2026 NFL Free Agent Rankings: Running backs

NFL free agency is a year-round process, as teams scout opposing players to beat them during the season and perhaps sign them in the offseason.

As the 2025–26 NFL season comes to a close, free agency is coming into focus, and teams are beginning to evaluate potential targets to address roster deficiencies. Here are the top running backs slated to hit free agency in 2026.

For now, each player’s profile includes three-year snap counts and three-year PFF grades, offering a broader, more stable view of performance than a single-season spike or dip.

Click here for PFF's full list of the top 250 free agents.

1. Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks

Snaps: 1,539 | PFF grade: 93

Walker currently leads all running backs in PFF grade (90.7) in what has been a career year. He has also been one of the league's best at creating beyond his blocking, ranking third at the position in missed tackles forced (65).

2. Breece Hall, New York Jets

Snaps: 2,026 | PFF grade: 84.4

Hall has earned PFF grades above 80.0 in two of the past three seasons and ranked eighth among running backs in PFF grade (83.5) in 2025. He will be just 25 years old when the 2026 NFL season begins and has established himself as a top-10 player at the position.

3. Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars

Snaps: 2,069 | PFF grade: 77.9

Etienne bounced back from a disappointing 2024 season and looked closer to his best this year. His 46 missed tackles forced tied for 14th among all running backs, and he remained effective in creating explosive plays, with his 28 rushes of 10 or more yards tying for 10th at the position.

4. Rico Dowdle, Carolina Panthers

Snaps: 1,516 | PFF grade: 72.5

Dowdle replicated his final season in Dallas during his lone year with the Carolina Panthers, further establishing himself as a capable starting running back at the NFL level. While he is not a true game-breaker, he has averaged more than 3.0 yards after contact per carry over his career and profiles as a strong fit for a team with a solid offensive line.

5. Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons

Snaps: 973 | PFF grade: 90.2

Much has been made of Allgeier's potential to lead an NFL backfield on his own after he played second fiddle, and very well at that, to Bijan Robinson for the past three seasons. His average of 3.1 yards after contact per attempt in that span is a top-30 mark among running backs.

6. Javonte Williams, Dallas Cowboys

Snaps: 1,866 | PFF grade: 71.3

Williams' one-year, prove-it deal in Dallas couldn't have landed him in a much better situation. He recorded career bests in rushing yards (1,201), rushing touchdowns (11), yards after contact per attempt (3.56) and several other categories. The 25-year-old has plenty of tread left on his tires.

7. Najee Harris, Los Angeles Chargers

Snaps: 1,236 | PFF grade: 84

Harris enters free agency for the second straight year, but this time, he's working his way back from a torn Achilles. He didn't get a chance to show much with the Chargers, so his body of work in four seasons with the Steelers — an 86.0 PFF rushing grade and the fourth-most yards after contact in the NFL — will have to suffice.

8. J.K. Dobbins, Denver Broncos

Snaps: 939 | PFF grade: 73

J.K. Dobbins was excellent through the first 10 weeks of the season, earning an 80.8 PFF rushing grade with 32 missed tackles forced and 21 explosive carries before a season-ending foot injury. He has been consistently effective when healthy, grading above 66.8 in every season with more than 100 snaps while averaging 3.18 yards after contact per attempt for his career. Dobbins also brings strong efficiency and ball security, ranking in the 86th percentile in PFF grade on zone runs. Over his last four seasons, he has logged 448 carries without a fumble, with his most recent coming in 2020.

9. Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Snaps: 2,142 | PFF grade: 79.7

White put together the best season of his career heading into free agency, ranking fourth among running backs in PFF rushing grade (87.2). After fumbling multiple times in each of his first three seasons, he cleaned up the ball-security issues entirely in 2025, going without a fumble and recording zero drops on 42 targets. While he doesn't offer much as a true receiving threat, White graded in the 98th percentile on gap runs and the 94th percentile on zone runs, putting strong tape on file in a contract year.

10. Kenneth Gainwell, Pittsburgh Steelers

Snaps: 1,351 | PFF grade: 64.6

Gainwell stepped into a larger-than-expected role for Pittsburgh in 2025, producing a career-high 1,023 scrimmage yards while earning a 72.6 overall PFF grade, his best mark since 2021. The former Eagle averaged 3.13 yards after contact as a runner and was efficient as a receiver, averaging 1.44 yards per route run with just three drops. At 26, Gainwell could be positioned to pursue a more consistent role after his breakout season.

11. Brian Robinson, San Francisco 49ers

Snaps: 1,326 | PFF grade: 77.5

Robinson saw a reduced workload after being traded to the 49ers, logging a career-low 212 snaps as Christian McCaffrey's backup. Across 95 carries, the former Commander averaged 3.03 yards after contact per attempt and forced 22 missed tackles. With a career PFF rushing grade of 82.7, the 26-year-old could compete for another committee-type role in 2026.