Mike's Take
The trend of late has been for a running back to go in the Top 10, a trend that very well might continue in the upcoming NFL Draft.
In 2023, it was Bijan Robinson of Texas going to Atlanta with the eighth-overall selection. Jahmyr Gibbs also landed just outside of the Top 10 in that draft when the Lions grabbed him out of Alabama with the 12th-overall pick.
And in 2025, Boise State's Ashton Jeanty went sixth overall to the Raiders.
This year, Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love is the consensus head of the running back class, and he's being consistently mocked among the first 10 selections.
But if you need a running back, you had better get one fast.
Mike's Rankings
1. Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame, 6-0, 212 lbs. - He probably didn't need to add an exclamation point to his RB1 resume, but the 4.36 40-yard dash Love ran at the Combine provided one, anyway. The Doak Walker Award winner (nation's top running back) and First-Team Associated Press All-American has the tape and the talent. No need to over-think it.
2. Nicholas Singleton, Penn State, 6-0, 219 lbs. - Singleton suffered a broken foot at the Senior Bowl and showed up in Indy in a walking boot. He reportedly told media at the Combine he "should be ready" to work out for scouts a week before the NFL Draft, April 23-25. In the meantime, trust the production. Singleton is Penn State's all-time leader in touchdowns (55, including one on a kickoff return) and all-purpose yards (5,586).
3. Emmett Johnson, Nebraska, 5-10, 202 lbs. - Of the 10 running backs who ran 40s in Indy, Johnson's 4.56 was the slowest. But that's also what Alvin Kamara ran before he went on to become the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2017. Johnson led FBS with 151.8 all-purpose yards and finished fourth in FBS with 1,451 rushing yards in a breakout 2025 campaign that included 12 rushing touchdowns and three receiving TDs.
4. Kaytron Allen, Penn State, 5-11, 216 lbs. - Allen left Happy Valley as the Nittany Lions' all-time leader in career rushing yards (4,180). There are running back options at Penn State this time, not as many as at The Creamery but there's clearly more than one flavor available.
5. Jadarian Price, Notre Dame, 5-11, 203 lbs. - There are options in South Bend, as well. Price took a backseat to Love in Notre Dame's backfield but still exhibited "NFL-starter traits," in the opinion of NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah. Price also found the end zone twice on kickoff returns in 2025 and three times overall in three seasons with the Fighting Irish.
Sleeper: Kaelon Black, Indiana, 5-9, 208 lbs - Black wasn't invited to the Combine but he made a competitive statement by participating in the Senior Bowl after a 16-game, national championship-winning season at Indiana. And he helped himself in Mobile, Ala., in Jeremiah's estimation. Black rushed for 1,040 yards, scored 10 rushing TDs and averaged 5.6 yards per carry in helping to carry the Hoosiers to the top of the college football mountain.