What grades from PFF did the current group of Indianapolis Colts’ running backs receive for their performances last season?

What grades from Pro Football Focus did the current group of Indianapolis Colts’ running backs receive for their performances last season?

We know that Jonathan Taylor will continue to shoulder the workload at the running back position for the Colts, but as GM Chris Ballard mentioned back at the NFL combine, Indianapolis needs more production from the backup running back role.

Competing for that playing time will be Khalil Herbert, DJ Giddens, and Tyler Goodson. Also, with most NFL teams rostering just three running backs, it’s likely that only two of these backs make the 53-man.

In addition to getting more production from the backup role, the Colts could also benefit from a greater pass-catching presence out of the backfield as well. This was an element that was mostly non-existent last season, but would add another dimension that defenses have to account for.

Regardless of who is under center for the Colts, the running game will play a vital role in making things easier on the quarterback. When an offense has a run game to lean on, it keeps that unit ahead of the sticks and out of obvious passing situations.

Now, as far as PFF’s grading system goes, I always want to add the caveat that this metric is far from the be-all end-all when it comes to evaluating a player’s performance. It is one tool out of many that are out there and should be treated as such.

For some context around these metrics, here is a look at PFF’s grading system to provide some context behind the numbers:

90.0+: Elite80-89.9: High quality70-79.9: Good60-69.9: Above average50-59.9: Average40-49.9: Below average39.9 or less: Poor

Alright, now let’s dive in. Along with each player’s grade from PFF, in parentheses is their ranking among the position group.

Jonathan Taylor

PFF grade: 57.1 (49th/50)

PFF clearly wasn’t a big fan of Taylor’s performance last season. However, he finished with the fourth-most rushing yards and was efficient, averaging 4.7 yards per rush, which was the 11th-best mark among all backs. Bringing Taylor’s grade down, as noted in a recent article from PFF, was that he struggled to make defenders miss, according to the advanced data.

Khalil Herbert

PFF grade: 52.0 (127th/132)

Spending time with the Bears and Bengals last season after being traded, Herbert carried the ball just 36 times on the year, averaging 3.6 yards per attempt with one touchdown and one fumble. He would also catch eight passes for 21 yards.

DJ Giddens

PFF grade: 75.7*

A very productive running back who has experience in a zone-read offense. Giddens surpassed 1,200 rushing yards in each of the last two seasons, averaging 6.0 yards per rush during that span. He also had 72 targets in the passing game the previous two years as well.

*PFF grade is from final college season

Tyler Goodson

PFF grade: 61.2 (57th/132)

Goodson had 32 carries on the season, most of which came while Taylor was sidelined for three games with an injury. Goodson averaged 4.8 yards per rush and scored one touchdown. Although it’s a small sample size, Goodson has averaged 5.3 yards per rush in his two seasons with the Colts.

Salvon Ahmed

PFF grade: N/A

Ahmed didn’t see any regular season snaps in 2024.

Ulysses Bentley IV

PFF grade: 77.9*

Bentley carried the ball 84 times for 419 yards at 5.0 yards per rush. His most productive season came in 2020 when he rushed for 913 yards on 170 carries with 11 touchdowns. As a pass-catcher, Bentley had a small role, totaling 25 targets over the last two years, and averaged 7.7 yards per catch, per PFF.

*PFF grade is from final college season