The Triple Take crew of Dale Lolley, Matt Williamson and Mike Prisuta take a look at the top prospects in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft, which will be held in April. Today, they delve into the running back position.
The opinions expressed here are their own and not those of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Dale's First Look
1. Ashton Jenty, Boise State, 5-8 1/2, 211 lbs.
2. TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State, 5-10 1/8, 202 lbs.
3. Omarion Hampton, North Carolina, 5-11 3/4, 221 lbs.
4. Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State, 5-11 5/8, 221 lbs.
5. Cam Skattebo, Arizona State, 5-9 1/2, 219 lbs.
Dale's Second Look
1. Ashton Jenty, Boise State, 5-8 1/2, 211 lbs.
2. Omarion Hampton, North Carolina, 5-11 3/4, 221 lbs.
3. TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State, 5-10 1/8, 202 lbs.
4. Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State, 5-11 5/8, 221 lbs.
5. Kaleb Johnson, Iowa, 6-1, 224 lbs.
Dale's Thoughts:This is an awesome running back class that rivals that of the 2017 Draft, when we saw players such as James Conner and Aaron Jones, among others at the position, selected after pick 100. Jenty and Hampton could both wind up going in the first round of this draft, with Henderson, Judkins and Johnson all to follow quickly. And there might be a few others who are early second day picks, as well. Johnson breaks into my top 5 this time around based on his patient running style and ability to set things up well. He's not a burner like some of the others this running back class set the Combine record with an average 40 time of 4.48 seconds but he's fast enough for a back his size. Skattebo drops out of my top-5, but that doesn't mean he can't or won't be a good back. His special trait is his tenacity and contact balance, which are special. But he's passed on running a 40 at this point. Miami (Fla.) and Oregon State product Damien Martinez is a big back who catches the ball well. He ran a 4.51-second 40 at the Combine, which was good at 217 pounds. D.J. Giddens of Kansas State is newer to the position, but his quick feet and ability to change directions were on display at the Combine. He also ran a 4.43-second 40 at 212 pounds. One thing that's typically a big issue for young running backs is third-down protection. That's not an issue at all for Henderson, who excels at it despite weighing 202 pounds at the Combine.
Matt's First Look
1. Ashton Jeanty, Boise State, 5-9, 215 lbs.
2. Omarion Hampton, North Carolina, 6-1, 220 lbs.
3. TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State, 5-10, 208 lbs.
4. Kaleb Johnson, Iowa, 6-0, 225 lbs.
5. Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State, 6-0, 219 lbs.
Matt's Second Look
1. Ashton Jeanty, Boise State, 5-9, 215 lbs.
2. Omarion Hampton, North Carolina, 6-1, 220 lbs.
3. TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State, 5-10, 208 lbs.
4. Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State, 6-0, 219 lbs.
5. Kaleb Johnson, Iowa, 6-0, 225 lbs.
Matt's Thoughts:Johnson is a fine prospect, especially for an offense that employs a heavy outside zone scheme. But I moved Judkins ahead of him, mostly based off their respective Combine showings. It should be noted that a year ago, Judkins was highly regarded as possibly the second-best running back in the country. ... What hasn't changed at all is that this remains just a fantastic group of running backs. As many as three could go in the first round and we maybe see eight backs taken on the first two days. The ripple effect throughout the draft could really pay off for teams drafting running backs late, as they might nab players with a fourth round grade in the sixth round and there will be undrafted free agent running backs that would have been drafted most years. ... This group collectively blew up the Combine, setting a record for the best collective average 40-yard dash times. Led by Henderson, there are some real big-play threats, including Virginia Tech's Bhayshul Tuten, Tennessee's Dylan Sampson, and Texas' Jaydon Blue. ... There are also quite a few players at this position that could handle a major workload that can be had in the mid rounds. Miami's Damien Martinez and Arizona's Cam Skattebo really come to mind in this mold. ... There could be quite a few Pro Bowl appearances from this class in the coming seasons.
Mike's First Look
1. Ashton Jeanty, Boise State (5-81/2, 211 lbs.)
2. Omarion Hampton, North Carolina (5-113/4, 221lbs.)
3. Kaleb Johnson, Iowa (6-1, 224 lbs.)
4. Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State (5-115/8, 221 lbs.)
5. TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State (5-101/8, 202 lbs.)
Mike's Second Look
1. Ashton Jeanty, Boise State (5-81/2, 211 lbs.)
2. Omarion Hampton, North Carolina (5-113/4, 221lbs.)
3. Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State (5-115/8, 221 lbs.)
4. Kaleb Johnson, Iowa (6-1, 224 lbs.)
5. TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State (5-101/8, 202 lbs.)
Mike's Thoughts:Judkins gets bumped up a spot and Johnson knocked down a notch after further review, but a team in need at the position ought to be elated with either player Tennessee's Dylan Sampson (5-11, 201 lbs.) knows his way to the end zone. He set Tennessee records with 22 rushing touchdowns (fourth in FBS) and by rushing for at least one score in 11 consecutive games on the way to amassing 132 points in 2024. Thompson is the first SEC player with 20-plus rushing touchdowns since Alabama's Najee Harris in 2020 (26) Oklahoma State's Ollie Gordon (6-0 3/8, 226) is another big back who intrigues. He won the Doak Walker Award (top running back) in 2023 with an FBS-leading 1,732 rushing yards, an FBS-leading 2,062 yards from scrimmage and 21 rushing touchdowns (second in FBS). Gordon's production dipped dramatically this season but his standout week at the Senior Bowl included throwing a 32-yard touchdown pass to Iowa State wide receiver Jayden Higgins in the Senior Bowl game Arizona State's Cam Skattebo (5-9 1/2, 219 lbs.) bashed and smashed his way to becoming the only FBS player this century to have at least 100 yards rushing (143), at least 75 yards receiving (99), a passing touchdown and a two-point conversion in the same game in the College Football Playoff against Texas. Skattebo's 2,316 yards from scrimmage in 2024 were second in FBS to Jeanty SMU's Brashard Smith (5-97/8, 194 lbs.) was a slot receiver at Miami (Fla.) who converted to running back at SMU and had a breakout year in 2024 (1,332 yards rushing, 14 rushing TDs). He ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and projects as a speedy, sub-package, change-of-pace option Ja'Quinden Jackson (6-1 5/8, 225 lbs.) of Arkansas is a converted quarterback and the only player in FBS who had 15-plus rushing touchdowns (15) in 10 or fewer games (10) Michigan's Kalel Mullings (6-2, 233 lbs.) has bounced between linebacker and running back and got the ball often enough to rush for 948 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2024 Devin Neal (5-11 1/8, 213 lbs.) of Kansas had 207 yards rushing, 80 yards receiving and a combined four touchdowns against Colorado. He's the all-time rushing leader at Kansas (4,343 yards), the alma mater of Gale Sayers Virginia Tech's Bhayshul Tuten (5-9, 205 lbs.) flew his way to a 4.32 40 in Indy, rushed for 1,159 yards and 15 touchdowns and averaged 6.3 yards per carry in 2024. He also has two career kickoff returns for a touchdown on is resume Central Florida's R.J. Harvey (5-8, 205 lbs.) rushed for just under 1,600 yards in 2024 (1,577, with a 6.8 average per carry). Harvey had 12 games with 100-plus yards from scrimmage (second in FBS) and nine with multiple scrimmage TDs (tried with Skattebo for the most among FBS running backs) in 2024.
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