Running backs have been a hot topic in the 2023 NFL offseason, mostly for their increasing devaluation among positions. But there’s been one division to buck the trend and actually prioritize big names in the backfield: the AFC East. All four of its teams explored veteran upgrades to some degree, and just recently, both Dalvin Cook and Ezekiel Elliott found new homes in the East.
Now that the dust has settled and the backfields appear mostly set for the 2023 season, how do the AFC East RB rooms stack up? Here’s how we’d rank them:
Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr., De’Von Achane, Myles Gaskin
Miami is deep, there’s no question about that. Together, Mostert and Wilson combine to offer serviceable RB1 production in Mike McDaniel’s system, the former still possessing elite speed at 31 and Wilson adding physicality. But there’s a reason the Dolphins were in the Dalvin Cook market. Achane has game-changing electricity, but as a smaller rookie (5-9, 188), he’s still a projection. Gaskin has experience but hasn’t stuck as a starter.
James Cook, Latavius Murray, Damien Harris
They might actually have the highest floor, considering Murray’s longevity as a journeyman spot starter. Cook and Harris are the real variables here. The former was very efficient as a change-of-pace rookie, topping 650 scrimmage yards behind Devin Singletary, but his build and play style may lend itself more to a split role with Harris, a prototypical, if injury-prone, ball-carrier.
Rhamondre Stevenson, Ezekiel Elliott, Ty Montgomery
Stevenson does a lot of the heavy lifting here. The 25-year-old third-year veteran transcended an annually crowded New England backfield to eclipse 1,400 total yards in 2022, averaging 5 yards per carry and securing almost 80% of his pass targets. In short, he’s got workhorse potential. Elliott has slowed after seven years in Dallas, but he makes for solid relief and short-yardage help.
Dalvin Cook, Breece Hall, Michael Carter, Israel Abanikanda
Health is a critical X factor here, but at full speed, Cook and Hall essentially give New York a pair of top-10 starters. The former has only once played a full season and hasn’t been a monster pass catcher as of late, but fresh off four straight 1,100-yard seasons, the ex-Vikings star is still one of the NFL’s most natural and explosive pure runners. Hall could be limited early while recovering from an ACL tear, but he was ultra-smooth as a big-play rookie to open 2022. Between Carter and Abanikanda, meanwhile, the Jets also have both starting NFL experience and additional speedy upside.
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Author: Cody Benjamin
August 17, 2023 | 11:25 am
