Running Backs Aplenty Should Patriots Pursue One

Our second position of the BSJ 2026 NFL Draft Preview Series focuses on the running backs. The one-two punch of Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson was effective enough to ride them into the Super Bowl, as the Patriots finished with the sixth overall rushing attack. This tandem should be relied upon once again in 2026 but adding a third runner isn’t out of the question. Beyond Stevenson and Henderson, the rest of the roster offers more questions than answers. 

Last year’s training camp sensation, Lan Larison, remains on the team but did not appear in any action as a rookie due to injury. Fellow first-year back Terrell Jennings spent most of the year on the practice squad but was elevated for three games before a late-season concussion, while six-year veteran Elijah Mitchell was signed to a futures contract but has struggled to remain healthy throughout his career. Adding an additional back would intensify the competition for the number three running back spot and could help strengthen the bottom of the roster. 

With Stevenson able to pound the rock between the tackles and Henderson displaying the burst to cut it outside, a change-of-pace option that could fit nicely would be Chip Trayanum of Toledo, a shifty runner who has demonstrated the ability to be a receiving threat out of the backfield. A similar prospect would be Dean Connor of Houston, who also poses a short-yardage back. One additional player who could help inject some juice into the offense is Eli Heidenrich of Navy, who was a Patriots projected selection in our recent seven-round mock draft.

New England Patriots RB Depth Chart: Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson, Lan Larison, Terrell Jennings, Elijah Mitchell

Please find our BSJ 2026 Running Back Preview below, filled with an overview, rankings and in-depth player evaluations on the top 30 draft-eligible running back prospects. [Next Up: Fullbacks] | Click Here For BSJ 2026 QB Preview

2026 BSJ NFL DRAFT RUNNING BACK CLASS OVERVIEW

The blasphemy narrative that the running back position is not worth utilizing a high draft pick on is hogwash when it comes to the case of Notre Dame superstar Jeremiyah Love. A top-five overall talent in this year’s class, Love is a complete three-down back, as a superb runner, pass-catcher, and blocker, with prototype size who can change the entire dynamic of an offensive identity. Expect to hear his name called early as one of the first selections of the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Fighting Irish had a ferocious one-two punch tandem in the backfield this past year, with fellow running mate Jadarian Price positioned to be the next best back off the board, or close to it. While Price didn’t receive as many touches as Love, he maximized his opportunities with a cunning run style. His vision, speed, cutback ability, and willingness to power through tackles for additional yardage make Price a solid Day 2 option for NFL teams seeking to boost their ground game.

One of the most polarizing players in the draft is Mike Washington of Arkansas. The big-bodied back brings game-breaking speed, while demonstrating patience and vision to burst through the hole in a jiffy. However, his ball security issues could make NFL decision-makers a bit queasy, as Washington struggles as a pass-catcher and coughed up 12 fumbles during his time with the Razorbacks. While the size, acceleration, and production are appealing, turnovers are the difference between wins and losses at the ultimate level, making Washington somewhat of a risk/reward selection.

Over in the Big Ten, another dynamic running back duo was busy carving up their opponents as the Penn State tandem of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton combined for a remarkable 10,297 all-purpose yards during their Nittany Lions career. Both runners figure to factor into the early rounds, but Singleton suffered a setback during the draft process, enduring a broken right foot at the Senior Bowl.

Overall, there aren’t many prospects deemed workhorse backs in this year’s draft, but teams should have no problem finding impact contributors who can fit in as part of a rotation well into the middle rounds. One player to keep an eye on is Jaydn Ott of Oklahoma, a projected late-round pick by many who could wind up out-producing many of the runners chosen ahead of him.

2026 BSJ RUNNING BACK BIG BOARD

RANK | PLAYER | SCHOOL | PROJECTION [# = indicates combine invite; HPFA = high priority free agent; PFA = priority free agent]

1. #Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame, Rd1

2. #Jadarian Price, Notre Dame, Rd2

3. #Kaytron Allen, Penn State, Rd2

4. #Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas, Rd2

5. #Jonah Coleman, Washington, Rd3

6. Jaydn Ott, Oklahoma, Rd3

7. #Emmett Johnson, Nebraska, Rd3

8. #Nicholas Singleton, Penn State, Rd4

9. #Demond Claiborne, Wake Forest, Rd4

10. #Jamarion Miller, Alabama, Rd4

11. #Eli Heidenreich, Navy, Rd4

12. #Le’Veon Moss, Texas A&M, Rd5

13. #J’Mari Taylor, Virginia, Rd5

14. Kaelon Black, Indiana, Rd5

15. Curtis Allen, Virginia Union, Rd5

16. #Seth McGowan, Kentucky, Rd5

17. #Adam Randall, Clemson, Rd6

18. Desmond Reid, Pittsburgh, Rd6

19. #Roman Hemby, Indiana, Rd6

20. Dean Connors, Houston, Rd6

21. Chip Trayanum, Toledo, Rd7

22. #Robert Henry Jr., UTSA, Rd7

23. #CJ Donaldson, Ohio State, Rd7

24. Kejon Owens, Florida International, Rd7

25. Terion Stewart, Virginia Tech, Rd7

26. #Noah Whittington, Oregon, HPFA

27. Jamal Haynes, Georgia Tech, HPFA

28. #Rahsul Faison, South Carolina, HPFA

29. Barika Kpeenu, North Dakota State, HPFA

30. Lincoln Pare, Texas State, HPFA

31. Jaquez Moore, Duke, HPFA

32. Rashod Dubinion, Appalachian State, HPFA

33. Montie Quinn, Curry, HPFA

34. Leshon Williams, Kansas, HPFA

35. Myles Montgomery, UCF, HPFA

36. Star Thomas, Tennessee, HPFA

37. Noah Short, Army, HPFA

38. Jaden Nixon, UCF, HPFA

39. Daniel Hishaw Jr., Kansas, HPFA

40. Jalen Berger, UCLA, HPFA

41. Ismail Mahdi, Arizona, HPFA

42. Coleman Bennett, Kennesaw State, HPFA

43. Cash Jones, Georgia, HPFA

44. Kentrell Bullock, South Alabama, HPFA

45. Shomari Lawrence, Missouri State, HPFA

46. Davon Booth, Mississippi State, PFA

47. Eli Sanders, USC, PFA

48. Anthony Hankerson, Oregon State, PFA

49. Devin Mockobee, Purdue, PFA

50. Kevon King, Norfolk State, PFA

BSJ RUNNING BACK SCOUTING REPORTS

PLAYER PROFILE KEY (How to read the prospect header):

LAST NAME | FIRST NAME | SCHOOL | POSITION | YEAR | JERSEY # | HOMETOWN | PROJECTION

ABBREVIATIONS: HT = Height | WT: Weight | HD = Hand | ARM = Arm | WS: = Wingspan | 40-YD = Forty-Yard Dash | BP = Bench Press | VJ = Vertical Jump | BJ = Broad Jump | SHTL = Short Shuttle | 3C = Three-Cone

**Note**Heights of players are measured to the nearest eighth of an inch – for example, “6003” would stand for 6 ft. and 3/8 inches tall. (The first number refers to the feet, the second two numbers refer to the inches, and the last number refers to eighths of an inch). Arm, hand, and wingspan are written differently – 3012 would mean 30 1/2 inches, 0934 would mean 9 3/4 inches, and 7558 would mean 75 5/8 inches.

1. LOVE, JEREMIYAH | Notre Dame | RB | Jr | #4 | St. Louis, MO | Day 1

Combine: HT: 6000 | WT: 212 | HD: 0918 | ARM: 3200 | 40-YD: 4.36 (1.55)

Evaluation: Coming off a sensational sophomore campaign in which he helped catapult the Fighting Irish into the national championship, Love continued to show absolutely no mercy for his opponents in 2025. The first thing that sticks out about the dynamic runner is his bulldozer size. When combined with his blazing speed (track background), elusive agility, and inane leaping ability to hurdle defenders, Love is composed of ideal next-level traits, which leaves NFL scouts salivating. What’s even more remarkable is that he accomplished major production, despite splitting carries with backfield mate Jadarian Price. He set a new single-season school record with 21 all-purpose touchdowns (previously held by Jerome Bettis) and had at least one score during the Fighting Irish’s final 11 games this season. One of the safest players in this year’s draft class, Love is viewed as a higher-rated prospect than Ashton Jeanty (Raiders), coming out of Boise State a year ago, who was chosen number six overall. His size, yards after contact, breakaway speed, burst, vision, athleticism, experience and pass-catching ability would seem to make Love one of the few blue-chip caliber prospects in the Class of 2026.

Background: Combine invite. Appeared in 41 games (29 starts) at Notre Dame (2023-25). Finished in third place for the Heisman Trophy in 2025; was also named Doak Walker Award, Disney Spirit Award and unanimous All-American this past year. A consensus four-star recruit and 2022 Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year. Led Christian Brothers to back-to-back state championships, rushing for 2,287 yards and 26 touchdowns in his final two seasons. Also a state champion track athlete in the 100 meters with a time of 10.76 (personal best of 22-1 ¾ in the long jump). Son of L’Tyona and Jason; has one sibling, Jaela. His mother served as a sergeant with the St. Louis Police Department, while his father is an Army veteran who coached him in youth football. An avid fan of anime, his love for the genre influenced him to create his own comic book series titled “Jeremonstar,” which details a world of football action with supernatural abilities, featuring himself.

Stats: Played 12 games in 2025, had 199 carries, 1,372 yards (6.9 average), 18 touchdowns; 27 catches, 280 yards (10.4 average), three touchdowns. In 41 career games, 433 carries, 2,882 yards (6.7 average), 36 touchdowns; 63 catches, 594 yards, six touchdowns. 

2. PRICE, JADARIAN | Notre Dame | RB | rJr | #24 | Denison, TX | Day 2

Combine: HT: 5105 | WT: 203 | HD: 0958 | ARM: 3078 | 40-YD: 4.49 (1.61) | VJ: 35” | BJ: 10-4 | BP: 21

Evaluation: Pairing with top-runner Jeremiyah Love as ‘Batman and Robin,’ the explosive Price served as one half of the most dynamic backfield duo in the nation. He possesses elite speed in closed quarters and long, plus the shiftiness to elude defenders. Price blends exceptional vision, patience and cutback ability to burst through the open hole. In addition, he has been very consistent when fighting for yards after contact, but more importantly, he does a great job of protecting the ball. The passing game is another key element in his arsenal, as Price runs crisp routes and tends to find bonus yards after the catch. In a game against USC in 2025, Price returned a kickoff for 100 yards to give the Irish the lead. As a kick returner, Price has demonstrated the strength to break tackles, but it all starts with keen decision-making. On the aforementioned kickoff, Price anticipated the lanes and trusted his blocking. In order for Price to really establish himself as a complete back, he needs to work on his ability to pass protect. Ironically, he could be in contention to be the next runner selected after Love in the draft.

Background: Appeared in 41 games in three seasons at South Bend; named Third Team All-American in 2025. Missed his true freshman season in 2022 due to a ruptured Achilles. A four-star recruit from Denison High School, where he was a two-time District 7 5A D2 Offensive Player of the Year (2020-2021). In 2021, he was a Texoma Chevy A+ Athlete and a winner of the Dave Campbell Impactful Leadership Award. He is the son of Jessica Butler and has four siblings.

Stats: Played 12 games in 2025, had 113 carries, 674 yards (6.0 average), 11 touchdowns; six catches, 87 yards (14.5 average), two touchdowns. In 41 career games, had 1,692 yards (6.0 average), 21 touchdowns; 15 catches, 162 yards (10.8 average).

3. ALLEN, KAYTRON | Penn State | RB | Sr | #13 | Norfolk, VA | Day 2

Combine: HT: 5110 | WT: 216 | HD: 0918 | ARM: 2948

Evaluation: An incredibly productive career in Happy Valley has led Allen to be a staple for the Nittany Lions offense over the past four seasons, with noticeable strides each year. As a runner, Allen displays a quick burst to accelerate and uses his vision to cut back. In addition, he possesses exceptional tackle-breaking ability, churning his legs upon contact for additional yardage after contact. As a pass-catcher, he is an adept route runner with sticky hands, while having a knack for creating after the catch. One key area of improvement for Allen is in pass protection, as he tends to struggle to scan the field and deliver a blow. Allen is a day two prospect who has proven that he is able to shoulder the load when needed. Look for Allen to be an immediate contributor and continue to be an excellent change-of-pace type option and possibly a competent starter if all cylinders click.

Background: Appeared in 54 games (25 starts), with eight games of 100-plus rushing yards. Named All-American Second Team and All-Big Ten First Team in 2025. Was All-Big Ten Second team in 2023. Finished his Penn State career with 4,180 rushing yards, breaking the all-time school record previously held by Evan Royster. A four-star recruit out of IMG Academy, where he also lettered in basketball. The son of Latarsha Allen has two brothers, Kayonte and Kayshawn. Majored in African American studies. Enjoys playing basketball and video games, singing, and traveling in his free time.

Stats: Combine invite. Played 12 games in 2025, ran 210 times, for 1,303 yards (6.2 average), 15 touchdowns; and caught 18 balls for 68 yards (3.8 average). Played 54 games for his career, with 769 carries, for 4,180 yards (5.4 average), 39 touchdowns; caught 70 balls, for 490 yards (7.0 average), four touchdowns.

4. WASHINGTON, MIKE | Arkansas