Will Shipley
Given Barkley's extreme workload in 2024, the Eagles' backup running backs should see more action in 2025. I have Shipley as the RB2 ahead of A.J. Dillon on my depth chart heading into training camp.
Last year's RB2, Kenny Gainwell, was one of Nick Sirianni's favorite players. He was a good culture guy, he didn't make egregious mistakes, and he had some tough runs to move the sticks. However, he was also not a big play threat in his four seasons with the Eagles. Including the playoffs, he had just five career runs of 20+ yards, and two career receptions of 20+ yards (they were both exactly 20 yards). His career long run was 32 yards.
In his rookie season, I thought that Shipley exhibited that he, too, can avoid egregious mistakes (i.e. fumbles), but he also showed that he can perhaps be more of a home run threat than Gainwell. Shipley has 4.39 speed, but he also runs with balance and is able to stack multiple cuts in succession to make defenders miss while continuing to move north and south.
Gainwell signed a one-year deal in free agency with the Steelers for a little under $1.8 million. If the Eagles wanted to keep him, Gainwell would not have been much of a financial burden. It feels to me like the Eagles think — and I agree — that Shipley can be an upgrade on Gainwell as the Eagles' RB2 / two-minute offense back in 2025.
We published a much more in-depth look at Shipley's 2024 season here.
A.J. Dillon
Dillon is among the NFL's biggest running backs at 6'0, 247 pounds. He was a Packers second-round pick in 2020 who turned 27 in May.
His yards per carry average has declined each year he has been in the NFL:
A.J. Dillon Rush Yards YPC TD
2020 46 242 5.3 2
2021 187 803 4.3 5
2022 186 770 4.1 7
2023 178 613 3.4 2
He also missed the entire 2024 season with a neck injury, but he has been cleared to play in 2025.
It's always interesting to see newly added players for the first time in person. And well, we did during the spring. I can confirm, dude is big, with massive legs. I also thought he ran well and looked comfortable catching the ball out of the backfield. To be determined if he can absorb/dish out contact like he did earlier in his career.
Keilan Robinson
Robinson was a 2024 Jaguars fifth-round pick out of Texas. He appeared in six games as a rookie, with just five snaps in the regular offense, and 51 snaps on special teams. He had two kick returns for 34 yards. He did not get any carries or targets. The Jaguars waived him in June, and he was claimed by the Eagles.
Robinson originally enrolled at Alabama in 2019. He opted out of the 2020 season (COVID), and transferred to Texas, where he played for three seasons. His college stats:
Keilan Robinson Rush Yards YPC TD
Alabama (2019) 39 254 6.5 2
Texas (2021) 45 322 7.4 3
Texas (2022) 25 86 3.4 0
Texas (2023) 12 134 11.2 3
TOTAL 121 796 6.6 8
As you can see, Robinson was seldom used, as he had just 121 career carries. He did chip in 35 career catches for 332 yards (9.5 YPC) and 3 TDs. He returned kicks for Texas in 2022 and 2023, returning one kick for a score in 2023. Highlights:
Robinson is short (5'8), but he ran a 4.42 at the Combine:
Robinson is the type of back whose game translates well to practice settings, in that he's quick and fast but isn't a tackle breaker. He's an interesting player and a decent enough candidate to turn some heads in camp, but is still unlikely to make the 53.
Montrell Johnson
Johnson is an undrafted rookie free agent out of Florida, who actually saw his workloads decrease a little bit each season in college:
Montrell Johnson Rush Yards YPC TD
2021 (Louisiana) 162 838 5.2 12
2022 (Florida) 155 841 5.4 10
2023 (Florida) 152 817 5.4 5
2024 (Florida) 100 593 5.9 6
He has some breakaway ability (he ran a 4.41 at the Combine), and he is a physical runner who likes trying to truck opposing defenders. Very fun highlight reel below:
The 2025 running back class was abnormally loaded, so Johnson might have been drafted in a normal year.
ShunDerrick Powell
Powell is a pint-sized running back who rushed for over 1000 yards in each of the last three seasons at North Alabama (2022) and Central Arkansas (2023 and 2024), finishing his college career with over 4000 yards. Highlights:
He also had decent production as a receiver, with 80 catches over the last three seasons.
Lew Nichols
Nichols carried 614 times for 3060 yards (5.0 YPC) and 26 TDs during his college career at Central Michigan. He had 341 carries for 1848 yards and 16 TDs during the 2021 season. 5'10, 220-pound "bowling ball" type. He was in Eagles camp in 2024 as well, rushing 15 times for 30 yards in the preseason games.