As your New Orleans Saints prepare for the 2024 NFL Draft, we take a look at the top 10 ranked players at various positions. The 2024 NFL Draft big board rankings are reflective of Bucky Brooks' top five 2024 NFL Draft prospects by position 1.0 and ESPN's NFL Draft "Best Available" list.
Here are the top 10 ranked draft prospects at running back:
2024 NFL Draft prospects - Running Back | No. 1 Jonathon Brooks | Texas
Despite suffering a season-ending ACL tear in 2023, Brooks enters the 2024 draft as the consensus best running back in his class according to NFL.com and ESPN. The former Texas Longhorn will be looking to put the injury behind him and make himself a top option for an offense needing a productive back. Entering the draft, NFL.com has given Brooks a player comparison of Jamaal Charles, who found great production in the Kansas City Chiefs offense. Brooks only played in limited games in 2023, so he will need to show scouts and coaches that his ACL injury has not hindered his confidence or physical ability. On the flip side of that, he should still have a lot of game left in him due to playing less snaps during his time at Texas.
Height: 6 feet
Weight: 216 pounds
NFL.com draft grade: 6.38
NFL.com overview: "The comparison of Brooks to former Longhorn Jamaal Charles might feel lazy to some, but he has similar size and traits as a runner. Brooks' limited collegiate carries could be seen as a balancing agent against the fact he's coming off an ACL tear. He's agile and smooth working from cut to cut and is likely to improve his feel for reading blocks and setting up defenders as he gains experience. Brooks has the wiggle and know-how to create yardage in tight quarters or in space but is efficient finishing runs when it's time...Brooks is a runner on an upward trajectory. He's a good pass catcher with three-down potential who should fit nicely as an early starter for zone-heavy teams."
2024 NFL Draft prospects - Running Back | No. 2 Trey Benson | Florida State
Benson is an intriguing draft prospect that has scouts divided on where he ranks amongst his peers. NFL.com's Bucky Brooks has him as the second best running back in this year's class, but ESPN lists him as the seventh best back. The discrepancy comes due to his lack of carries having only played 2 seasons as a starter. He did not break 1,000 yards in either year, and he only broke 20 carries in a game once, so there are some concerns about how well he will do as a lead back. He may best be served as a backup for a year or two before being put into a starting role.
Height: 6 feet
Weight: 216 pounds
NFL.com draft grade: 6.19
NFL.com overview: "Big back who might need to table his desires to be an elusive runner and adopt a more physical, decisive approach as a pro. Benson had just two seasons of collegiate wear and tear, but he only hit the 20-carry mark in one game. He runs with good knee-bend, agility and contact balance but takes too long to process the front and hit holes between the tackles. He has creative athleticism but lacks creative vision, so he would be wise to keep more runs on track and finish with consistent authority rather than searching for greener grass. Benson has some talent as a pass catcher and enough protection ability to warrant a role as a complementary three-down option."
2024 NFL Draft prospects - Running Back | No. 3 Blake Corum | Michigan
Corum is one of the strongest prospects in his class, coming in at third on NFL.com and second on ESPN.com. Classified as more of a power runner, Corum excels at getting downhill and running North to South, but with this comes a lack of elusiveness at times, leading to loss of yardage in certain situations. He also could benefit from being more patient in the pocket and allowing his offensive line to create running lanes instead of forcing the ball into traffic. Coming off of a national championship at Michigan, Corum will be looking to replicate the same levels of success at an NFL level. He would likely benefit from developing behind a veteran back, but he has the required traits to be a solid producer in the right offensive scheme and could get some reps at RB1.
Height: 5 feet 8
Weight: 205 pounds
NFL.com draft grade: 6.15
NFL.com overview: "Compact runner with average size, outstanding contact balance and a rare talent for finding and fitting into small crevices for short-yardage conversions and touchdowns. Corum is a bit of a one-speed runner lacking sizzle and wiggle but gets it downhill with timing and finishes runs with good forward lean. He has the hard-hat mentality to handle heavy workloads and can exploit defenses that fatigue or miss their run fits. The talent doesn't stand out on its own, but he's strong, competitive and team-oriented with exceptional football character. He can catch it when needed and is above average in picking up the blitz, which could earn him status as a three-down backup with a chance to find early carries as an RB2/3."
2024 NFL Draft prospects - Running Back | No. 4 Bucky Irving | Oregon
Irving is entering the 2024 draft as a power back with some elusiveness skills that he could learn to utilize with time. He has scouts divided on where he will fall in the draft, with Bucky Brooks naming him the fourth best running back in the class, while ESPN has him at number 9. His patience will take some developing, but if he learns to let a play develop, he can be a force in a duo with another RB1. He knows how to care for the ball, which is a rare trait for some power backs. He has the power and drive to pick up a few yards on nearly every carry, but his biggest hindrance entering the league will be his lack of pass protection. If Irving learns how to pick up blitzes, he may be able to find his way onto the field more often.
Height: 5 feet 9
Weight: 192 pounds
NFL.com draft grade: 6.17
NFL.com overview: "Compact and willful, Irving is deeply committed to each run his play-caller trusts him with. Irving punches above his weight class with excellent contact balance and leg drive to fight through tackles and squeeze every yard out of the run. For being such a high-effort runner, Irving has a remarkably low fumble rate. He is frequently in a rush and would rather run through a wall than around it, but he does have the agility to make tacklers miss with wide, lateral cuts when he runs with better patience. Irving isn't ready for NFL protection duties but can help as a pass catcher. He can step in quickly as a hard-charging complementary piece that helps keep the chains moving on the ground."
2024 NFL Draft prospects - Running Back | No. 5 Audric Estimé | Notre Dame
Entering the draft with a player comparison of Saints running back Jamaal Williams, Estimé has the strength to power through defensive lines with consistency. His best production in the league may come in the red zone due to his running style, but combined with a speed/elusive back he could shine as part of a tandem. The running back class is pretty stacked, but Estimé seems to be in contention to be one of the earlier ones chosen. NFL.com's Bucky Brooks has him at number five while ESPN places him at number four in their rankings. Depending on what style of offense a team is looking to run, Estimé could be the missing piece in a powerful one-two punch.
Height: 5 feet 11
Weight: 221 pounds
NFL.com draft grade: 6.17
NFL.com Overview: "Thickly muscled runner capable of wearing out defenses through a heavier workload. There were times Estimé played too slowly when forced to process moving pieces up front, but he showed a greater willingness to cut it loose as the season progressed. He's naturally powerful with adequate foot agility. Estimé doesn't have the bend to be a one-cut runner but can make reactive cuts to sudden tacklers near the line of scrimmage. If he can hit the gas with a heavier foot, he'll continue to break tackles and maximize yardage after contact. He's a better weapon out of the backfield than he might get credit for being, and he could check into the league as part of a two-headed running attack with the ability to shine near the goal line."
2024 NFL Draft prospects - Running Back | No. 6 Braelon Allen | Wisconsin
Allen is highlighted by Bucky Brooks as a player to watch, just missing out on his top five prospects for his class. ESPN has him listed as the eighth best running back in the 2024 draft class. So why are scout so divided? A big reason is the staggering production drop-off from 2022 to 2023. Allen put up 1,242 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2022, but he did not even crack the 1,000 yard mark in 2023. One NFC regional scout thinks they may know why: "He came to Wisconsin to play Wisconsin football but once they switched up that offensive scheme [in 2023], he just looked out of place. [He turned 20 in January,] so he still has a lot of football to play." Teams will likely be looking at the positives from 2022, hoping they can get the same production value in the NFL, but a shaky 2023 may tank his stock more than Allen would have liked.
Height: 6 feet 1
Weight: 235 pounds
NFL.com draft grade: 6.10
NFL.com Overview: "Allen's splashy entry into college football had evaluators excited about what the end product might look like, but now there are more questions than answers. Allen has rare size on an imposing frame, and his production is nothing to scoff at. Evaluators will need to rely more heavily on his 2022 tape, where he ran with better decisiveness and instincts in a pro-style running attack. He's built to be a banger but needs to embrace a consistently physical style, as he lacks the footwork and hips to elude defenders with finesse. Allen will compete for a role as a two-down backup but could bolster his chances for success if he plays at a lighter weight, to improve his quickness."
2024 NFL Draft prospects - Running Back | No. 7 MarShawn Lloyd | USC
Lloyd is another prospect who has scouts divided on where he will end up falling in the draft. Bucky Brooks makes no mention of him in his top five, while ESPN's Best Available has him listed as the third best running back in his class. Some of the discrepancy comes from a fallout of production from 2022 at South Carolina to 2023 at USC. He displays flashes of explosiveness, but a below-average vision causes him to miss big play opportunities at times. Scouts also noted that he seemed to run with more purpose at South Carolina, and that disappeared a bit last season at USC. Teams may be willing to use an earlier round selection on him, but the offensive scheme would need to be right for him to succeed as anything more than a backup.
Height: 5 feet 9
Weight: 220 pounds
NFL.com Draft Grade: 6.18
NFL.com Overview: "Lloyd's flashes on tape could lead a team to envision a more expansive role for him in its offense, but based on his play, he feels more like a good complementary option with big-play potential. Frankly, some of his South Carolina tape from 2022 felt more exciting than his 2023 USC film, despite the higher yardage-per-carry mark in 2023. While he ran with improved patience and set up blockers more diligently in '23, he ran with a greater sense of urgency the year prior and proved he could create explosive plays without as much help from his offensive line. Lloyd runs with slightly below-average vision but has the juice to play the role of "chunk-play slasher" and dangerous open-field pass catcher. Lloyd is a low-mileage prospect, and the scope of his role will obviously depend on scheme fit."
2024 NFL Draft prospects - Running Back | No. 8 Ray Davis | Kentucky
Davis comes in as number five on ESPN.com, but NFL.com's Bucky Brooks does not mention him in his Top 5. The reason for the disagreement among scouts is likely his indecisiveness in the backfield at times. He did show improvement from 2022 to 2023 in the patience vs. urgency area of his game, but he would need to show more consistent improvement across the board to be trusted in a starting role. What he lacks in pass protection he makes up for in his receiving game as scouts noted that he has the ability to shake or break tackles after the catch. In the right offense, Davis could be used to his fullest potential, but it is unlikely he will receive starting reps in his first season.
Height: 5 feet 8
Weight: 211 pounds
NFL.com draft grade: 6.14
NFL.com overview: "Three-down back with adequate blend of toughness between the tackles and production out of the backfield. Davis can be a tad indecisive at times but did a much better job of toggling between urgent and patient in his lone season at Kentucky. The vision is fairly average, and he's not going to scare NFL defenses with his speed, but he does alter his pacing to create openings, and he'll finish with some thud behind his pads. Ultimately, he'll need to step up his pass protection to be trusted as a third-down option. Davis is a Day 3 projection with average potential as a three-down backup."
2024 NFL Draft prospects - Running Back | No. 9 Jaylen Wright | Tennessee
Wright enters the draft with the second best prospect grade on NFL.com, only trailing Jonathon Brooks. ESPN lists him as the fifth best running back, but Bucky Brooks does not mention him in the Top 5. The reasoning behind that may be due to his running style. He tends to run more upright, which can expose him to bigger hits, and he also had 4 fumbles on just 146 carries in 2022. He does have incredible speed and elusiveness, though, so the upside is enough to intrigue some offenses. NFL.com Analyst Lance Zierlein projects him as a Day 2 selection that will eventually be in a starting role during his career. If that holds true, he may be a great value pick for a team with an aging running back.
Height: 5 feet 10 1/2
Weight: 210 pounds
NFL.com draft grade: 6.28
NFL.com overview: "Explosive back with good size and breakaway speed. Wright's running style is more linear than free-flowing, which limits his cut smoothness and elusiveness on the second level. His vision and aggression as an interior runner are just average, but that won't stop him from putting yards on the stat sheet. He regularly bounced runs wide and beat the pursuit around the corner, so a move to a stretch-based running attack would be a natural fit, allowing his speed to shine. He's capable of running with power, but he will default into finesse at times. Wright's big-play potential and talent as a pass catcher should make him a Day 2 target as a future starter."
2024 NFL Draft prospects - Running Back | No. 10 Will Shipley | Clemson
Shipley cracks the top ten due to his explosive upside and offensive versatility. He has electric speed and that can be an asset on special teams as a kick returner. He has enough elusiveness to shake tackles, but he lacks the power to move piles, so he would likely best be served as a RB2 in tandem with a power back. Learning from a veteran could also greatly improve his game and help him develop into a starter when it comes time for the RB1 to retire. Teams may just be interested enough to take a chance on him on Day 3.
Height: 5 feet 11
Weight: 206 pounds
NFL.com draft grade: 6.16
NFL.com overview: "Versatile running back with talent as a runner, receiver and kick returner. Shipley possesses early speed, allowing him to whip through creases and outrun linebackers to the corner. He's a flexible runner who reads up to the linebackers and curates his runs with a feel for both defensive positioning and run lane development. He can balance through contact but is unlikely to move NFL piles. Shipley does a nice job of setting up opponents from anywhere on the field and has the agility to hop and hurdle over bodies. He's not a workhorse and still has work to do in order to solidify himself as a third-down option, but the athletic talent and skill level could create an early pathway into a spot as a productive RB2."
