In a San Francisco team full of talented players, Christian McCaffrey stood out last season as the most productive. He achieved a rare feat by becoming one of only twelve players ever to surpass 2,000 yards from scrimmage and score over 20 touchdowns in a single season.
As a result of his outstanding performance, McCaffrey has been recognized as the best running back in the league by The Associated Press. A panel of eight AP Pro Football Writers ranked the top players at the running back position based on their current status going into the 2024 season.
McCaffrey received seven first-place votes and one second-place vote, making him the only player to appear on all eight ballots.
Derrick Henry earned one first-place vote, five second-place votes, and one third-place vote to secure second place. Saquon Barkley followed in third with one second-place vote. Jonathan Taylor and Bijan Robinson tied for fourth place.
Breece Hall of the New York Jets received the remaining second-place vote but did not crack the top five. Other players who received votes include Nick Chubb, Josh Jacobs, Raheem Mostert, Jahmyr Gibbs, Aaron Jones, and Kyren Williams.
1. CHRISTIAN McCAFFREY, San Francisco 49ers
Last season, McCaffrey topped the NFL with 1,459 rushing yards, 2,023 scrimmage yards, and 21 total touchdowns, earning him the AP Offensive Player of the Year award.
Since joining the 49ers midway through the 2022 season, McCaffrey has significantly boosted their offense, gaining 3,233 yards and scoring 31 touchdowns in 27 games. He’s widely regarded as the top dual-threat back in the league.
McCaffrey averages 115.4 scrimmage yards per game, which ranks as the third best in NFL history among players with at least 70 games, behind only Hall of Famers Jim Brown (125.5) and Barry Sanders (118.9).
2. DERRICK HENRY, Tennessee Titans
Henry stands out as one of the premier pure runners in NFL history. He has accumulated 9,502 rushing yards and 90 rushing touchdowns in his career, joining Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith and LaDainian Tomlinson as the only players to achieve both milestones in their first eight seasons.
Despite a challenging season with the Titans last year, where he ran for 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns, Henry looks forward to a rejuvenated year at age 30 with the Baltimore Ravens. There, he will team up with dual-threat quarterback Lamar Jackson.
3. SAQUON BARKLEY, Philadelphia Eagles
After six seasons with the New York Giants, Barkley moved across town to join the Philadelphia Eagles this off season. He aims to ignite an offense that struggled recently. Known for his versatility in both rushing and receiving, Barkley has averaged 98.8 scrimmage yards per game throughout his career.
Behind Philadelphia’s strong offensive line, Barkley is expected to thrive after ranking 36th in the league last season in yards gained before contact per carry with the Giants.
4. JONATHAN TAYLOR, Indianapolis Colts
Taylor has been slowed down by injuries over the past two seasons, missing a total of 13 games and falling short of 900 rushing yards in each of those years.
Despite this, voters were impressed by his ability when healthy, especially after he ran for 2,980 yards and 29 touchdowns in his first two seasons from 2020 to 2021.
The Colts are hopeful that a fully fit Taylor can return to that level of performance, especially with quarterback Anthony Richardson adding a running threat to their offense.
5. BIJAN ROBINSON, Atlanta Falcons
Selected as the eighth overall pick in the 2023 draft, Robinson had a strong debut season with the Atlanta Falcons. Despite inconsistent quarterback play on his team, he showed glimpses of becoming one of the top running backs in the league.
Robinson made numerous impressive plays, rushing for 976 yards and catching 58 passes for 487 yards. He scored a total of eight touchdowns and ranked 10th in the league in yards gained from scrimmage.
