All 32 NFL teams are in the thick of training camp, and football is BACK. That also means college football is coming around the corner, which means the scouting for the 2025 NFL Draft can soon begin full steam ahead.
With that in mind, welcome to Part 3 of our of our CBS Sports summer prospect series with the quarterback and wide receiver positions kicking off our analysis. There weren't any first-round running backs last year despite an NFL Draft record 23 of 32 picks in 2024 being used on offensive players. That number included 14 consecutive picks of offensive players to kick off the draft, the most selections in a row on one side of the ball at any point in a single NFL Draft ever.
None of the running backs currently projected to be the top of their position for the 2025 NFL Draft are currently projected to be first-round selections either as the game becomes more and more about throwing the football every year, but it's still a dynamic group. CBS Sports HQ NFL analyst Rick Spielman, the former longtime Minnesota Vikings general manager, provided his rankings and player comparisons for his top five running backs on the "With The First Pick" podcast, and yours truly has supplied final thoughts for each of his top five RB prospects. These running backs are ranked by their readiness for the NFL as they get set to kick off the 2024 college football campaign.
5. Omarion Hampton (North Carolina)
- Height: 6 feet | Weight: 220 pounds
- Accolades/notable statistics: 2023 Second-Team All-American, 2023 First-Team All-ACC, 1,504 rushing yards led in ACC, fifth in FBS; 15 rush TD led ACC; 1,726 scrimmage yards led ACC, ranked fifth in FBS
- Rick Spielman's comp: Washington Commanders RB Chris Rodriguez Jr.
- Games to circle: at Duke (Sep. 28), at Florida State (Oct. 19)
- Draft range: Second through third round
Final thoughts
Omarion Hampton embraces his stout build, and maximizes it to his benefit as a straight-line, downhill, smash-mouth runner. Hampton slams his way through rushing lanes with decent vision, but if he has an open lane he is going to fly through it with a purpose. He is a high-level rusher as a short-yardage, goal-line back, and in the open field he isn't going to cute with his footwork: if there is a cornerback or safety in front him, Hampton with run through them. He uses his physicality well in pass protection.
Hampton has a tough running style that can translate to the next level.
T3. TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State)
- Height: 5-foot-10 | Weight: 208 pounds
- Accolades/notable statistics: 2023 First-Team All-Big Ten; 5.9 yards per carry (second-most in Big 10) ,11 rush TD (tied for third-most in Big 10), 926 rush yards (fourth in Big 10)
- Rick Spielman's comp: Buffalo Bills RB James Cook
- Games to circle: at Oregon (Oct. 12), vs. Michigan (Nov. 30)
- Draft range: Second through third round
Final thoughts
TreVeyon Henderson is the fastest of all the running backs in the 2025 class. His vision is great, but durability is an issue. He missed three games after what he described as a "cheap shot" against Notre Dame last season, and he seemed hampered by what happened in that game. Henderson has incredible quick twitch burst, which allows him to break away for big chunks on the ground with relative ease, and he is an average pass blocker. The best part of his game is playing out on the outside and beating people down the sideline with his speed.
The ball security is great as Henderson has never lost a fumble in his career, but the durability issue is what holds back his draft stock at the moment. Henderson is the best at creating big plays out of this crop of running backs, and he is a do-it-all back. A fully healthy 2024 could help him out a lot.
T3. Ashton Jeanty (Boise State)
- Height: 5-foot-9 | Weight: 215 pounds
- Accolades/notable statistics: 2023 Second-Team All-American, 2023 Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year; 1,916 scrimmage yards (second-most in FBS behind OKST Ollie Gordon II), 19 scrimmage TD (fifth in FBS), 569 receiving yards (most in FBS among RB), 107 tackles avoided (second-most in FBS) in 2023
- Rick Spielman's comp: Seattle Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III
- Games to circle: at Oregon (Oct. 12), vs. Michigan (Nov. 30)
- Draft range: Second through third round
Final thoughts
Ashton Jeanty is a complete back. He is certainly an every-down back with his route-running and catching abilities. Even though he is not the biggest back, Jeanty is powerful as a runner, particularly in between the tackles: he averaged 4.52 yards after contact per carry last season, the third-best in college football among 160 players with at least 100 carries. Jeanty plays with phenomenal body control with short strides and decent speed, but his speed isn't awe-inspiring as far as NFL Draft hopefuls go. The ability to start and stop at hard, quick angles is incredibly impressive. That ability goes hand in hand with how tough he is after contact. Jeanty is willing to put his face in there and put his body on the line in pass protection.
His quick twitch is so evident in his route-running, and he has the best hands catching the ball in this 2025 running back class. Jeanty does everything well -- his pass-catching is what makes him stand out in this group -- but the rest of the attributes in his skill set range from good to very good, not cream of the crop.
2. Ollie Gordon II (Oklahoma State)
- Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 225 pounds
- Accolades/notable statistics: 2023 Doak Walker Award Winner (best RB in college football), 2023 Unanimous All-American, 2023 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year; led FBS in rushing yards (1,732), scrimmage yards (2,062), second in rush TD (21)
- Rick Spielman's comp: Washington Commanders RB Brian Robinson Jr.
- Games to circle: at Utah (Sep. 21), at Baylor (Oct. 26), at TCU (Nov. 9)
- Draft range: Second through fourth round
Final thoughts
Ollie Gordon II has a great stiff arm, which allows him to throw guys off of him with ease. At his size, he is a dominant in-between the tackles runner and extremely hard to stop in the open field once he gets his long stride in gear. His pass protection needs work as Gordon needs to avoid ducking his head and too often leans on the cut-blocking method instead of utilizing his size to his advantage when pass-blocking while upright. Gordon's technique in this area is fixable with some focused coaching.
As a runner, he is a throwback in that he seems to build steam and get strong the more and more he touches the football. With his size and strength, he possesses the ability to wear down opposing defenses over the span of four quarters. The ball security is sound with only two fumbles lost on 347 carries in college career. It wasn't great that he was arrested for DUI this offseason.
Despite Gordon being a larger back, his vision and ability to jump cut is relatively smooth. His balance and body are top tier for his size. Plenty to like with the nation's most productive running back in 2023.
1. Quinshon Judkins (Ohio State)
- Height: 6 feet | Weight: 219 pounds
- Accolades/notable statistics: 2023 First-Team All SEC at Ole Miss, Led SEC with 15 rush TD in 2023; led SEC in scrimmage TD (1,699), rush yards (1,307) and rush TD (16) in 2022
- Rick Spielman's comp: Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Rachaad White
- Games to circle: at Oregon (Oct. 12), vs. Michigan (Nov. 30)
- Draft range: Second through third round
Final thoughts
Quinshon Judkins has the case for being the most well-rounded running back in the 2025 draft class. He has good size and speed, not elite speed, but he can break away for extra yards. The in-line vision and the way he keeps his feet moving in order to pull of solid stops and starts to find openings in rush lanes are two of his best attributes.
Judkins will lunge forward on contact, but he's not a bulldozer. He does know how to hit a defender with a juke and find the hidden yards that each play has for a top tier running back. Judkins possesses nice hands out of the backfield as a receiver and then does a good job at accelerating after the catch. It is notable that he wasn't really utilized as a pass-catcher with Ole Miss since his career-high for catches in a game is just three.
Judkins is more of a shield than a sword in this pass protection, being more willing to absorb pass rushers instead of attacking them and throwing them out of the way. His ball security is fantastic with only one career fumble on 545 career carries in college, and he didn't have any as a sophomore in 2023. Judkins' vision and high-level ability to utilize that vision to quickly zoom ahead to open space separates him at the of the 2025 class.
It will be extremely interesting to see how his All-SEC production transfers to the Big Ten now that he is an Ohio State Buckeye for the 2024 season.