The running back position is stacked in this draft. It has been the deepest this position has been in over ten years.

Saquon Barkley heads the group. He is the best running back to enter the draft since Adrian Peterson in 2007. Barkley is a better prospect than Ezekiel Elliott was in 2015. I know it is hard to believe considering how good Elliott had been but Barkley is a better overall prospect.

So how do the Backs stack up? Here is our top twenty and some thoughts on the position.

XNOJOE’s Top 20 Running Backs

1. Saquon Barkley, Penn St. 6-0 223

2. Derrius Guice, LSU, 5-11 224

3. Nick Chubb, Georgia, 5-11 227

4. Ronald Jones III, USC, 5-11 205

5. Sony Michel, Georgia, 5-11 214

6. Rashaad Penny, San Diego St, 5-11 220

7. Royce Freeman, Oregon, 5-11 230

8. Kalen Ballage, Arizona St. 6-0 228

9. Kerryon Johnson, Auburn, 5-11 213

10. Mark Walton, Miami (Fla), 5-10 202

11. Nyheim Hines, N.C State, 5-8 196

12. Josh Adams, Notre Dame, 6-2 213

13. Bo Scarborough, Alabama, 6-1 228

14. Akrum Wadley, Iowa, 5-10 194

15. John Kelly, Tennessee, 5-10 216

16. Justin Jackson, Northwestern, 6-0 200

17. Roc Thomas, Jacksonville State, 5-10 198

18. Darrel Williams, LSU, 6-1 216

19. Jordan Wilkins, Miss St, 6-1 216

20. Justin Crawford, West Virginia, 5-11 200

Ten Thoughts on the Position

• Saquon Barkley is the best running back prospect that I have evaluated since Adrian Peterson in 2007. Barkley is a better receiver out of the backfield than Peterson and is more versatile in terms of his overall game.

• LSU’s Derrius Guice packs a punch physically. He is thickly built and runs with good balance and power. Guice has a fifth gear in space and can separate and score. Guice is effective on screens. He has a good feel for fitting into blocks and getting into space. Guice is a first round talent and should be off the board by pick number 20 which happens to belong to the Detroit Lions.

• Georgia’s Nick Chubb and Sony Michel are different in terms of style but both run with good power and have the ability to be a lead back in the NFL. Chubb is a tackle to tackle grinder who can wear a defense down. He runs with good power and balance. Michel is more of a spread, zone runner who can be effective as a receiver out of the backfield. Both backs should be off the board by the third round.

• Ronald Jones of USC is a straight line burner. He has good feet and is explosive through the hole. He reminds me of Jamaal Charles with his upright running style. Once Jones gets into the second level, he has that extra gear necessary to score touchdowns.

• Rashaad Penny of San Diego State rushed for 3,656 yards and 38 touchdowns in his college career. Penny is a big back who runs with good balance and a low pad level. He has deceptive speed in space and can finish runs once he gets to the third level.

• Oregon’s Royce Freeman has quietly been one of the best backs in the country the last three years. He runs with square pads and has good feet for a big back. Like Rashaad Penny, Freeman has the ability to separate once he gets into the second level.

• Arizona State’s Kalen Ballage is a three down back who good size and can operate in any offense. Ballage has good hands and can be a weapon out of the backfield. I believe Ballage is a first round talent but he won’t probably go until late in day two.

• Miami’s Mark Walton is the complete back. He has the size, speed and ability to start on Sundays. His biggest issue is staying healthy. Injuries have dogged Walton throughout his college career.

• Josh Adams of Notre Dame rushed for 1,430 yards and 9 touchdowns last season. He is an intriguing prospect due to his size (6-2 213) and ability to accelerate in space. The production has been there with Adams the last two years but he needs to run with a lower pad level and be more consistent.

• Justin Jackson has a lot of carries on his frame but his running style and size make an interesting day three prospect. The body of work is there. The question is. Can he still be productive in the NFL? In the right situation, he can be.

As many as twenty running backs could go in this draft. It is a deep group that offers terrific value from round one to round seven.