway rate: 114th
  • PFF elusive rating: 148th
  • PFF receiving grade: 18th
  • Yards per route run: 19th

Scouting Report:

• Donovan Edwards has an average burst with build-up speed. He’s at his best when getting north/south quickly and using his size to his advantage as he builds up a head of steam downhill.
• Edwards can get himself into trouble when he hesitates behind the line. He’ll slow up near the line at times to survey the scene before bursting forward. Edwards gets away with this on well-blocked run plays, but he doesn’t have the juice to do this regularly. He misses cut-back lanes at times, and his vision can lapse.
• Edwards is a one-cut runner with a mean, stiff arm. He can power through arm tackles in the open field with built-up momentum. If he is contacted behind the line of scrimmage many times, he’ll struggle to shed defenders. He doesn’t have the burst or raw speed to get to the edge consistently with outside-zone runs. Edwards isn’t as physical as you’d hope from a rusher his size. He doesn’t push the pile and can get blown up in short-yardage situations.
• Edwards can sometimes jump cut at the line and in the open field to avoid defenders, but he can struggle to change direction in the open field with some runs.
• Edwards is a decent dump-off option. He’ll make some nice catches outside of his frame. His route tree doesn’t extend beyond flat and swing routes in most games.

Player Comp: Wayne Gallman

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