Iowa State’s Breece Hall, Notre Dame’s Kyren Williams lead preseason 2022 NFL Draft RB Rankings.
College football is set to begin on Saturday with Week 0, meaning that we are so close to having football back. A new college season starts an incredibly joyous process, as we gear up for the 2022 NFL Draft cycle. A whole new class with new strengths and players who could make big jumps to boost their stock is ready to go.
Throughout the next week or so, leading up to next Thursday’s action, NFL Mocks will have preseason player rankings dropping and a final preseason big board to finish things out. Up first are the running backs.
The running back class for the 2022 NFL Draft has a few guys at the top, but as it stands around the draft community, there isn’t necessarily a consensus number one guy. We will see if one separates from the pack. A few backs with some serious juice will be looking to make a jump.
Without further ado, let’s jump in to the early 2022 NFL Draft running back rankings.
1. Breece Hall, Iowa State
Cyclones running back Breece Hall leads the early rankings here, and in this writer’s opinion, might be in his own tier to start the season. Hall has the production, as he rushed for 1,572 yards and 21 touchdowns last season.
The traits also stand out. Hall often makes the first defender miss, whether it be in the backfield or in space. This is due to his exceptional balance and improvisational deception, where he can manipulate space and process quickly to leave defenders tackling air. Despite being more of an upright runner, Hall isn’t afraid to lower the pads at contact and has good lower body explosion, with adequate speed and stamina to match.
Hall’s processing also stands out between the tackles, where he possesses great patience to let blocks develop in front of him, and excellent vision to recognize cutback lanes and anticipate where creases will open up.
While Hall’s traits are exciting, it will be important to see more contributions from him in the passing game this fall. Being a three down workhorse is everything when it comes to draft position for RBs, and Hall can get there with advancement in the passing game. Hall also isn’t the most flexible back, and will also need to up his processing speed and reduce his patience at the next level.
Grade: Early 2nd Round (33-45)
2. Kyren Williams, Notre Dame
Listed at just 5’9″ and 195 pounds, Kyren Williams is one of the smaller backs at the top of the 2022 NFL Draft rankings. Despite the size, Williams has an excellent all-around skill set.
His vision and patience combo is very good, and he’s great with anticipation to find holes as soon as they open. Williams has a very good lateral toolbox, and can string moves together with ease due to his very good functional athleticism and stop/start quickness. He also has very good burst and explosion when he finds a crease, and will zoom through the second level with ease.
Williams has very good passion game chops, showing a solid route tree, along with making good adjustments to errant throws and making catches out of his frame. In space, Williams can threaten angles at all levels and has an active off-hand, showing great timing with his stiff arm.
Size will be the biggest question mark for evaluators in determining if he’s a workhorse back, but Williams also needs to work on ball security and being more reliable in pass protection. Still, he’s on a great track to be drafted on day two of the 2022 NFL Draft with the great set of skills he possesses.
Grade: 2nd Round (33-45)
3. Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M
It might be a bit shocking to see Isaiah Spiller this low, especially because there are many who have Spiller atop their rankings for the 2022 NFL Draft right now. With a strong season, Spiller could vault himself to the top, but right now, he needs to work to get to that level.
Still, Spiller’s traits are good. He’s got very good hip flexibility and can work laterally quickly after pressing the line of scrimmage to pull in second level defenders to find an open gap. Spiller’s calling card is his contact balance, often bouncing off tough collisions like a pinball. He easily works through attempted shoestring tackles, and drops his pads well at contact in space. Spiller nearly always is falling forward at the end of his runs.
Spiller has the requisite burst in open space and has good curvilinear speed in space to weave through defenders. He has good hands and is a good initiator in pass protection.
So where does Spiller need to improve? It starts with creating in space more. College defenders to NFL defenders will be a big change, and bouncing off tackles left and right won’t happen. Seeing Spiller develop more agility to create in space would be good, and would help him separate as a receiver.
Spiller doesn’t have the long speed to threaten angles for house calls, and his vision and patience get a little hot and cold, as he bounces runs quickly or runs behind the line to gain a few yards. More patience will go a long way for him.
Grade: 2nd Round (46-64)
4. Eric Gray, Tennessee/Oklahoma
No running back in the class might be in for a rise in the 2022 NFL Draft like Eric Gray could be. Gray transferred from Tennessee to Oklahoma for this season, and joining Lincoln Riley might be a decision that really pays off. He could easily top his 1,026 scrimmage yards and six touchdowns this fall.
Gray is a fun study. He is a one-cut back with very good explosion off of his plant foot. He gets downhill with urgency while still having good vision. Gray has shown flashes of manipulating second level defenders and getting them to commit downhill while quickly getting into a different gap for a big run. He’s a tough runner between the tackles and shows off very good contact balance, and has occasionally dragged defenders with him.
In the passing game, Gray shows off impressive natural hands and catches nearly everything thrown his way. He also is very good in pass protection, initiating well rather than receiving defenders and showing the ability to sustain blocks.
While he is a good prospect with exciting upside, Gray doesn’t have the long speed and never really had many explosive runs last fall. He doesn’t win to the corner when bouncing runs outside and is really stuck in one gear. Still, Gray is in for a big year in college football and has the traits to elevate his 2022 NFL Draft stock.
Grade: 2nd Round (46-64)
5. Jerrion Ealy, Mississippi
Ole Miss running back Jerrion Ealy leads the way for the scatbacks in the 2022 NFL Draft, and comes with the exciting upside to boot. After two straight seasons of over 700 yards, Ealy might take the leap this year with his production.
Ealy is the player teams will love when it comes to zone running. His patience is very good as blocks take shape, and it is even good in space as he waits for numbers on screen plays. He’s a very good accelerator when daylight opens, and has the long speed to challenge safeties with tough angles. His footwork is very good as well to transition to open lanes, and Ealy has the requisite agility to consistently make defenders miss in space with good setup moves.
Ealy’s hands are very good too, and seeing an uptick in targets would be good for his 2022 NFL Draft stock.
Size will be the question mark for teams looking for an every down running back, but seeing Ealy get more involved in the passing game will be crucial for him. He has the footwork and flexibility to refine his routes as well. Contact balance isn’t a strong suit for Ealy, and he doesn’t have the power profile others do. Still, his calling cards will be enticing for teams at the next level.
Grade: 3rd Round (65-80)
6. Zonovan Knight, North Carolina State
Zonovan Knight comes in at number six in the rankings, and like Ealy, has two solid campaigns of 700-plus yards just waiting to break out (however 10 touchdowns in ’20 was good to see).
Unlike Ealy, Knight has the early down profile for the next level. He has prototypical size and frame to hold up as a bellcow, and hangs his hat on very good contact balance. He often shrugs off arm tackles and displays the balance necessary to combat shoestring attempts while also showing the leg drive through arm tackles to pick up extra yardage. He also has a good stiff arm.
Knight has good quickness for his size, and displays good footwork and creativity near the line of scrimmage, getting skinny and reducing surface area through gaps. He has the quick processing skills to add to his footwork, and quickly finds openings. His burst is adequate for his size as well.
Despite his good footwork, Knight struggles a bit moving laterally in space to shake defenders, often needing extra steps to gather himself before changing direction. In pass protection, Knight is quick to drop his head, which leads to occasional whiffs in his assignment.
Still, Knight is a player waiting to break out and potentially rise in the 2022 NFL Draft process.
Grade: 3rd Round (65-80)
7. Tyler Goodson, Iowa
After the first six, which feel like a couple tiers, the 2022 NFL Draft class gets interesting at running back. Tyler Goodson from Iowa sits at number seven, and is another waiting for a breakout campaign.
Goodson has plenty to be excited about in the traits department. He’s incredibly flexible and agile, showing off good footwork at the line of scrimmage and in space, consistently making life difficult against opposing linebackers. Goodson has good vision to find openings and to key in on second level defenders. He has a good lateral toolbox and a nasty spin move. His short area burst and explosiveness are impressive as well.
Goodson’s long speed is adequate, and he has very good effort to get every yard he can through contact against upright tackles.
Like many others (it’s a theme with this class), Goodson needs to improve as a pass catcher and needs to grab a hold of more targets when possible in the Hawkeyes offense. His power profile isn’t the best, along with contact balance, and he struggles a bit in pass protection. Still, his dynamic ability and traits are very exciting. If he takes the expected step forward, he will get more national attention.
Grade: 3rd Round (81+)
8. Mohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota
Fellow Big Ten West running back Mohamed Ibrahim slides in right behind Goodson at number eight in the preseason 2022 NFL Draft running back rankings. The Golden Gophers back has two 1,000 yard seasons, including one in a shortened 2020 season that also saw him rush for 15(!!) touchdowns.
Ibrahim is an elusive, slippery runner who will have zone scheme teams giving him a serious look. Ibrahim is incredibly elusive in space, and is a smooth operator who can weave through defenders in space while maintaining his top speed.
He’s got the short area burst and explosion to get downhill and to the second level in a hurry. Ibrahim is very flexible and gets skinny through tight openings. His off-hand is active to keep defenders from getting to his frame. He gives effort in pass protection, but most notably goes low to cut defenders.
Patience is something for Ibrahim to work on this season, as he’s often too urgent to get downhill, or bounces runs out too often, resulting in too many negative runs. He won’t be a true power back either and will have questions surrounding the long speed. Ibrahim is still someone to watch for in the 2022 NFL Draft with his exciting tools to be a very good committee back.
Grade: 3rd/4th Round (90-120)
9. Kevin Harris, South Carolina
South Carolina running back Kevin Harris got limited carries as a freshman due to a groin injury, but broke out as a sophomore, running for 1,138 yards and 15 touchdowns to just one fumble. It’s easy to realize how high the expectations will be for Harris as he enters his junior campaign.
At 5’10” and 225 pounds, Harris profiles well as an early down back for the 2022 NFL Draft. He’s excellent running behind his pads, staying very square to handle contact, dropping his pads when necessary and displaying very good balance during collisions. He’s got wide strides and good short area explosion and burst to surprise linebackers with how quick he reaches the second level. Harris shows very good stamina on long runs and has good patience near the line of scrimmage. He has good hands and is a good asset in pass protection.
Harris isn’t incredibly elusive and runs better in a straight line rather than trying to maneuver horizontally with moves in space. He prefers to run through would-be tacklers rather than around them. He doesn’t have much of a route tree and likely won’t have much receiving production at the next level. It’s also notable that Harris had a majority of carries out of the shotgun and in counter running looks.
He’s got the early down role locked up, which will generate some value for Harris in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Grade: 3rd/4th Round (90-120)
10. James Cook, Georgia
If the readers were expecting a Georgia running back on the rankings, it’s likely most (if not all) expected to see Zamir White here rather than James Cook. But, Cook is an exciting player who will hopefully get more opportunities to showcase his talents this fall for the Bulldogs, especially since he averages 6.6 yards per carry and over 11 yards per reception. Also, yes, his brother is indeed Dalvin Cook, if everyone was wondering.
Cook is extremely dynamic and it shows up immediately in his game. He has impressive footwork and lateral agility, often looking super light on his feet. He’s incredibly efficient when changing direction and has great explosion off of his plant foot. Cook has very good burst and acceleration, and is extremely difficult to tackle in open space. He’s also got very good receiving chops, creating separation with ease on angle routes and in/out routes out of the backfield, leaving defenders in the dust.
His long speed isn’t the best, and his size will bring about questions to be a three down back without adding some weight to his frame. However, if there was a running back in the 2022 NFL Draft with limitless upside and the chance to make a meteoric rise, James Cook is that guy.
Grade: 3rd/4th Round (90-120)
Honorable Mentions: Sincere McCormick (UTSA), Cam’Ron Harris (Miami), Kennedy Brooks (Oklahoma), CJ Verdell (Oregon), Max Borghi (Washington State)