Despite claiming the rushing title en route to one of the most impressive seasons put forth by a Buffalo Bills running back in the franchise’s history, James Cook still isn’t getting his respect.
The latest form of disregard came in the form of 2025 season-long running back rankings put together by NFL analyst and former professional RB Maurice Jones-Drew.
The NFL Network commentator compiled his list of the top 64 RBs from this season, and Cook wasn’t first, wasn’t second, wasn’t third, but was ranked fourth, an absurd evaluation after the year the Bills’ RB recorded.
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NFL Network commentator Maurice Jones-Drew during an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Deserved more
Cook finished the ’25 campaign with 1,621 yards rushing, topping all NFL RBs. Still, Jones-Drew placed him behind three others who, while putting forth impressive seasons, did not top the Buffalo ball carrier in the most important statistic for running backs — carrying the football.
The list included all running backs who started at least one game this season and recorded a minimum of 20 carries. Atlanta Falcons RB Bijan Robinson was ranked first, San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey second, Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor third and Cook fourth.
In his analysis of Cook, Jones-Drew wrote, “After signing an extension in the preseason, Cook showed his worth by leading the NFL in rushing yards. He was an absolute playmaker out of the backfield, so it was no surprise that Buffalo finished No. 1 in the league in rushing offense.
“Cook ended up with 12 games with 100-plus scrimmage yards (T-most in the NFL) and the Bills were 11-1 in those games. They were 1-4 when he had fewer than 100 yards, further proving his worth to that offense.”
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Maurice Jones-Drew (@MJD) ranks all 64 starting running backs from the 2025 NFL season. Where does James Cook rank after leading the league in rushing? Does King Henry crack the top five after a second consecutive 1,500-yard campaign?https://t.co/Rzu6LFHRbc pic.twitter.com/hxj9OXpuYF
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) January 15, 2026Too low
Not only did Cook lead all players in yards rushing, but he was also second among running backs in yards per carry (minimum five games played), with a rate of 5.2 yards per attempt during the regular season.
So, while he may not have had as many scrimmage yards as the other RBs ranked above him, his efficiency was at the top of the charts, and his impact on winning was unmatched across the league. He deserved better than the fourth spot in the aforementioned rankings, as was proven by his second-team All-Pro selection.
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III (4) runs the ball during the first half against the Jacksonville Jaguars in an AFC Wild Card Round game at EverBank Stadium. | Melina Myers-Imagn Images
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