NFL Player News

The Colts selected McGowan in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 237th overall.

McGowan had a tumultuous college career, which saw him dismissed from Oklahoma's program after being arrested in April of 2021. He didn't see the field again until 2024 with New Mexico State and ended his college career with Kentucky in 2025, when he turned 165 carries into 725 yards and 12 touchdowns along with 19 catches for 126 yards over 11 games. McGowan has good size with a 6-foot, 223-pound frame, and he has the flexibility and strength to move around defenders, though he's not as explosive as other backfield prospects. There will be questions around his character heading into his NFL rookie season, but he'll have the opportunity to prove himself in Indianapolis, where he'll compete against DJ Giddens and Ulysses Bentley for rotational snaps behind lead back Jonathan Taylor.

The Steelers selected Heidenrich in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 230th overall.

Heidenrich is arguably the most versatile back in the draft, racking up not only 77 carries for 499 yards and three touchdowns, but also adding 51 catches for a whopping 941 yards and six touchdowns in a triple-option Navy offense that doesn't typically throw the ball that often. He figures to be more of a receiving back similar to a Danny Woodhead or Darren Sproles but could be a unique player with a creative offensive coordinator. Heidenrich's top-end speed isn't off the charts, and he's not the most elusive back in the draft. He'll have to earn his way up the depth chart in the Steel City and may be asked to contribute on special teams to keep his spot on the 53-man roster.

The Vikings selected Claiborne in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 198th overall.

Claiborne brings a dynamic skillset to Minnesota after four years at Wake Forest -- two as a starter. The 22-year-old is a patient runner with the speed (4.37 40-yard dash) to break open a play when he sees daylight. At 5-foot-10, 188 pounds, he doesn't project as a consistent threat between the tackles, but there's clear upside if the Vikings can get him into space. Over his final two seasons, Claiborne rushed 407 times for 1,956 yards and 21 touchdowns while adding 51 receptions for 194 yards and two scores. Claiborne could earn his keep in a third-down role if he can tidy up his pass blocking, but it's a crowded room for now with 31-year-old Aaron Jones leading the way ahead of Jordan Mason and Zavier Scott.

Washington selected Allen in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 187th overall.

Allen spent his entire four-year college career at Penn State, and he mostly served in a committee with Nicholas Singleton before emerging as the Nittany Lions' lead rusher in 2025. Allen was named to both the All-Big Ten First-Team and All-American Second Team last year, when he turned 210 carries into 1,303 yards (6.2 YPC) and 15 touchdowns while adding 18 catches for 68 yards across 12 games. He is a powerful runner that gets better as the game progresses, and while he doesn't have blazing speed, he has the vision, patience and strength to grind out yards. The Commanders will likely take the committee approach to their backfield under new offensive coordinator David Blough, though Allen will have the opportunity to emerge with a role, with his competition for snaps coming from Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White, Jerome Ford and Jeremy McNichols.

The Ravens selected Randall in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 174th overall.

Randall (6-foot-3, 232 pounds) moved to running back last year after spending the prior three seasons at wide receiver, but for the entirety of the season Randall continued to look like something other than a running back. It's concerning that Randall was only vaguely productive as a runner (4.8 yards per carry), and it was all but admitted that Clemson moved him to running back because it wasn't working at wide receiver. With that said, Randall is a standout athlete for his build (4.50-second 40-yard dash, 37-inch vertical, 124-inch broad jump), so perhaps there is developmental potential there. Just don't be surprised if it eventually occurs at tight end rather than running back.

The Titans selected Singleton in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 165th overall.

Singleton, out of Penn State, boasts the size (6-foot, 219 pounds) and explosiveness of many of the backs going in the early rounds of the draft. However, some of the hype died down in 2025 after he managed only 4.5 yards per carry en route to 549 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 123 totes. He's an excellent receiver out of the backfield as well, amassing 102 catches for 987 yards and nine touchdowns over his four-year college career. However, Singleton struggles to find openings at the line and doesn't sport the necessary patience for things to develop. He also struggles a bit in pass blocking. Singleton has the raw talent to potentially develop into a contributor on offense, but he may be limited mostly to special teams as a rookie. Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears headline the Titans' running back room, but Singleton could usurp Michael Carter for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart with a good showing in camp.

The Chiefs selected Johnson in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 161st overall.

Johnson (5-foot-10, 202 pounds) broke out in 2025, his fourth season with Nebraska, starting all 12 games and totaling 251 carries for 1,451 yards (No. 1 in the Big Ten) and 12 touchdowns while adding 46 catches for 370 receiving yards and another three scores. While Johnson's production, lateral agility and pass-catching chops stand out, his testing numbers were merely average, though he improved on his 4.56-second NFL Combine 40-yard dash with a 4.49-second total at Nebraska's pro day. Despite falling to the fifth round, Johnson's landing spot in head coach Andy Reid's offense is intriguing, with Emari Demercado and Brashard Smith representing his most notable competition for reserve work behind new No. 1 running back Kenneth Walker. Johnson's upside case may be limited to that of a change-of-pace role behind Walker, but he'll be a solid candidate to produce with such a gig if he can secure consistent opportunities.

The Raiders selected Washington in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 122nd overall.

Washington saw limited opportunities at Buffalo and New Mexico State, but he burst onto the scene during his fifth and final year in college at Arkansas. He was named to the All-SEC Second-Team in 2025 after turning 167 carries into 1,070 yards (6.40 YPC) and eight touchdowns while adding 28 catches for 226 yards and a score across 12 games. Washington is a big back with a 6-foot-1, 223-pound frame that he used to full effect as a punishing, downhill runner, which should lead to a fair amount of touches on early downs. Ashton Jeanty is still the lead back for the Raiders, but Washington seemingly brings the thunder to the team's backfield that complements the lightning of Jeanty.

The Broncos selected Coleman in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 108th overall.

Coleman is a bruising running back at 5-foot-8, 220 pounds. He led Washington in rushing in each of his final two seasons, combining for 1,811 yards (5.2 YPC) and 25 touchdowns while adding 54 receptions for 531 yards and two scores through 25 games. Coleman is quick but he isn't fast, and he produced more than 10 yards on just 20 of his 156 carries as a senior. He didn't run the 40-yard dash this spring, either. Still, players like Coleman have clear NFL utility, especially if they can catch passes. The 22-year-old can block in the pocket and run routes in the open field, so he projects as a potential short-yardage back who will chip in on passing downs as well. Coleman will battle Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie for a role behind J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey in 2026.

The 49ers selected Black in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 90th overall.

This was highly unexpected. There really is a lot to like about Black following his standout showing at Indiana, but he caught only 55 receptions in six collegiate seasons and turns 25 in October. Black does look good as a pure runner, boasting a hot motor and decent speed (4.46-second pro day 40) at 5-foot-9, 211 pounds, but second-year man Jordan James remains a strong candidate to serve as the RB2 behind Christian McCaffrey for the foreseeable future.