Doak Walker Award winner Kenneth Walker III leads the pack of 2022 draft-eligible running backs for PFF right now. He nearly broke the PFF record for forced missed tackles and yards after contact in 2021. Iowa State's Breece Hall and Florida's Dameon Pierce remain at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.
1. Kenneth Walker III, Michigan State
BIG BOARD RANK: 55
RB1 checking in. Walker went from relative unknown to the best back in the country. He led all of college football with 89 broken tackles this past season, including 20 against Miami alone.
2. Breece Hall, Iowa State
BIG BOARD RANK: 57
Iowa State may have taken a step backward, but Hall was as strong as ever in 2021. In fact, he raised his total to 74 broken tackles this season from 63 last year. He’s got an all-around skill set and NFL size at 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds.
3. Dameon Pierce, Florida
BIG BOARD RANK: 95
Pierce may not have handled a massive workload, but he was as effective as it gets when he did touch the ball. His 93.5 rushing grade led the FBS, and he broke 39 tackles on 100 attempts.
4. James Cook, Georgia
BIG BOARD RANK: 101
Cook's scouting report reads almost identically to his brother Dalvin's, minus around 15 pounds. That size deficiency is the only thing keeping him from joining the top group of running backs in the class.
5. Zamir White, Georgia
BIG BOARD RANK: 116
White is a violent runner with one of the best combinations of size and explosiveness in the draft class. His no-nonsense running style helped him average 3.6 yards after contact per attempt in 2021.
6. Rachaad White, Arizona State
Big board rank: 124
White has some of the best natural talent with the ball in his hands in the draft class. It's why he scored 20 times and broke 52 tackles on 225 collegiate carries. He just needs to rein in his freelancing style.
7. Pierre Strong Jr., South Dakota State
Big board rank: 135
Strong is a home-run hitter whose 4.37 speed qualifies as fast no matter his competition level. He still needs to run with more physicality to have an every-down role in the NFL.
8. Tyler Allgier, BYU
BIG BOARD RANK: 141
Allgeier is one of the best bruisers at the position in the draft class. His no-nonsense running style is perfect to translate to the NFL game. He averaged 4.2 yards after contact per attempt for his college career.
9. Kyren Williams, Notre Dame
BIG BOARD RANK: 144
Williams is undersized and not particularly athletic, but for the third-down role he'd fill, it may not be that important. He has the best combination of pass-protecting prowess and receiving ability in the class.
10. Brian Robinson Jr., Alabama
big board rank: 146
Robinson is the top short-yardage bruiser in the draft class. After sitting behind Najee Harris for four years, he broke out with 1,343 yards and 14 scores last season.
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