In an era when the NFL looks to be shifting towards a spread offense passing game, don’t underestimate the importance that a running back can have on a game, and on a season. The shelf life of a running back in the NFL might be small, but the running backs who set themselves apart from the rest can be the biggest weapon on a football team.
So who are the best running backs in 2012? Here’s our top-five.
1. Ray Rice – Baltimore Ravens
We have Rice at No.1 on the list because he is a complete back. What we mean by that is his skillset is more than just running the ball. Rice is arguably the best receiving back in the NFL as well. That makes him even more dangerous, as he is always up at or near the top of the list in terms of total yards from scrimmage each season he has been in the league. Rice is a smaller back in terms of height, but has tree trunks for legs and produces mass amounts of power. He is the biggest weapon that the Ravens have, and has the ability to take over a game.
2. Arian Foster – Houston Texans
Like Rice, Foster is also good at catching the ball out of the backfield, a critical part of being a running back in today’s NFL. But Foster is much more than that. He is a big elusive running back that has breakaway speed. Foster has repeatedly shown over the last several seasons his ability to make big plays in key moments. He is one of the big reasons why the Texans are favorites in the AFC South, and Super Bowl contenders in 2012.
3. Darren McFadden – Oakland Raiders
If McFadden can stay healthy for an entire season, he will show why he might be the best pure runner in the NFL. McFadden is a rare mix of size, speed, and agility. His 2012 preseason has already gotten off to a great start, as he looked well oiled in the Raiders preseason opener. If McFadden can stay healthy, he has the ability to help Oakland make a run at the AFC West.
4. Adrian Peterson – Minnesota Vikings
It’s hard to have a top running back list without including Adrian Peterson. When healthy, Peterson might be the best running back in the league. But suffering a significant knee injury like he did at the end of last season raises a lot of questions. We simply don’t know what to expect when he returns to the field. Historically, knee injuries cause a serious loss of production, even on a healthy knee because you don’t run the same as you once did. It’s terrible what happened to Peterson, but we think he can bounce back.
Maurice Jones-Drew – Jacksonville Jaguars
When you have an offense as bad as the Jaguars were in the passing game last season, and still lead the league in rushing, yes you make the top-five. Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for over 1,600 yards, despite Jacksonville ranking dead last in passing offense in 2011. So you have think he got all these yards while opposing defenses were stacking eight and nine in the box. Mind blown yet? Mine is. A well deserved top-five running back here.