The 2025 NFL Draft is in the books, and the biggest wave of free agency is over. That makes it a perfect time to take stock of NFL rosters as we head toward the 2025 season. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be looking at the quarterbacks, running backs, and pass catchers for all 32 NFL Teams. I’ll be ranking each unit 1-16 in their conference. When it comes to taking stock of the whole unit, it’s not just about star power but depth. Today, it’s the first group of NFC running back rooms. Teams appear in ascending order.
#16 Dallas Cowboys
On the Roster: Javonte Williams, Jaydon Blue, Miles Sanders, Phil Mafah, and Deuce Vaughn
About: Ah, the Cowboys. This running back room has gone steadily downhill over the past few seasons. They weren’t in great shape at this time last year, and yet they managed to find a 1,000-yard rusher in Rico Dowdle. This year, the Cowboys added four new faces to the room.
Veterans Williams and Sanders signed one-year free agent deals, while Blue and Mafah were acquired in the draft. Could Blue be part of the long-term future? It’s possible, but it’s hard to say how that will pan out. Meanwhile, Williams profiles as the starter for now. He’s a solid runner and receiver who never seemed to reach his full potential in Denver. Sanders had a middling couple of years in Carolina after some decent years with the Eagles. There’s some potential here, but it’s hard to count on the Cowboys’ backfield, so they land at the bottom of the list.
#15 Washington Commanders
On the Roster: Brian Robinson, Jr., Austin Ekeler, Jeremy McNichols, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, and Chris Rodriguez, Jr.
About: The second spot stays in the NFC East, swinging over to the Commanders. The Commanders have a great quarterback room and a strong receiver room, but the running back group is their weakest link.
Robinson is a solid, if unspectacular, runner. He’s entering a contract year, having rushed for 700-plus yards in each of his first three seasons. I expect about the same in 2025. He’s a fine receiver, but not a great receiver. He’s paired with Ekeler, who is on the tail end of his career and has lost a step. Beyond that, young players or veterans can step in if needed, but they don’t inspire confidence. I like Robinson just fine, but it’s not a great backfield group.
#14 New York Giants
On the Roster: Tyrone Tracy, Jr., Cam Skattebo, Devin Singletary, Eric Gray, and Dante Miller
About: Our third entry is another team from the NFC East. Tracy had a strong rookie year, rushing for 839 yards and five touchdowns. He was a late-round pick, and whether he can repeat that performance is a question. The team added Skattebo, a rookie who could be a contributor, especially in short-yardage, and still has a veteran in Singletary. It’s not a bad set of options, but it’s not particularly impressive.
#13 Chicago Bears
On the Roster: D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, Kyle Monangai, Travis Homer, and Ian Wheeler
About: Moving on from the NFC East for a bit, we arrive at the Bears. Swift is the best single running back on the list so far. He’s been a weapon out of the backfield for the Lions, Eagles, and now the Bears. He’s the lead in the backfield for Ben Johnson, which is promising. But what about the Bears’ depth?
Johnson enters his third season having not done much yet. This will be a big year for him to step forward. Wheeler is an unknown who had a season-ending injury in 2024, while Monangai is a rookie, and Homer is a veteran role player. It’s not a bad group, but it’s certainly thin.
#12 Arizona Cardinals
On the Roster: James Conner, Trey Benson, Emari Demarcado, DeeJay Dallas, and Michael Carter
About: The Cardinals have some depth, but how good is that depth? Conner is a solid starter, but he’s on the later end of his career. Still, he has posted 1,000-plus yards in each of the past two seasons. He’s a good bet to do it again if he can stay on the field.
Benson, meanwhile, was an intriguing back-of-the-future pick last year that could take a step forward in 2025. But he’s an unknown quantity at this point. Demarcado, Dallas, and Carter are veteran role players. It has decent depth but is unspectacular, so they land in the middle of the pack in the bottom half.
#11 New Orleans Saints
On the Roster: Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller, Devin Neal, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and Velus Jones, Jr.
About: This is a tough group to rank. Kamara is a great starter. He’s produced on the ground, and he’s an excellent receiver. He’s arguably the best individual back on the list so far. Behind him, there are a lot of questions. Edwards-Helaire was once a first-round selection but had a checkered professional career. Miller has yet to do much, but a coaching change could help him. Neal is an intriguing rookie who was selected in the later rounds, and Jones, Jr. is trying to complete his transition from receiver. There are options behind Kamara, but it’s hard to feel confident of this depth.
#10 Minnesota Vikings
On the Roster: Aaron Jones, Sr., Jordan Mason, Ty Chandler, and Zavier Scott
About: The Vikings have a solid room. Jones, a free agent in 2024, rushed for 1,138 yards last year. He’s back on a two-year deal, which should help this room. Behind him, the team added Mason, a key contributor to the 49ers last season. They also still have Chandler, a decent young prospect. It’s a solid trio that has some upside. There’s not much behind them, and Jones is aging and has a checkered injury history. So, that led me to drop them here around the mid-point of the NFC rooms. It’s good, but not great.
#9 Carolina Panthers
On the Roster: Chuba Hubbard, Rico Dowdle, Trevor Etienne, Raheem Blacksheer, Emani Bailey, and Jonathon Brooks
About: The Panthers round out the first half of this list. The biggest question is Brooks, a second-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, who tore his ACL for the second time. He’s out for all of 2025, meaning it’s hard to evaluate what he’ll mean to the Panthers’ future.
In the meantime, they brought in Dowdle, who rushed for 1,000 yards in 2024 with the Cowboys, as their RB2 option in 2025, and drafted Etienne to add depth. But they end up at this spot thanks to Hubbard, who followed up a 902-yard season in 2023 with 1,195 yards and a long-term extension in 2024. He’s a good back that leads a good group here for Carolina. So, they top the first half of the list in the NFC.
Matthew Fox is a die-hard NFL fan and Broncos’ homer. He’s a member of the FSWA. You can find more from him on Twitter @knighthawk7734 or as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast, a part of the Campus2Canton Network.
