NFL Player News

The Commanders selected Croskey-Merritt in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 245th overall.

Croskey-Merritt parlayed an impressive 2023 season at New Mexico (1,190 yards, 17 touchdowns) into a spot in Arizona's backfield in 2024. However, eligibility issues derailed his season after just one game (106 yards, one touchdown). That hurt Croskey-Merritt's ability to put one more impressive season on tape. Croskey-Merritt is older for a running back prospect (24), but his production was promising at New Mexico, and he showed to be a rugged runner there. He's a north-south type of back who won't help much in the passing game but could still push for a roster spot in Washington.

The Cowboys selected Mafah in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 239th overall.

Dallas covered its bases with running back selections Day 3. In Jaydon Blue (fifth round), the Cowboys got one of the speediest backs in the class. Mafah brings the thump at 6-foot-1 and 234 pounds. He split the backfield work with Will Shipley at Clemson in 2023 and took 179 carries for 965 yards and 13 scores. As the feature back in 2024, Mafah's workload swelled to 216 carries for 1,115 yards and eight touchdowns. Mafah is far from a speedster but can carve out a role as a short-yardage specialist. Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders will likely see the bulk of the action this season, but a Mafah-Blue backfield could be interesting in the future.

The Jaguars selected Allen in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 236th overall.

The Jaguars drafted running back Bhayshul Tuten in the fourth round, so Allen enters a crowded backfield that already had Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby. Allen declared for the NFL Draft after three years at Syracuse, two of which he served as the starter. Over those two seasons, Allen produced 2,085 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns on 473 carries (4.4 YPC) in addition to 102 receptions for 731 yards and five touchdowns. While Allen handled a hefty workload in college and started 27 straight games, his frame (6-foot, 204 pounds) and upright running style will make it difficult to maintain such a role in the NFL. Nevertheless, Allen adds versatility to the Jaguars' backfield, as he naturally catches balls and makes plays out of the backfield while also showing an ability to line up as a receiver.

The Bears selected Monangai in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 233rd overall.

Monangai may be a seventh-rounder, but he should still be on the fantasy radar thanks to landing in Chicago. Beyond that, Monangai is a talented, physical runner who took on heavy workloads at Rutgers. He ran for over 1,200 yards each of the last two seasons with at least 240 carries in those campaigns. Monangai offers next to nothing in the passing game with 38 career receptions in four seasons, but his rushing ability could still pave the way to a role in Chicago. Remember, the Bears were a popular projection for Ashton Jeanty in the first round and did not touch that position until they nabbed Monangai. D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson sit atop the depth chart for this new coaching staff, but managers should file away Monangai's name as one to watch come training camp.

The Chiefs selected Smith in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 228th overall.

Smith is an intriguing prospect. He had considerable pedigree as a four-star wide receiver and was a special-teams standout with Miami before transferring to SMU for his final collegiate season. He converted to running back with the Mustangs and totaled 1,659 yards from scrimmage with 14 touchdowns. It's difficult to get too excited about the potential for a seventh-round selection to immediately contribute, but Smith will be on a historically strong offense with a relatively open backfield.

The Seahawks selected Martinez in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 223rd overall.

Martinez was the lead back for Miami in 2024 after spending the prior two seasons at Oregon State. He led the Hurricanes with 1,002 yards and 10 touchdowns on 159 carries and added 17 catches for 204 yards across 13 games (10 starts). Martinez runs with authority and will gain yards after contact, but he lacks the burst and elusiveness to make defenders miss in the second level. He'll likely compete with Kenny McIntosh and George Holani for the Seahawks' RB3 job behind Kenneth Walker (ankle) and Zach Charbonnet.

The Bengals selected Brooks in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 193rd overall.

Brooks was a four-year starter at Texas Tech, breaking the school record with 4,560 career rushing yards while posting back-to-back 1,500-yard seasons in his junior and sophomore seasons. He's a compact back with a 5-foot-9, 214-pound frame, and his tempo and vision allows him to navigate through defenses to pick up tough yards. Though he's not the fastest back in the draft, Brooks displayed his quickness at the 2025 NFL Combine with a 4.06-second shuttle time and 6.90-second three-cone time. Chase Brown (ankle) and Zack Moss (neck) are the Bengals' top two running backs, but Brooks will have a shot to compete against veteran Samaje Perine for the No. 3 job.

The Titans selected Mullings in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 188th overall.

Mullings played linebacker for most of his first three seasons at Michigan before focusing on running back for the final two years. In his fifth season, Mullings served as the lead back in a tandem with Donovan Edwards, generating 948 yards and 12 touchdowns on 185 carries (5.1 YPC). He failed to demonstrate pass-catching chops, however, so his path to playing time in Tennessee is hazy behind Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears.

The Saints selected Neal in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 184th overall.

Few would have found it shocking if Neal had gone as early as the third round, so in the sixth round he could prove a bargain for the Saints. The former Kansas star would ideally be a little more heavy (5-foot-11, 213 pounds) and would ideally have a little more speed (4.58-second 40-yard dash), but Neal's collegiate production was convincing on the question of his skill set. Neal really knows how to play, be it on running and passing downs, and if he gets his foot into the door history says he might be tough to put back on the bench. Neal might supplant Kendre Miller on the depth chart if Miller can't improve in his third year, though Neal is likely no threat to Alvin Kamara's usage.

The Dolphins selected Gordon in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 179th overall.

A year ago, it would have been considered a big surprise for Gordon to last this long in the draft. He was coming off a monstrous sophomore season at Oklahoma State with 285 carries for 1,732 yards and 21 rushing touchdowns. His junior year did not go as planned, however. Gordon's YPC dropped from 6.08 to 4.63, and he was held to 880 rushing yards on 190 attempts. The combine didn't help his stock much, as he tested below average in the 40 (4.61) and in the vertical (34.5). His fit in Miami is good, though. The Dolphins have two smaller, speedier backs and needed to add some thump. Gordon can provide that at 6-foot-1 and 226 pounds. The upside case for Gordon would be taking over a short-yardage and goal-line role in Miami.