ARIZONA -- Arizona Cardinals RB James Conner is about to enter his ninth NFL season and fifth in the desert as one of the more underrated rushers in the league.
That's not the opinion of media - or fans - or teammates - but decision-makers in the NFL.
Conner was left outside the top ten of ESPN's recent running back rankings ahead of 2025, which utilizes votes from NFL executives, coaches and scouts across the league to build the list.
Conner landed in the "honorable mention" category.
One anonymous NFL executive offered this to ESPN when asked about Conner:
"He's a load to bring down. Short strider with quick feet to slip tacklers, find slices of daylight. Good second-level burst. Runs behind his pads. Finisher. Underrated player."
ESPN's full list:
1. Saquon Barkley
2. Derrick Henry
3. Jahmyr Gibbs
4. Bijan Robinson
5. Christian McCaffrey
6. Josh Jacobs
7. Jonathan Taylor
8. James Cook
9. Joe Mixon
10. Alvin Kamara
Also in the honorable mention category was Bucky Irving, Aaron Jones, De'Von Achane and Breece Hall.
Kyren Wiliams, David Montgomery, Brian Robinson Jr., Chuba Hubbard, D'Andre Swift and Kenneth Walker III also got votes.
Conner is fresh off his most productive season ever as a pro, rushing for 1,094 yards and eight touchdowns with another 414 receiving yards/one score as a pass catcher.
He's just one of seven NFL running backs to have hit 1,000 yards rushing in each of the last two regular seasons.
Conner - also a team captain - is expected to again lead the Cardinals in a 2025 season that could see their first postseason berth since 2021.
"We're ready," Conner said earlier this offseason. "We ain't doing this forever. The sooner the better. I'll put it like that."
Conner could take a slight dip in workload with the emergence of second-year running back Trey Benson, who told reporters he believed Arizona could tout two RB1's.
Benson, who has worked closely under Conner since his arrival, also believes the Pitt product doesn't get enough credit.
"He's one of the best runners I've ever seen, and I feel like the people in the media don't give him credit," Benson said of Conner.
"He's one of the top running backs in the league -- he's top five to me -- and I'm always telling him that. He proves it each and every day."