We continue to inch closer to training camp, which is set to open at the end of July for all teams. But while the offseason continues, many fans love a good ranking, and that is what ESPN recently sent out when they polled the executives, coaches, and scouts to rank the top 10 running backs in the NFL.
Running back seems to be a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately position. Also, it is a position mostly dominated by youth; with how much of a beating running backs take, the younger they are, the more effective they are likely to be. You can see that in plenty of these rankings. One player who had a down 2025 season compared to the year before was Saquon Barkley. Based on his last season, some concerns arose about the former second-overall pick.
NFL Coordinator Raises An Issue About Saquon Barkley
You can go a few different ways at the top of the running back rankings based on production and skill set, but the ESPN rankings did not have too many surprises. The top running back on the list is Bijan Robinson from the Atlanta Falcons, and second is Jahmyr Gibbs from the Detroit Lions.
Both of those players have elite production and skill sets that set them apart from the rest. They are players who must be game-planned for and who have carried their offenses at times.
Third on the list was Barkley, who was not punished for a down 2025 season. He was worse in almost every statistical category compared to his 2024 season, but the big one was a lack of explosive runs. He had only 4 rushes of 20+ yards, according to ESPN, a drop-off from the 17 he had in 2024.
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According to PFN’s RB Impact Metric, Barkley posted an impact score of 74.3 last season, ranking 24th in the league. In the 2024 NFL season, Barkley ranked as the best running back in the league with an impact score of 96.2.
An NFL coordinator raised a big issue about Barkley and said, “My only criticism is that he doesn’t always produce when things aren’t completely clean. That’s dating back to the Giants. Tends to need things perfectly set up for him.”
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The Eagles’ offense had a down 2025 season, and that goes from the offensive line to the playcalling. According to PFN’s Team OL Impact Metric, the Eagles’ unit was ranked 17th in the league, while their offense ranked 23rd in the league, according to PFN’s Offense Impact Metric.
The coordinator seems to believe that Barkley is not the type of player who can overcome those issues. It will be interesting to see if the star running back bounces back in 2026, as the Eagles will once again rely on him for a hefty workload, and he will have to answer the bell.