The running back position was seemingly being devalued for years but experienced a bit of a bounce back with two runners going high in the first round last season.
This crop of backs is one of the deeper classes we have seen and could see a player or two go in the first round. Let’s take a look at the top five players of that group before we get to pre-draft process.
1. Trey Benson, RB, Florida State
Trey Benson is one of the more talented volume-type backs to come out in recent years, and he is also one of the most physically gifted backs in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft.
With the chance to be a workhorse at the next level, Benson has shown he can carry the load and make explosive run after explosive run. Though not as dynamic as some of the other backs on the list, Benson can take an NFL team’s running game through the roof under the right circumstances.
2. Blake Corum, RB, Michigan
An almost Heisman winner who has put his team on his back over the past two seasons with impressive rushing numbers, Blake Corum looks to bring a similar skillset over to the NFL.
Corum is an intelligent runner who can locate holes and maximize them with a quick burst through the seams. A bit undersized, Corum may not be a full load type of back for very long at the next level but he could help elevate just about any offense as an explosive and experienced back.
3. Jonathon Brooks, RB, Texas
Perhaps the most talented dual-threat back in this class, Jonathon Brooks has a real chance to be one of the first backs off the board despite a late-season ACL injury in November.
Brooks is an explosive and versatile playmaker who can make plays at multiple levels of the offense. He has the size, speed, and explosiveness desired to be a three-down back at the next level and potentially carry the load.
4. Will Shipley, RB, Clemson
We have not seen the best of Will Shipley lately given his injury history, but when healthy he has been one of the best and most versatile backs in the country.
Shipley is a shifty runner who can make plays inside or outside the schematics of a play. His ability as a pass catcher should shine heading into the draft, and he could be drafted much higher than anticipated should some of that early explosion come back to him.
5. Braelon Allen, RB, Wisconsin
At only 20 years old Braelon Allen has the added benefit of entering the draft without much tread on the tires and a solid decade of play ahead of him, which is a bit of a novelty for the position.
Allen is still a bit raw but has all the physical tools you could ask for a workhorse back. Allen will need to be coached up a bit as a pass catcher, but his physical skillset and the potential he possesses could see him be one of the higher-ranked backs in the process.
