NFL Draft
11/28/24
11 min read
2025 NFL Draft: Superlatives For This Year's RB Class
With the 2025 NFL Draft approaching, I’ve started a superlatives series to preview each position group. This series will cover a wide range of prospects and highlight the players who stand out the most in specific categories. Today, we’re breaking down the running back class.
Note: Ashton Jeanty is arguably the best running back prospect of the last decade, and he ranks first in the majority of categories (6/11). Featuring him in every other section wouldn’t be very interesting and would defeat the purpose of this exercise, which is to cover as many players as possible. For this reason, I’ve limited him to one superlative, and a * will denote a category in which Jeanty is best in class.
2025 Draft RB Superlatives
BEST VISION
Ashton Jeanty, Boise State 
While Ashton Jeanty checks essentially every box for a running back prospect, his most exceptional trait is vision. He excels in every blocking scheme, and his laser-sharp processing allows him to anticipate creases and maximize yardage. He rarely makes a bad decision or misses a read running between the tackles.
On outside zone he immediately reads the alignment of the defensive front and the flow of the linebackers, and presses the line to open up cutback lanes.
Quick crash course on reading outside zone: The ball carrier reads frontside-to-backside until he identifies an open gap. He starts by reading the leverage of the end man on the line of scrimmage. If that defender is sealed inside, he hits the C-gap. If the defender's playing the block with outside leverage, he progresses to the next defender inside and makes the same read:
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) November 26, 2024
While the initial aiming point on outside zone is off-tackle, explosive plays come from hitting the cutback lane and punishing linebackers for flowing too aggressively. Jeanty is as reliable and efficient reading zone runs and spotting cutback opportunities as any running back in college football:
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) November 26, 2024
He also has excellent patience and spatial awareness on gap-scheme runs to allow his blocks to develop and maneuver through congested rushing lanes between the tackles.
Honorable Mention: Jonah Coleman – Washington
BEST ATHLETE
Bhayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech’s Bhayshul Tuten is my pick for the most athletic running back in this class. According to Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List, Tuten has a 4.32 40-yard dash and a max velocity of 23.15 MPH, and these athletic traits show up on tape. He effortlessly burns pursuit angles and turns narrow creases into 60-yard touchdowns.
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) November 26, 2024
Tuten is a bit of a sleeper in a crowded running back class and has a chance to be a top-100 pick this April. Teams will have to decide if his big play ability is worth the lapses in ball security, however, as he’s fumbled the ball nine times in the last two seasons.
Honorable Mention: TreVeyon Henderson – Ohio State
BEST POWER & CONTACT BALANCE*
Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State 
Quinshon Judkins is one of the most imposing downhill runners in this class. What he lacks in finesse, he makes up for in raw power. Judkins prefers to flatten defenders in the open field rather than avoid them. While I wish he was more elusive at the second level, his tone-setting rushing style makes him a chore to bring down.
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) November 26, 2024
If he isn’t able to run over a defender and keep his footing, he consistently falls forward and picks up yards through the tackle, at the very least. He also has a vicious stiff arm to discard angle tackles as he turns the corner.
Honorable Mention: Kaytron Allen – Penn State
MOST ELUSIVE*
Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech
It’s rare to see a densely built, 230-pound back move as suddenly as Tahj Brooks. He might not fit the stereotype of the elusive running back, but his foot speed and lateral agility are lethal in tight quarters.
Brooks is a highly experienced back with more than 950 career touches. Last season, he had the fourth most rushing yards in the FBS, but Texas Tech’s run blocking and, in turn, Brooks’ efficiency have slightly declined in 2024. While his 5.0 yards per carry is below average for a draftable running back, he’s earned every inch and displayed an impressive ability to navigate traffic behind the line of scrimmage.
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) November 26, 2024
Brooks shrewdly anticipates backfield penetration and slips around gap shooters with explosive lateral cuts. He has the ideal blend of patience and decisiveness, calmly waiting for traffic to clear before urgently hitting the open lane.
Once he clears the first level, he’s capable of stacking consecutive cuts to evade linebackers and can barrel through tackles to gain yards after contact.
Honorable Mention: DJ Giddens – Kansas State
MOST CREATIVE
Woody Marks, USC
Producing as an undersized running back requires the creativity and athleticism to make plays outside of the designed gap. At just 208 pounds, Woody Marks struggles to shed arm tackles and drive through defenders. He’ll likely need to be paired with a bigger back in the NFL that can handle short-yardage duties, as Marks is often stood up at the first down or goal line.
However, if defenders were able to make contact with him, his poor contact balance would be more of an issue. Marks can start, stop, and change directions on command and has a remarkable sense for locating escape routes as the pursuit closes in.
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) November 26, 2024
Fitting the run that USC calls is just the first step in stopping Woody Marks. If he runs out of space within the structure of the call, he’s able to reverse his track and extend the play to the opposite side of the field.
Honorable Mention: Kyle Monangai – Rutgers
MOST COMPLETE*
Jonah Coleman, Washington
Ashton Jeanty has very few flaws as a prospect, and would be the obvious choice for this superlative, but I want to use this section to highlight a similar player who should be available much later in the draft. Jonah Coleman is my third-ranked running back, and his lack of glaring weaknesses is reminiscent of Jeanty.
At 5’9”, 229 pounds, Coleman has a compact build and low center of gravity. He’s a tough, powerful runner with good contact balance and a highly effective stiff arm. He has the lateral quickness to execute rapid cuts, whether to avoid a tackle or veer into a lane on the backside.
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) November 26, 2024
For a back of his size, Coleman has exceptional footwork and agility. He effortlessly lifts his feet to elevate over ankle tackles and has arguably the best hurdle in this class.
His pass protection tape is nearly flawless, and he only has one career drop, so he can play all three downs. He has limited experience running power and counter, but he’s a proficient zone runner with excellent vision. He’s also never fumbled in college.
Jonah Coleman is the perfect Day 2 option for a team that’s looking for a well-rounded three-down back but doesn’t want to pay premium draft capital.
BEST RECEIVER
Lan Larison, UC Davis
Lan Larison leads Division 1 running backs with 761 receiving yards in 2024 and is comfortably the best receiving back in this class. Larison is one of the only backs that actually runs a downfield route tree. He can separate on angle routes from the backfield or line up outside and run fades and comebacks.
He has natural hands and reliably catches open targets, but he can also track the ball over his shoulder and win through contact at the catch point.
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) November 26, 2024
Although he’s facing a lower level of competition at UC Davis, Larison’s receiving skill set is as refined as I’ve seen for a running back prospect in the last five years.
Honorable Mention: TreVeyon Henderson – Ohio State
BEST PASS PROTECTOR
TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
TreVeyon Henderson is one of the lightest running backs in this class, but he’s also the most tenacious pass-blocker. He’s looking to erase every blitzer that crosses his path and has put some dominant finishes on tape this year.
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) November 26, 2024
This is a historically good running back class in terms of pass protection, and there are a handful of other players who deserve this superlative. Jonah Coleman has incredible awareness for an underclassman but isn’t overwhelmingly physical.
Ollie Gordon II and Omarion Hampton offer the perfect blend of size, technique, and processing skills. Lan Larison and Ashton Jeanty are extremely reliable pass blockers as well.
Henderson is, at times, overzealous, and his technique isn’t as consistent as that of the other players I mentioned, so he will have occasional losses. But he's only allowed two pressures on 34 snaps this season, so these issues are infrequent.
Sloppy technique can be fixed in a few practices, but the physical edge that he brings to blitz pickup is unteachable.
Honorable Mention: Ollie Gordon II – Oklahoma State
BEST OUTSIDE ZONE RUNNER*
Kaleb Johnson, Iowa
Kaleb Johnson has been the surprise breakout running back of 2024. He currently ranks second in the FBS with 1490 rushing yards and would probably be receiving more national recognition if it wasn’t for Ashton Jeanty.
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) November 26, 2024
The vast majority of Johnson’s production has been on outside zone, and besides Jeanty, he’s the most pro-ready zone runner in this class. Despite limited experience, Johnson is already an advanced processor. He moves efficiently from read to read while keeping his feet active. He has a wide cone of vision to spot cutback lanes and hits the crease without hesitation.
Honorable Mention: Nate Noel – Missouri
BEST GAP RUNNER (POWER/COUNTER)*
Dylan Sampson, Tennessee
Dylan Sampson has run for over 1300 yards and 22 touchdowns this year in Tennessee’s gap-heavy offense. The Vols run a heavy dose of GT Counter, Dart, and Power, and Sampson’s timing and vision have been integral to their success. He processes fronts quickly, stays tight to his pullers, and steers linebackers into blocks. He darts in and out of cuts and has the speed and explosiveness to convert big play opportunities.
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) November 26, 2024
Tennessee’s offensive scheme can be difficult to evaluate, as the spread formations create lighter boxes than he’ll see in the NFL. With his patience, field vision, and creativity, however, Sampson should have no problem transitioning to the next level.
Honorable Mention: Woody Marks – USC
BEST DUO RUNNER
Omarion Hampton, North Carolina 
During the last two seasons, no running back has been more productive on a Duo than Omarion Hampton. North Carolina runs this play as often as any team in college football, and Hampton has the perfect skill set to execute it.
Duo is often referred to as “power without the puller.” It consists of two double teams that gradually work downhill to the second level. Hampton has all the necessary traits and skills to thrive in this scheme.
On Duo, the running back reads the play-side linebacker and adjusts his track based on the linebacker’s movement. Hampton has the awareness and IQ to consistently make the correct reads and force the linebacker into conflict.
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) November 26, 2024
Duo will either hit between the tackles or bounce outside, and Hampton is built to dominate any part of the field. He has elite contact balance and can stay on his feet as he ricochets off of defenders. He can lower his shoulder and finish a short-yardage run with authority.
While he doesn’t have elite top speed, he has very good lateral acceleration to bounce Duo off-tackle if the linebackers collapse. The first play in the cutup is a good example of this.
Honorable Mention: RJ Harvey – UCF
