We\u2019re back with the second edition of the summer scouting series, following a way-too-early projection of next year\u2019s draft class. This week, we\u2019re diving into the running back group. The 2026 class was headlined by a potential franchise-altering talent in Jeremiyah Love. Behind him, there were solid niche contributors, but the overall depth paled in comparison to recent groups.<\/p>\n
Next year\u2019s class flips that script. At first glance, there doesn\u2019t appear to be a prospect in the same tier as Love. However, the top of the class looks deeper and more competitive, with several backs who could hear their names called early and inject real talent into the league.<\/p>\n
As with any rankings this early in the process, this list will evolve as the season unfolds. For now, it reflects what each player has put on tape to this point in their career.<\/p>\n
1. Ahmad Hardy\/Missouri (Third-year Junior)<\/p>\n
Analysis: Hardy has been a consistent force from the moment he stepped onto the field as a true freshman at Louisiana-Monroe. After a dominant start to his career, he took his talents to the SEC where the jump in competition had little impact on his production.<\/p>\n
He posted an absurd 1,649 rushing yards (leading the SEC) and 16 touchdowns in 2025. Throughout his career, he\u2019s proven he can handle a franchise-level workload. His defining traits as a runner are his elite contact balance and his ability to create yardage on his own. With an incredibly strong lower half and a low center of gravity, defenders bounce off him as he absorbs contact without losing forward momentum.<\/p>\n
Complementing that contact balance is his knack for generating explosive plays without relying on pristine offensive line play. Hardy averaged 4.6 yards after contact last season, which led the country, and he had a whopping 43 runs of 10-plus yards. He\u2019s physically imposing and projects as a relentless chain-mover.<\/p>\n
The most concerning part of his game is his lack of receiving production over the past two seasons. Last year, he recorded only six receptions for 22 yards. To solidify his status as one of the top backs in the class, he\u2019ll need to prove he can contribute on a true three-down basis.<\/p>\n
More recently, Hardy suffered a gunshot wound to his upper leg that required surgery. While he is on the road to recovery, it will be a key storyline to monitor whether he can return as the same dominant presence on the ground.<\/p>\n
Preseason Draft Projection:\u00a0Early Day Two<\/p>\n
2. Kewan Lacy\/Ole Miss (Third-year Junior)<\/p>\n
Analysis: At just 19 years old, Lacy proved to be an absolute workhorse for the Ole Miss offense. He led the nation with 306 carries and made the most of them, generating 5.1 yards per attempt on his way to 1,567 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns\u2014both marks ranking in the top five nationally. His output also played a major role in Ole Miss leading college football in first downs.<\/p>\n
Lacy is slightly undersized in terms of height, measuring just shy of 5-10. Despite that, he runs with a highly aggressive, downhill mentality that belies his stature. While he\u2019s at his best running north and south, he also shows sudden lateral agility that makes him highly effective in tight, between-the-tackles situations.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s exceptionally light on his feet, with the ability to string together multiple jump cuts with minimal deceleration. That suddenness allows him to manipulate defensive gap integrity and force missed tackles in phone-booth scenarios. He\u2019s not the fastest back in the class, but he can still generate explosive plays thanks to his elite agility.<\/p>\n
Like Hardy, he needs to show more consistency as a pass catcher. He led all running backs last season with five dropped passes, and without more reliability in the passing game, teams may struggle to see true three-down value in him.<\/p>\n
If Lacy can take a step forward as a receiver this year, it wouldn\u2019t be surprising to see him make a strong push for the top spot in these rankings by season\u2019s end.<\/p>\n
Preseason Draft Projection: Early Day Two<\/p>\n
3. Jadan Baugh\/Florida (Third-year Junior)<\/p>\n
Analysis: Once part of a dynamic freshman duo with former teammate DJ Lagway, Baugh has since transitioned into the primary engine of the Gators\u2019 offense. He\u2019s quickly become a favorite among draft evaluators who prioritize traits and upside. Checking in at a massive 6-1 and 231 pounds, he brings the kind of power you want to see from a back with his frame.<\/p>\n
And he\u2019s far more than just a power runner. There\u2019s a fluidity and grace to his game that\u2019s uncommon for a back his size. Baugh has shown he can execute both inside-gap concepts and outside-zone stretches without losing balance or control. Through two seasons, he\u2019s also grown into a legitimate threat in the passing game, separating himself from the backs ranked ahead of him. He flashes incredibly soft hands along with a strong feel for checkdown spacing and route timing. His blend of speed, power, and receiving ability makes him a nightmare to game plan for.<\/p>\n
His primary weakness has little to do with raw talent or athletic ability and everything to do with volume and consistency. Unlike the players above him, he hasn\u2019t yet proven that he can consistently dominate stronger competition. When the offensive line fails to generate leverage, he hasn\u2019t always shown that he can routinely create yardage on his own.<\/p>\n
Baugh has all the tools to be an early selection in next year\u2019s draft. He\u2019ll once again be relied upon to carry the load for the Gators this fall, giving him every opportunity to cement that status.<\/p>\n
Preseason Draft Projection:\u00a0Early Day Two<\/p>\n
4. Nate Frazier\/Georgia (Third-year Junior)<\/p>\n
Analysis: In a long line of Georgia running backs who\u2019ve gone on to NFL success, Nate Frazier looks like the next one. Like Baugh, Frazier doesn\u2019t have the same statistical r\u00e9sum\u00e9 as Hardy or Lacy\u2014and to be fair, no one left on this list does. Where he lacks in production, he makes up for it with an elite athletic ceiling, arguably the highest in the class. Since his true freshman season, he\u2019s flashed genuine game-breaking potential. At 5-10 and 210 pounds, he has a prototypical build for a feature back in today\u2019s NFL.<\/p>\n
His calling card is the combination of size and speed. Despite weighing 210 pounds, he offers track-level acceleration and top-end speed. He has the burst to instantly punish defensive misalignments, and thanks to his build, he\u2019s not just a perimeter player who shies away from contact. He finishes runs with violence through contact and is a constant threat to break a long gain every time he touches the ball.<\/p>\n
The biggest question with his game is how his play style will hold up from a durability standpoint. To this point, he\u2019s struggled to string together fully healthy seasons, and his workload has been managed due to minor injuries tied to his physical running style.<\/p>\n
If Frazier can prove he can stay healthy and handle the heavier workload that likely awaits him, his upside is immense. With his explosiveness and physical tools, he should be a must-watch player against SEC defenses this season.<\/p>\n
Preseason Draft Projection:\u00a0Mid Day Two<\/p>\n
5. Mark Fletcher Jr.\/Miami (Fourth-year Senior)<\/p>\n
Analysis: After dominating the College Football Playoff, Fletcher was widely viewed as a strong candidate to declare for this past draft. Instead, he chose to return to Miami for his final season in pursuit of a national championship. With that decision, he enters 2026 as one of the most established and accomplished backs in college football. He thrives as a punishing, downhill grinder. At a massive 6-2 and 225 pounds, he carries immense physical momentum into the second level of the defense.<\/p>\n
Fletcher\u2019s primary edge is his overwhelming physicality at the point of attack. He\u2019s a true heavy-workload bruiser who consistently falls forward on contact and keeps the offense ahead of the chains. His violent running style wears down defensive fronts as the game goes on.<\/p>\n
He also shows solid vision. On power and counter concepts behind pulling guards and tackles, he reads his blocks well. Once he identifies his lane, he plants his foot and gets straight downhill.<\/p>\n
His ceiling at the next level, however, will be capped by a lack of top-tier burst and long speed. Because of his massive frame, his long-striding gait limits his ability to make twitchy transitions in space. He\u2019ll rarely threaten the edge against fast-flowing defenses and instead must rely on his offensive line to open initial creases.<\/p>\n
Even so, his proven effectiveness against high-level competition will make him an intriguing target for teams that value bruising, downhill runners.<\/p>\n
Preseason Draft Projection:\u00a0Late Day Two \u2013 Early Day Three<\/p>\n
6. Isaac Brown\/Louisville (Third-year Junior)<\/p>\n
Analysis: Brown is the purest example of the modern change-of-pace back in today\u2019s NFL. A standout sprinter in high school, his track background shows up immediately on tape. He brings genuine, defense-altering, home-run speed. From his first carry at Louisville, he has consistently been one of the most explosive and efficient ball carriers in the country.<\/p>\n
Louisville leans on that speed on outside zone concepts and perimeter screens to get him into space. It\u2019s unquestionably his calling card. Brown is a true big-play threat who can score from anywhere on the field. He also offers elite change-of-direction ability and hip fluidity, allowing him to beat defenders cleanly in space without absorbing heavy contact.<\/p>\n
At 5-9 and 190 pounds, though, he has a suboptimal frame for an early-down, between-the-tackles role. He lacks the mass to consistently generate yards after contact inside or move the pile in short-yardage situations. More concerning, his receiving profile is limited mostly to simple checkdowns and screens. Given that his size projects him into a \u201cscatback\u201d role, he\u2019ll need to sharpen that part of his game.<\/p>\n
Even so, his world-class speed alone will draw attention from NFL front offices. Unless he can add functional mass or expand his receiving toolbox, he\u2019ll likely max out as a highly valuable situational weapon at the next level.<\/p>\n
Preseason Draft Projection:\u00a0Early \u2013 Mid Day Three<\/p>\n
7. Justice Haynes\/Georgia Tech (Fourth-year Senior)<\/p>\n
Analysis: Haynes enters the 2027 draft cycle as one of its more fascinating storylines. Once a highly touted five-star recruit committed to Alabama, he\u2019s navigated a winding collegiate path. After transferring from Alabama following his sophomore season, he broke out at Michigan before suffering a season-ending foot injury. In that shortened 2025 campaign, he was extraordinarily efficient, averaging 7.1 yards on 121 carries and piling up 857 yards and 10 touchdowns. Now, he\u2019ll take over as Georgia Tech\u2019s lead back.<\/p>\n
Haynes brings a decisive, north-south running style. He\u2019s highly disciplined and coachable, willing to execute the play as it\u2019s drawn up. With his decisiveness, he hits the designated gap with urgency rather than dancing behind the line of scrimmage. His journey across three programs should also help his draft profile, giving teams tape of him in a variety of schemes and helping them pinpoint his best NFL fit.<\/p>\n
The primary concern with Haynes is durability. The elephant in the room is the foot injury that ended his latest season early. Foot issues can be tricky and lingering, and teams will be watching closely to see if he has lost any explosiveness or lateral agility. On top of that, he\u2019s never carried a true high-volume workload, which may give teams pause when projecting him as a full-fledged feature back.<\/p>\n
If Haynes can put together a fully healthy season, maintain his trademark efficiency, and prove he can handle a heavier load, he has a real chance to climb significantly in these rankings.<\/p>\n
Preseason Draft Projection:\u00a0Mid Day Three<\/p>\n
8. LJ Martin\/BYU (Fourth-year Senior)<\/p>\n
Analysis: Martin is another physically imposing back, with measurables that rival Mark Fletcher\u2019s. He operated as the undisputed focal point and engine for the Cougars\u2019 2025 offense while racking up more than 1,300 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. What separates him from other big-bodied backs like Fletcher is the fluidity and elusiveness he shows in the open field.<\/p>\n
At 225 pounds, he moves with surprisingly light feet, able to execute sharp jump cuts in the backfield and manipulate defenders at the second and third levels. His blend of size, patience, and lateral mobility makes him an ideal fit for complex rushing schemes. He shows outstanding pre- and post-snap vision, consistently processing defensive-line stunts, blitzes, and linebacker fits. Martin also waits for his offensive line to secure blocks before he accelerates through the crease.<\/p>\n
To become a reliable three-down back with true passing-down value in the NFL, Martin will need to shore up his pass protection. This is his biggest developmental hurdle. He misdiagnoses complex pressure looks and too often fails to anchor with a sturdy base against incoming rushers.<\/p>\n
Unlike several others on this list, Martin posted significant receiving volume last season. While that doesn\u2019t erase his issues in pass protection, it does add another layer to his profile and should help his outlook with NFL decision makers.<\/p>\n
Preseason Draft Projection:\u00a0Mid Day Three<\/p>\n
9. Darius Taylor\/Minnesota (Fourth-year Senior)<\/p>\n
Analysis: Taylor is one of the most experienced and productive runners in this class, and he firmly entrenched himself as the focal point of Minnesota\u2019s offense last season. He doesn\u2019t win by overwhelming defenders with raw athleticism. Instead, his game is built on nuance, leverage manipulation, and vision. He runs with calculated patience and a refined one-cut style, consistently setting up blocks at the line of scrimmage before planting and accelerating upfield.<\/p>\n
At 6-0 and 215 pounds, he brings a sturdy, well-proportioned frame that allows him to maintain balance and churn through contact at the second level. His true differentiator, though, is his pre- and post-snap vision. Taylor navigates congested traffic with ease, rarely running into the backs of his linemen and routinely finding hidden yardage that other backs leave on the field.<\/p>\n
The main knock on him is a glaring lack of breakaway speed and top-end acceleration. He struggles to separate from defensive backs in the open field and often gets tracked down from behind. His third-down outlook is also cloudy if he can\u2019t clean up his issues as a receiver. He\u2019s produced solid passing-game volume but has dropped too many targets due to focus lapses. Without more reliability there, teams may pigeonhole him as an early-down specialist who isn\u2019t a true home-run threat.<\/p>\n
Taylor is already at a highly advanced level as a pure runner. The clearest path to boosting his draft stock is proving he can be a consistent, trustworthy target through the air. He has previously handled a heavy receiving workload. Now he needs to pair that with cleaner hands if he wants to generate more buzz ahead of next year\u2019s draft.<\/p>\n
Preseason Draft Projection:\u00a0Late Day Three<\/p>\n
10. Jordan Marshall\/Michigan (Third-year Junior)<\/p>\n
Analysis: After Justice Haynes went down with injury, Marshall stepped into the lead-back role for the Wolverines. He capitalized on the opportunity and ultimately pushed Haynes to transfer. Marshall runs with a thick, downhill, physical style, and a breakout under new head coach Kyle Whittingham could make him one of this class\u2019s most intriguing backs.<\/p>\n
Marshall\u2019s most polished traits, despite limited experience, are his vision and patience behind the line of scrimmage. He diagnoses blocking assignments early, keeps his feet in rhythm, and waits for a crease before attacking. That patience also allows second-level blocks to fully develop.<\/p>\n
At 5-11 and 216 pounds, he shows outstanding contact balance and run power. He runs with a low pad level, absorbs blows, and sustains forward momentum. It\u2019s rare to see him go down on first contact or to arm tackles. Paired with that power is a surprising burst. He isn\u2019t a true burner, but he has enough explosiveness to hit openings with authority.<\/p>\n
Right now, he projects primarily as an early-down bruiser until he can enhance his passing-down profile. He has natural hands as a receiver, but coaches have limited him to basic concepts. The biggest question mark, though, is his pass protection. His limited exposure has prevented him from regularly picking up edge rushers or sorting out complex pressure looks.<\/p>\n
With a big season, Marshall has real riser potential on this list. His combination of vision, power, and contact balance at his age will make for an intriguing evaluation for NFL teams.<\/p>\n
Preseason Draft Projection:\u00a0Late Day Three<\/p>\n
Honorable Mention: Raleek Brown\/Texas, Caden Durham\/LSU, Tre Wisner\/Florida State, Dylan Riley\/Boise State<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We\u2019re back with the second edition of the summer scouting series, following a way-too-early projection of next year\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":901509,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[11148,65457,50996,7,51693,30230,51896,26719,63355,40518,67316,43399,6,15,88385],"class_list":["post-901508","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl-draft","tag-2027-nfl-draft","tag-ahmad-hardy","tag-darius-taylor","tag-football","tag-isaac-brown","tag-jadan-baugh","tag-jordan-marshall","tag-justice-haynes","tag-kewan-lacy","tag-lj-martin","tag-mark-fletcher-jr","tag-nate-frazier","tag-nfl","tag-nfl-draft","tag-trending-weekly"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116639508960375371","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/901508","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=901508"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/901508\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/901509"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=901508"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=901508"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=901508"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}