Born a running back to a father who was a running back (and a mother who was a power forward,) I knew about ball security, stiff arms, and high knees before I could walk. Before every game I played, my pops showed me the same video highlighting the all-time greats and I immediately fell in love with the skill, toughness, selflessness and style of running backs. To this day I enjoy watching the position more than any other.
Pops was more of a Thurman Thomas type, and I was always drawn to those winged helmets. I was more Curtis Martin.
In other words, yes, I am here for the long overdue RB resurgence! If you’ve been around here long enough, you have likely seen me state that I feel “running backs are the best athletes on the field.” But the beauty of the position is that they come in all shapes, sizes and styles.
Speed backs like Gale Sayers and O.J. Simpson were just as dangerous as Eric Dickerson and Chris Johnson, no matter what generation of athletes they lined up against. Power backs like Jerome Bettis and Craig Heyward got the job done much like Earl Campbell and Christian Okoye, despite being much shorter and wider. All-around backs like Sweetness and Jim Brown, elusive backs like Barry and Marshall, durable workhorse backs like Emmitt and Gore, the list and variety go on and on.
In this series, I will highlight my favorite running backs from the 2025 NFL draft class, one current or former pro they remind me of most, and whether or not I see them as a fit for Ben Johnson’s offense this season for the Chicago Bears.
#10: Jaydon Blue - Texas - SPEED
Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic - Ohio State v Texas If you ever watched a Texas Longhorns game, you couldn’t help but notice #23. Why they didn’t lean on him more is beyond me.
Photo by CFP/Getty Images
Jaydon Blue is a speed back, through and through. As quick and explosive as they come and enters the league with perhaps the most tread left on his tires of any back on this list having only touched the ball 270 total times (56 catches) in his three-year career in Austin for the Texas Longhorns. With career averages of 5.4 yards per carry and 9 yards per catch to go along with 18 total TD’s (7 receiving), Blue was a weapon for his offense that was never truly realized. Perhaps it was the fumbles (6 total) or injuries that kept him out of the gameplan, but when he got his touches, he made them count. Blue is not getting nearly the love he deserves in this loaded class, but I expect him to be a dynamic weapon in the NFL, perhaps to a lesser extent as the player I believe he most closely resembles.
Pro Comp: Jahmyr Gibbs
Blue: 5’9”, 196, 4.38, 1.52 (10-yd split)
Gibbs: 5’9”, 199, 4.36, 1.52
Photo by John Rivera/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images and Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images
While Jaydon Blue doesn't have the ball security that Jahmyr Gibbs’ has (4 fumbles last season vs. 4 career fumbles for Gibbs in college), nor does he have the same elite level of pass blocking, especially for a back his size, I am not sure there is a better comp in this entire series than these two. Both have exceptional burst, tremendous vision, fantastic hands as a receiver and primed for a better career in the league than as a collegiate athlete. Both are big plays waiting to happen in the run or pass game; I expect Blue’s stock to rise as teams begin to notice these similarities and covet a back with Gibb’s skillset. I would be shocked if he was NOT selected in the top 100 picks.
Here are a couple of clips of each from their college days.
Fit for Bears? No
This might sound crazy to some, considering the level of success that Jahmyr Gibbs had with Ben Johnson calling plays, but I believe the Bears currently have a back with a skill set similar to those of these two in D’Andre Swift. Coming out of college, Swift was 5’8”, 212 with a 4.48 forty and 1.56 ten-second split. I love Blue more than most, but I would be surprised if he landed in Chicago unless he somehow falls in the draft and becomes too valuable a selection to pass up.
Stay tuned for the rest of my list, but sound off below on whether or not you see the similarities between Blue and Gibbs or who you believe is a better comp.