AFC North running backs rankings ahead of the start of the season. There is no question the AFC North has a lot of talented players at the position. In a division like it having a great running back is absolutely a necessity given where the teams are located, bad weather is almost a guarantee.
AFC North running backs ranking
1. Nick Chubb
2021 Season Stats 228 carries 1,259 yards 8 touchdowns 5.5 ypc
Nick Chubb is a force of nature. He has a great balance of speed and power. When he is not on the field the Browns definitely miss his production. Even with having Kareem Hunt to back him Chubb is definitely more impactful. Since coming into the league in 2018 Chubb has made his presence felt. His rookie year started with 966 yards and 8 touchdowns off of 192 carries which was good for 5.2 yards per carry. Since then Chubb has put up 3 consecutive 1,000 yard seasons and at least 8 touchdowns. He has missed some time due to injury like last year but that did not stop him from surpassing the 1,000 yard mark. I don’t see his production slowing this year I see it increasing to a potential career year with an unknown situation at quarterback.
2. Najee Harris
2021 Season Stats 307 carries 1,200 yards 7 touchdowns 3.9 ypc
Najee Harris is only going into his second season, but the production he put up as a rookie was stellar. Najee was playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league and a very limited predictable offense. We still don’t know if Matt Canadas offense is going to work and the play call looked stale at times last year. Could that be Canadas fault or was it really due to Ben Roethlisberger’s limitations? Like the Browns the Steelers also have quarterback uncertainty. This is going to mean Najee should be around the same touches as last year(381) if not more. The Steelers improved the offensive line and with the mobility of whoever suits up is something teams will have to account for and not stack the box. I believe Najee will have an even better year.
3. Joe Mixon
2021 Season Stats 292 carries 1,205 yards 13 touchdowns 4.1 ypc
Joe Mixon fell to the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2017 draft. He had some off the field issues which is what led to the slide because, he was actually a projected first round pick. However, Joe Mixon is an aggressive nasty runner. He earned his big pay day. He has 3 seasons over 1,000 yards and had a break out year last year with 13 rushing touchdowns. The bengals went and broke the bank this offseason bringing in some high quality offensive linemen and Joe Mixon will be the beneficiary of the improved unit. I expect Mixon to have another break out year for the Bengals and to make this ranking tough.
4. JK Dobbins
2020 Season Stats 134 carries 805 yards 9 touchdowns 6 ypc
JK Dobbins had a pretty solid rookie campaign. 800 yards 9 touchdowns. But ahead of the 2021 season suffered a season ending injury. There is a conspiracy that there was an issue with the turf given the turmoil of the Ravens injury problems last year. I think Dobbins is a quality running back and deserves respect. I do think the situation he is in is not so great for his stat line. Lamar Jackson is going to be their top rusher no matter what. The offense runs through him and the Ravens tend to do running back by committee. To pair that with coming off a season ending I don’t see a great season ahead of Dobbins.
Stay in touch with our site and follow all AFC North news here.
For More Great Football Content
Follow us on Twitter at @GridironHeroics for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Football news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE