Bijan Robinson Tops ESPN's 2026 RB Rankings
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- Bijan Robinson claimed the No. 1 spot after leading the NFL with 2,498 scrimmage yards in 2025 and breaking William Andrews' 42-year-old Falcons franchise record, edging Jahmyr Gibbs by composite rating (1.78) despite Gibbs collecting nearly as many first-place votes.
- Saquon Barkley dropped from No. 1 to No. 3 after his rushing yards over expected cratered from second in the NFL in 2024 to 24th in 2025, with only four runs of 20-plus yards (down 13 from his 2,000-yard 2024 campaign).
- Derrick Henry, at 32, tied Barry Sanders' record with his fifth 1,500-yard season and led the league with 17 runs of 20-plus yards, yet landed at No. 6 — one voter noted he 'hasn't really slowed down.'
- James Cook appeared on every ballot after leading the NFL in rushing yards (1,621) and rushing yards over expected (358), becoming the first Bill to lead the NFL in rushing since O.J. Simpson (1975-76).
- De'Von Achane debuted on the list at No. 8 with a 5.62 career yards-per-rush average — the highest in NFL history among backs with 500-plus attempts — and ranks first since entering the league in yards after catch per attempt (3.8).
- Kenneth Walker III, the reigning Super Bowl MVP and first winner to change teams the next season since Dexter Jackson in 2003, landed at No. 9 in his first year with Kansas City after back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in Seattle.
- The broader RB market is rebounding: McCaffrey and Barkley signed deals worth $19M and $20.6M per year from 2024-2025, three more backs landed $14-16M deals this offseason, and an AFC exec said teams are warming to paying $17-18M for pass-catching backs as receiver prices balloon.
Why it matters: Robinson and Gibbs, both 24, will reset the running back market even higher while battling for ball-toting supremacy for years, per the article. With veterans like 32-year-old Henry and 30-year-old McCaffrey still producing at elite levels, the position has shifted from 'depressed' — as backs themselves called it three years ago — to one where versatile pass-catchers now command $17-18M annually.
