The best rushers in the 2024 NFL Draft: QB Jayden Daniels, RB Audric Estimé and more

• QB Jayden Daniels, LSU: LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels’ is perhaps the 2024 NFL Draft class’ best pure rusher, boasting a 92.4 PFF rushing grade that ranks third among 73 Power Five quarterbacks and running backs who totaled 120-plus rushing attempts.

• RB Kimani Vidal, Troy: Troy pummeled FBS opponents by feeding running back Kimani Vidal an FBS-high 295 rushing attempts last year, resulting in a 93.2 PFF rushing grade that ranks third among 47 FBS running backs with at least 175 rushing attempts.

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While the NFL leans further into passing-centric offensive tactics, fantasy football continues rewarding high-volume, high-value rushing utilization. Be it a dual-threat quarterback or a thickly-built running back ready to lead the team in touchdowns, fantasy managers can gain an edge on their opponents by knowing which prospects are best suited to rack up fantasy points via efficient ground-game tactics. 

QB Jayden Daniels, LSU

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is the most efficient rusher in the 2024 NFL draft class, providing fantasy managers with an elite, high-end QB1 profile who can be drafted well into the QB2 tier. 

The last two fantasy football seasons (Weeks 1-17) produced four quarterbacks apiece who averaged more than 21.0 fantasy points per game. Five-of-eight quarterbacks averaged 6.0-plus attempts per game and seven-of-eight averaged 3.6 or more. 

Daniels averaged 9.2 rushing attempts per game in his 2023 Heisman Trophy-winning campaign, showcasing dynamic quicks despite a lanky 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame. Daniels’ data is best viewed alongside both quarterbacks and running backs. 

Daniels’ 2023 rushing data ranked among 73 Power Five quarterbacks and running backs who totaled 120-plus rushing attempts:

As detailed in PFF’s 2024 NFL Draft Guide, Daniels scored a 93.0 PFF grade or higher in all five passing-related stable metrics. His excellent passing and elite rushing prowess lock Daniels into the QB1 fantasy football tier.

RB Kimani Vidal, Troy

Troy running back Kimani Vidal profiles as a bruising NFL rusher, capable of handling lead-back duties. His 93.2 PFF rushing grade ranks third among 47 FBS running backs with at least 175 rushing attempts. Vidal’s violent rushing style and all-around skill set make him a potential NFL starter by NFL Week 1 kickoff. 

The sturdy 5-foot-8, 213-pound (32.4 body mass index (BMI)) Vidal pairs an FBS-high 295 rushing attempts in 2023 with punishing efficiency. Vidal ranks second in missed tackles forced (94), first in explosive run plays (47), eighth in missed tackles forced per attempt (0.32) and 17th in explosive run play rate (15.9%). His physicality translates to the passing game as well. He forced 10 missed tackles on 18 senior-season receptions and his 83.5 PFF pass-blocking grade ranks second among 14 FBS running backs with at least 100 pass-protection snaps. 

Vidal also grades well in two of PFF’s stable rushing metrics, ranking 12th (among 53 FBS running backs with at least 100 zone rushing attempts) with an 86.0 PFF zone-rushing grade and third (among 23 FBS running backs with at least 100 gap rushing attempts) with a 91.8 PFF gap-rushing grade.

For those concerned about future health, Vidal’s voluminous junior (231 rushing attempts) and senior seasons indicate strong odds of Vidal remaining healthy at the next level. Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Edwin Porras often reminds readers, that “[running back] mileage” should be viewed as a positive; the best indicator of future health is past health.

RB Audric Estimé, Notre Dame

Notre Dame running back Audric Estimé totaled 1,350 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns in his age-20, 2023 season. He leaves his alma mater with zero reported injuries and is built to handle a full-time NFL rushing workload at 5-foot-11, 227 pounds, with a 31.7 BMI. 

Among 27 Power Five running backs with at least 175 rushing attempts, Estimé leads the nation with a 94.0 PFF rushing grade, 6.4 yards per rushing attempt and 4.3 yards after contact per rushing attempt. His second-ranked 33.0% first-down and/or touchdown conversion rate trails closely behind and his 0.31 missed tackles forced per rushing attempt ties for sixth. 

Estimé produced an underwhelming 4.71-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine but his overall physical profile resembles a prototypical NFL lead rusher, which ties directly to his rushing successes in scoring position. Estimé’s 54.2% first-down and/or touchdown conversion rate in the green zone ranks second among 19 FBS running backs with at least 20 green zone rushing attempts. His 0.21 missed tackles forced per rushing attempt rate ranks third.

Estimé received identical 90.6 PFF rushing grades on both zone- and gap-rushing attempts, ranking top four in both categories (among 42 Power Five running backs with at least 85 zone-rushing attempts and among 21 Power Five running backs with at least 85 gap-rushing attempts). 

Estimé offers a thunderous element to NFL teams needing an assertive presence. His schematic flexibility could appeal to a team like the New Orleans Saints who frequently use both zone and gap concepts. Should the Miami Dolphins judge depth running back Chris Brooks (85.4 PFF rushing grade) unready to increase his role, Estimé would fit the bill. He would immediately be RB2-viable for zero RB roster constructions in either case. 

RB Braelon Allen, Wisconsin

Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen assumed starter duties as a 17-year-old freshman in 2021, asserting himself over then-backup and fellow 2024 NFL Draft-class member Isaac Guerendo (90.3 PFF rushing grade), who later transferred away in 2022 to fulfill 1B-backfield duties at Louisville. Allen concluded his 2023 campaign with a 78.6 PFF rushing grade, ranking 26th among 27 Power Five running backs with at least 175 rushing attempts. 

Allen delivered consistent and reliable rushing results throughout his college career before suffering a late-October high-ankle sprain that derailed his 2023 season. Prior to the injury, Allen maintained seasonal PFF rushing grades and yards per rushing attempt averages ranging from 81.0-to-81.7 and 5.4-to-6.8, respectively.

In his 2021, 17-year-old-freshman campaign, Allen posted the No. 7-ranked stuff rate (13.0%) and two top-two finishes in both yards per rushing attempt (6.8) and yards after contact per rushing attempt (4.5), ranked among 32 Power Five running backs with at least 175 rushing attempts.

In his pre-injury, Weeks 1-8 2023 showing, Allen ranked top eight yards per rushing attempt (5.8) and yards after contact per rushing attempt (4.0) and top five in missed tackles forced (40), missed tackles forced per rushing attempt (0.33), first-down and/or touchdown conversion rate (35.0%) and stuff rate (10.8%).

The towering 6-foot-1, 235-pound 20-year-old with a 31.0 BMI can dominate early-down NFL work as a scheme-independent, reliable rusher. Allen’s Week 1 fantasy football viability hinges on his NFL draft landing spot. The Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders and Carolina Panthers possess ideal backfields for him to compete in.

QB Drake Maye, North Carolina

North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye pairs a cannon arm with elite chain-moving rushing skills that should immediately place him in the high-end QB1 conversation with the aforementioned Daniels. Maye’s 73.8 PFF rushing grade ties for 16th among 31 Power Five quarterbacks with at least 75 rushing attempts in 2023. 

Maye stands 6-foot-4, 223 pounds and packs a formidable punch when scrambling with a head of steam. He relied on high-volume scrambling and respectable efficiency in 2022 before swapping one for the other in 2023. 

Maye’s 2022 scrambling data and 2023 scrambling data among 30 and 32 Power Five quarterbacks with at least 25 scrambling attempts, respectively:

As detailed in PFF’s 2024 NFL Draft Guide, Maye’s accuracy can be erratic at times, potentially leading to convert-or-punt scenarios in the pros. Maye’s scrambling prowess offers fantasy managers a high-scoring means of evading accuracy-related consequences. 

Like Daniels, Maye should be affordably drafted in the mid-tier QB2 ranks with a high-end QB1 outcome in mind.