Alvin Kamara has been the main source of offensive production for the New Orleans Saints over most of his eight NFL seasons. His importance will undoubtedly continue in the offense of new coach Kellen Moore. This was recognized, though undervalued, by Pro Football Focus.

Pro Football Focus analyst Trevor Sikkema ranked selections for the top 32 running backs in the NFL coming into the 2025 season. There was no doubting that Alvin Kamara would make the list. However, it was a surprise how low he was valued in these PFF rankings. Kamara came in at No. 20, which was 12th among NFC backs and fourth within the NFC South. This was Sikkema’s “analysis” of Kamara:

Kamara was once the gold standard of versatility — someone who was guaranteed to rack up rushing yards, produce efficiently after contact and provide fantastic outputs as a receiver.

He is still all of those things, just at a less impactful level at 30 years old. Kamara earned a 76.6 PFF rushing grade in 2024.

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The fact that Kamara was “less impactful” seems a ridiculous assessment. For much of the 2024 season, he was the entire New Orleans offense. Kamara had 950 rushing yards, a career-best on the ground, despite missing the last three games. This was in spite of an injury-ravaged offensive line, no receiving weapons to speak of after mid-season, and inconsistencies at quarterback.

Kamara didn’t break many long runs in 2024, but averaged 67.9 yards per game on the ground, second-highest of his productive career. His 1,493 yards from scrimmage were his highest since 2020, as he also contributed 68 receptions for 543 yards. He led the Saints in catches and was just five yards short of also leading the team in receiving yardage. Kamara scored 8 total touchdowns. Not an outstanding total but his highest since 2021 against defenses who devised their game plans to stop him with no other complementary weapons.

PFF ranked Kamara below subpar backs like Tony Pollard (Cowboys, now Titans), Chuba Hubbard (Panthers), Joe Mixon (Texans), Breece Hall (Jets), and James Conner (Cardinals). Tampa Bay’s Bucky Irving got a top-10 ranking despite similar scrimmage yardage to Kamara and a lower rush yards per game average in only one year of productivity. Christian McCaffrey received another lofty ranking in spite of yet another injury-shortened campaign.Kamara’s receiving numbers haven’t been as dynamic as earlier in his career. This is partly because of questionable play-calling and usage along with the fact that there’s been no other viable backfield threat for New Orleans. That fact has also forced the Saints to use Kamara too often as an inside runner, where poor offensive line performance has also hindered his impact.

Alvin Kamara will turn 30 during training camp this summer. Most expect a sharp decline in a running back at that age. Because of the Saints offensive deficiencies in recent years, it’s difficult to accurately judge whether Kamara has himself begun to decline. Barring health issues, we should find the answer to that question this year.New Saints coach Kellen Moore has always had a rushing attack that plays well into what Kamara does best. Additionally, New Orleans also spent their first round draft pick on tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. in an effort to improve the offensive line. Alvin Kamara will remain the focal point of the Saints offense, is still a tremendous versatile threat, and may have one of his best seasons in an offense that suits his skills.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: PFF running back rankings undervalue Saints star Alvin Kamara