Ranking the backup NFL running backs

Despite their recent success, running back has been an issue for the Eagles over the last two years. They've likely solved it after drafting Miles Sanders in the second round of this year's draft and acquiring Jordan Howard from the Bears. Sanders has the potential to be a bell cow back after a great 2018 season at Penn State, and Howard should be a fine short-yardage runner. He's also averaged more than 1,100 yards over his first three seasons, albeit with a declining yards per carry average. Veteran Darren Sproles is back and is one of the best third-down backs the NFL has ever seen, while the experienced Wendell Smallwood and Corey Clement also return.

Running back depth has been one of the calling cards of the Patriots roster in recent years, and that's no different this season. The team spent a third-round pick on Damien Harris, who could challenge second-year back Sony Michel for carries. James White remains perhaps the league's best receiving back, with a career-high 87 receptions last season. The team also still has Rex Burkhead, who has been a solid contributor when healthy over the last two seasons.

Chris Carson remains the starter in Seattle, but 2018 first-round pick Rashaad Penny is likely to eat into his playing time now that he's more comfortable with the offense. Penny came on late last season and averaged 4.9 yards per carry for the year. C.J. Prosise is also still around and is physically gifted but hasn't been able to stay healthy. J.D. McKissic is likely to be the third-down back as a strong receiver, but he missed most of last season due to injury.

It's no surprise that a team expected to run the ball as much as the Ravens this year has elite running back depth. Veteran Mark Ingram is expected to be the starter, but Gus Edwards impressed in his rookie season with 718 rushing yards (5.2 yards per carry). Kenneth Dixon provides plenty of versatility if he can stay healthy, and rookie Justice Hill was a burner at Oklahoma State, showing huge upside.

While Chicago traded Jordan Howard in the offseason, the team's running back depth is arguably better after drafting David Montgomery in the third round and signing veterans Mike Davis and flex Cordarrelle Patterson to join versatile back Tarik Cohen. Montgomery is the likely starter, and Cohen has established himself as an elite third-down back in two seasons with 124 catches and 4.4 yards per carry. Davis was impressive when he found the field in Seattle last season, averaging 4.6 yards per carry, and Patterson remains a big-play threat, adding to his primary role as a kick returner.

The signing of Tevin Coleman this offseason was somewhat curious given the depth that San Francisco already had on the roster at running back. Jerick McKinnon has yet to take the field for the 49ers due to a knee injury last year that continues to give him trouble, but his replacements last year proved their worth. Matt Breida sparkled with 5.3 yards per carry and 814 yards last year, and Raheem Mostert also impressed before an arm injury.

LeSean McCoy is the likely starter again, but this situation is shaping up to be a committee after the Bills added Frank Gore, T.J. Yeldon, and rookie Devin Singletary in the offseason. In fact, the new trio could cause the Bills to move on from McCoy before Week 1. Gore is still going strong at 36, averaging 4.6 yards per carry with Miami last season. Yeldon is a former second-round pick by Jacksonville with a lot of experience, both as a runner and receiver despite a career average of only 4.0 yards per carry. A third-round pick, Singletary is the wild card as a productive back out of Florida Atlantic.

Marlon Mack established himself late last season as the bell cow back, but the Colts have built nicely around him. They used a pair of draft picks last year on Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins, both of whom showed flashes in their rookie campaigns. Hines made 63 catches and Wilkins averaged 5.6 yards per carry. Indy also signed recently released Texan D'Onta Foreman, who has had trouble getting over an Achilles injury but has shown great power running ability in the past.

Undrafted rookie Phillip Lindsay was a huge bright spot for the Broncos last season, and he will continue to share time with 2018 third-round pick Royce Freeman. Freeman lost the starting job to Lindsay last year but showed flashes as a downhill power back, with 4.0 yards per carry. Former Lions receiving back Theo Riddick was signed recently but will miss time with a shoulder injury. That helps fourth-year versatile back Devontae Booker, who has been a disappointment since coming into the league but did average 5.4 yards on 34 carries last season.

Cleveland's depth behind Nick Chubb was thinned out after the team traded fan favorite Duke Johnson to Houston last week, but it's still a strong area. Tulane alum Dontrell Hilliard will step in as the No. 2 back at the start of the year until former Chiefs star Kareem Hunt returns from his eight-game suspension. Hunt led the NFL in rushing during his 2017 rookie season and was on a similar pace last year before the Chiefs released him as a result of  off-field transgressions.

Thirty-four-year-old future Hall of Famer Adrian Peterson could enter the year as the starter, but he's likely to be replaced by Derrius Guice sooner than later. Guice was supposed to be last year's starter before suffering a knee injury, but he was terrific at LSU. Chris Thompson remains one of the league's best third-down backs, albeit being injury prone, and Samaje Perine at least proved he could be a workhorse in the 2017 rookie season. The team also spent a fourth-round pick on Bryce Love, who was a Heisman Trophy candidate at Stanford two years ago but will miss much of 2019 following ACL surgery.

Damien Williams emerged late last season as the Chiefs starter following Kareem Hunt's release and Spencer Ware's injury, but the team has plenty of depth behind him. Veteran Carlos Hyde was signed in the offseason and has shown versatility in the past with San Francisco. Darrel Williams showed promise in his rookie season last year, and sixth-round pick Darwin Thompson starred in the team's first preseason game, with powerful running ability despite his lack of size.

The Jets signed Le'Veon Bell this offseason despite having one of the deeper backfields in the league. Elijah McGuire has averaged only 3.3 yards on 180 carries in his first two seasons but has shown breakaway ability when he gets beyond the first level. Thirty-year-old Bilal Powell played only seven games last year due to injury but had more than 700 yards rushing in 2016 and 2017. He could be an excellent change of pace for Bell. Converted wideout Ty Montgomery has seen mixed results since his 2016 breakout in Green Bay, but his floor is a serviceable third-down option.

The Raiders are expected to roll with first-round pick Josh Jacobs but should be comfortable with their alternatives. Doug Martin is back after splitting time last year and averaging 4.2 yards per carry. Jalen Richard is one of the league's better third-down backs, finishing last year with 68 catches and averaging 5.3 yards per carry for his career. DeAndre Washington has received plenty of playing time in his three seasons but could be fighting for a roster spot this month.

After losing Mark Ingram in free agency, the Saints were sure to fill their depth chart behind star back Alvin Kamara. Latavius Murray is a power runner with plenty of experience between Oakland and Minnesota and with at least 500 yards rushing in each of the last four seasons. Dwayne Washington remains on the roster and rushed for more than 100 yards in Week 17 last year. Former Falcons and Bucs runner Jacquizz Rodgers also has significant experience and versatility if he has anything left at age 29.

The Texans released D'Onta Foreman just after camp started, and their depth behind Lamar Miller looked dire until they acquired Duke Johnson from Cleveland. Johnson has mostly been a third-down back in his four seasons but could challenge Miller for snaps. With 235 catches in four seasons, he adds a dimension to the Texans offense that it has been lacking. Undrafted rookie Damarea Crockett showed flashes at Missouri, but his college career was marred by injury and off-field issues. Speedy Taiwan Jones has barely played despite eight years in the league.

The relationship between Melvin Gordon and the Chargers seems to be at a standstill, but the team is in decent shape if Gordon's holdout lasts into the season. Austin Ekeler has come out of nowhere to average more than 5 yards per carry in consecutive seasons and can also help in the passing game. Justin Jackson was adequate after getting forced into action as a rookie, with 4.1 yards per carry.

With Todd Gurley seeing his workload reduced late last season due to an arthritic knee, the Rams clearly had running back depth high on their list this offseason. They retained Malcolm Brown and spent a third-round pick on Memphis star Darrell Henderson. They also still have 2018 sixth-round pick John Kelly. It's somewhat unclear the level of talent the Rams have behind Gurley, but each player's profile is intriguing.

Kenyan Drake shared playing time with Frank Gore last season and could do the same with second-year back Kalen Ballage this year. A huge back out of Arizona State, Ballage averaged 5.3 yards per carry on 36 rushes in his rookie season. The team took a gamble on Mark Walton after his run-in with the law  this offseason, and seventh-round pick Myles Gaskin had an extremely productive career at Washington.

The Steelers proved their running back depth last year with Le'Veon Bell's season-long holdout, and they've added to it with former Kentucky back Benny Snell. James Conner was productive as the starter last season, but Jaylen Samuels was nearly as impressive in his stead late in the year, averaging 4.6 yards per carry and adding 26 catches.

Tennessee gave Dion Lewis a big contract last offseason after his success in New England, but Derrick Henry eventually emerged as the bell cow during the second half of the year. Lewis is a great complement with 59 receptions last year, but he really struggled running between the tackles with only 3.3 yards per carry. David Fluellen has eight NFL carries in two years but has a leg up on the No. 3 job.

Cincinnati has built nice depth at running back behind Joe Mixon. Giovani Bernard remains a capable third-down back with good hands and 4.2 yards per carry over six seasons, but the team also has reason to be high on rookies Trayveon Williams and Rodney Anderson. Williams was one of the draft's best third-down prospects after a good career at Texas A&M, while Anderson was a high-round prospect before hurting his knee at Oklahoma last season.

Leonard Fournette has been a disappointment for the Jags, especially recently, and they've challenged him with some new depth this summer. Veterans Alfred Blue and Thomas Rawls have plenty of experience, and fifth-round pick Ryquell Armstead was also productive in college. None of these backs is a threat to Fournette's job, but they all should be viable backup options.

The Lions continue their transition to a more balanced offense under head coach Matt Patricia, and they addressed that desire by signing C.J. Anderson in the offseason. He should be a nice short-yardage complement to Kerryon Johnson, who played well in his rookie season. After trading Theo Riddick, Zach Zenner is likely third on the depth chart. He finally came into his own late last season, averaging 4.8 yards per carry in his fourth NFL campaign.

Saquon Barkley established himself as arguably the league's best back in his rookie season, so we didn't see much of the team's depth last year. Wayne Gallman remains on the team but saw only 51 carries last year. He did show more flashes in his rookie season, with 4.3 yards per carry and 34 receptions. Similarly, Paul Perkins was almost nowhere to be found last year after averaging 4.1 yards on 112 carries in 2017. Former Cowboy Rod Smith gives the team some versatility in the backfield.

Atlanta had perhaps the best running back in football last year but had to let Tevin Coleman walk in free agency. Second-year player Ito Smith is being forced to step up behind the injury-prone Devonta Freeman but showed versatility last season with 27 catches. Rookie fifth rounder Qadree Ollison is expected to contribute in short yardage, while Brian Hill and Kenjon Barner have valuable NFL experience.

With the firing of Mike McCarthy last year, the Packers could finally be over the odd Aaron Jones-Jamaal Williams timeshare. Jones has run laps around Williams since the pair was drafted in 2017, averaging 5.5 yards per carry compared to Williams' 3.7 yards per rush. The Packers have added sixth-round pick Dexter Williams to the depth chart, and the Notre Dame rookie got a heavy workload in his first preseason game.

Assuming the Cowboys are able to sign Ezekiel Elliott, their running back depth is adequate heading into the season. Rookie fourth-round pick Tony Pollard has impressed in camp, and the team brought back experienced veteran and former 1,000-yard rusher Alfred Morris after he was in San Francisco last season. Rookie seventh-round pick Mike Weber was also highly productive in college at Ohio State, so he could help.

David Johnson is a borderline superstar, and the new Cardinals coaching staff seems high on second-year back Chase Edmonds. The Fordham alum struggled to contribute much in his rookie season, gaining only 208 yards on 40 carries. Third-year player T.J. Logan also has limited experience, with only two career carries, and D.J. Foster is coming off a torn ACL.

Minnesota apparently couldn't afford to keep free agent Latavius Murray this offseason but is hoping veteran Ameer Abdullah and rookie Alexander Mattison can suffice behind the injury-prone Dalvin Cook. Abdullah has been a bust since a quick start to his career in Detroit, averaging 3.3 yards per carry in 2017 and barely playing last year. Mattison was a surprise third-round selection out of Boise State, though he did reach 1,400 yards rushing last year.

Starter Christian McCaffrey hardly left the field last season, but the Panthers would like that to change. They drafted Jordan Scarlett and signed undrafted free agent Elijah Holyfield to help in that regard, and both rookies should challenge Cameron Artis-Payne on the depth chart. Artis-Payne has only 118 carries in four seasons, as the Panthers haven't seemed trusting of his ability recently.

The Bucs have had issues at running back since Doug Martin's demise, and what they have on the roster now is still unclear. Peyton Barber looks like the starter but could be supplanted by 2018 second-round pick Ronald Jones if the offseason hype proves real. It should be noted that Jones did almost nothing in his rookie season and had only five touches in Tampa's first preseason game. Andre Ellington has rejoined his former head coach, Bruce Arians, at age 30 after spending last year out of the league. No one else in camp has significant NFL experience.