Pro Football Reference Blog
10 Best Rookie Running Backs in the NFL
Posted by Darin Hayes on April 24, 2023
The 2022 NFL season had some dynamic rushers display their skills of running the rock on game days. Many of these talented running backs were in their first season as professionals in the League. Using our robust sports information database, this Pro-Football-Reference blog post will examine the best rookie RBs of the 2022 regular season.
The Best Rookie Running Backs in Rushing Yardage of 2022
Here are a couple of the young backs that had the most rushing yards in the 2022 NFL regular season
Kenneth Walker III
Kenneth Walker III (K9)
Position: RB
5-9, 211lb (175cm, 95kg)
Team: Seattle Seahawks
Born:
College: Wake Forest, Michigan St. (College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 8 (9014th overall since 1960)
Draft: Seattle Seahawks in the 2nd round (41st overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Twitter: @Kenneth_Walker9 · Instagram: kenneth_walker9
2022
Career
15
15
8
8
228
228
1050
1050
4.6
4.6
9
9
175.5
175.5
The Seattle Seahawks found a real gem in the 2nd round with the 41st overall selection of the 2022 NFL Draft in Walker from Michigan State. KW III’s 1,050 yards on the ground led all NFL rookies in the regular season.
Tyler Allgeier
Tyler Allgeier
Position: RB
5-11, 220lb (180cm, 99kg)
Team: Atlanta Falcons
Born:
College: BYU (College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 8 (9014th overall since 1960)
Draft: Atlanta Falcons in the 5th round (151st overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Pronunciation: \Al-jeer\
Twitter: @tylerallgeier17 · Instagram: _ty.allgeier
2022
Career
16
16
8
8
210
210
1035
1035
4.9
4.9
3
3
143.4
143.4
Allgeier quickly adjusted from his days in the backfield at BYU to add to the Atlanta Falcons rushing prowess. Tyler was one of only two 2022 NFL rookie backs to go beyond the 1000-yard milestone in 2022, posting 1,035 yards of the Atlanta ground attack for the season.
The Top 2022 Rookie NFL Running Backs in Yards per Attempt
We looked for first-year RBs in 2022 with at least 80 rushing attempts during the NFL regular season. Here are the top names in yards per attempt from that group.
James Cook
James Cook
Position: RB
5-11, 190lb (180cm, 86kg)
Team: Buffalo Bills
Born:
College: Georgia (College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 5 (10767th overall since 1960)
High School: Miami Central (FL)
Draft: Buffalo Bills in the 2nd round (63rd overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Twitter: @thegreat__4 · Instagram: ___thegreat4
Relatives: Brother Dalvin Cook
2022
Career
16
16
5
5
89
89
507
507
5.7
5.7
2
2
84.7
84.7
The bloodline of James Cook is strong in NFL rushing as his brother Delvin has made his mark already. James proved to the Buffalo Bills and the rest of the NFL that he is also an explosive talent out of the backfield. The second-round selection out of Georgia averaged 5.7 yards rushing per attempt.
Breece Hall
Breece Hall
Position: RB
6-1, 220lb (185cm, 99kg)
Team: New York Jets
Born:
College: Iowa St. (College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 4 (11467th overall since 1960)
Draft: New York Jets in the 2nd round (36th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Twitter: @BreeceH · Instagram: breecethebeast23
Relatives: Stepfather Jeff Smith
2022
Career
7
7
4
4
80
80
463
463
5.8
5.8
4
4
96.1
96.1
This young New York Jet made the most of his first season by scorching opposing defenses at the rate of netting 5.8 yards per carry. Well worth the 36th overall selection of the 2022 NFL Draft used by Gang Green on the Iowa State product.
The Top Rookie Receiving Running Backs in 2022
The passing game has become an essential element for NFL running backs. When a first-year player can rack up some yards by catching passes, it is a special bonus for his team. During the 2022 season, one rookie RB did it better than any of his peers.
Rachaad White
Rachaad White
Position: RB
6-2, 210lb (188cm, 95kg)
Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Born:
College: Nebraska-Kearney, Mount San Antonio JC, Arizona St. (College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 4 (11467th overall since 1960)
Draft: Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 3rd round (91st overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft.
2022
Career
17
17
4
4
129
129
481
481
3.7
3.7
1
1
89.1
89.1
White hauled in 50 receptions for 290 yards during the regular season, 70 yards more than any other Rookie RB. Of course, it didn’t hurt that Tom Brady was the signal caller checking the ball down to him in the progressions.
The Top Rookie Running Backs in Scoring Points of 2022
This year saw some of the most potent offenses in the NFL’s history. Some of these lofty numbers were attributed to the efforts of first-year running backs. A handful of these rooks impacted their team’s rushing attack by placing the ball in the endzone. The leader in the clubhouse was discussed above, Kenneth Walker III with nine TDs, but here are the other rookie RBs with a nose for the goal line.
Isiah Pacheco
Isiah Pacheco
Position: RB
5-11, 215lb (180cm, 97kg)
Team: Kansas City Chiefs
Born:
College: Rutgers (College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 7 (9523rd overall since 1960)
High School: Vineland South (NJ)
Draft: Kansas City Chiefs in the 7th round (251st overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Twitter: @isiah_pachecoRB · Instagram: lil_poppy856
2022
Career
17
17
7
7
170
170
830
830
4.9
4.9
5
5
122.0
122.0
Coach Andy Reid and the Chiefs front office added to the explosive Kansas City offense by acquiring Rutgers University product Pacheco in the seventh round of the 2022 Draft. Isaiah pushed the pigskin over the opponent’s goal line five times during his inaugural season in the League.
Dameon Pierce
Dameon Pierce
Position: RB
5-10, 212lb (178cm, 96kg)
Team: Houston Texans
Born:
College: Florida (College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 6 (10099th overall since 1960)
High School: Bainbridge (GA)
Draft: Houston Texans in the 4th round (107th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft.
2022
Career
13
13
6
6
220
220
939
939
4.3
4.3
4
4
136.4
136.4
The fourth-round pick of the Houston Texans, Dameon Pierce, was one of two 2022 NFL Rookie backs (Breece Hall) to use their legs to power their way into the end zone four times.
The Top NFL Rookie Running Backs in Overall Yardage in 2022
The total yards from scrimmage leaders for rookies mentioned in other 2022 categories in this post are Kenneth Walker III, Tyler Allgeier, Isiah Pacheco, and Dameon Pierce. There’s one other player who’s right there with them in this stat.
Brian Robinson Jr.
Brian Robinson Jr.
Position: RB
6-1, 225lb (185cm, 102kg)
Team: Washington Commanders
Born:
College: Alabama (College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 3 (12283rd overall since 1960)
Draft: Washington Commanders in the 3rd round (98th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Twitter: @BrianR_4 · Instagram: b.robinson_4
2022
Career
12
12
3
3
205
205
797
797
3.9
3.9
2
2
103.7
103.7
Brian Robinson Jr. of the Washington Commanders produced some fantastic overall production in his first season as a pro. Number 8 for the Commanders gained 857 yards from scrimmage on the season for his team. The day two pick was almost equally efficient at running with the ball as he was with receiving it, giving Washington a dual threat out of the backfield for opposing defenses to have to worry about.
Other 2022 NFL Rookie Running Backs to Watch For
Our last two rookie RBs are wildcard choices. They may not have had the numbers of the others mentioned so far due to injury, less opportunity, or both, but these are players that may make a mark for themselves shortly.
Jaylen Warren
Derrell Jaylen Warren
Position: RB
5-8, 215lb (173cm, 97kg)
Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
Born:
College: Snow College (UT), Utah St., Oklahoma St. (College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 4 (11467th overall since 1960)
2022
Career
16
16
4
4
77
77
379
379
4.9
4.9
1
1
65.3
65.3
The Pittsburgh Steelers found a gem in Jaylen Warren to spell Najee Harris and bring a different dynamic to their offense when needed. Warren didn’t see the field much at first in 2022, and once he did, a nagging injury set him back a few weeks. However, the Steelers’ push at the end of the year had Warren serving some essential spot duty in a very productive role. He rushed for 379 yards, and his receiving averaged 7.6 yards per clip.
Zonovan Knight
Zonovan Knight (Bam)
Position: RB
5-11, 210lb (180cm, 95kg)
Team: New York Jets
Born:
College: North Carolina St. (College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 2 (13368th overall since 1960)
High School: Southern Nash (NC)
2022
Career
7
7
2
2
85
85
300
300
3.5
3.5
1
1
46.0
46.0
The J-E-T-S franchise acquired another interesting RB in the 2022 offseason besides Breece Hall: Zonovan Knight. The North Carolina State product had over 400 yards of scrimmage and even offered help in the special team’s return game. He has the intangibles that make him appear in the rookie RB rankings.
Conclusion
You can take any flavor of what makes a top running back. The choices for the best rookie running backs of 2022 vary from yardage, to scoring TDs, to catching passes that move those chains down the field. Pacheco, Walker, Allgeier, and Hall are all excellent choices for the skill sets they bring to their clubs. The beauty is we have no need to define who is better or best, as we can enjoy watching all of them from the comfort of our favorite chair at home.
The first two players that answer this question are fairly easy in the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, Garrett Wilson and the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, Sauce Gardner. The rest of the quintet would probably the aforementioned Kenneth Walker III with his nine rushing TDs, Houston Texans Safety Jalen Pitre with his 99 solo tackles, and Chargers Guard Zion Johnson who logged just under 1200 snaps starting all 17 games.
For this answer we must wait until the end of the 2023 season in early January.
For the 2022 season, Kenneth Walker III and his 1050 total offensive yards led all rookies for the year.
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