INDIANAPOLIS — Ashton Jeanty noticed running back values declining in the NFL just as his college football career started to take off.
Then he watched the resurgence of free-agent acquisitions Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs and realized things were back on the upswing — just as Jeanty was becoming a marquee name in college football, finishing as the runner-up in Heisman Trophy voting while helping Boise State reach the first 12-team edition of the College Football Playoff last fall.
The timing couldn’t be better for Jeanty and a stacked crop of running backs at the annual NFL scouting combine. Suddenly, the 5-foot-8, 211-pounder from Jacksonville, Florida, is considered a possible top-15 pick at next month’s draft in one of the strongest position groups.
“I think there was a period of time where there was just kind of a low at the position,” Jeanty said of how teams valued running backs. “But those guys, they’ve been doing special deals and showing if you have a special player at running back, it can really enhance your offense.”
There’s little doubt a workhorse back or even a strong tandem in the running game can propel a team into an immediate playoff-caliber team or even a Super Bowl contender, but the conventional wisdom lately has been avoiding hefty investments at the position. Since 2020, only five running backs were first-round draft picks, and only four went in the top 30.
The same philosophy held true in free agency. Last year, the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants and Tennessee Titans all let their top rushers walk away, and perhaps not surprisingly, each team has a top-six pick next month after finishing among the worst in the league standings.
Barkley, meanwhile, topped the 2,000-yard mark and led the Philadelphia Eagles on their Super Bowl championship run after leaving the Giants — a rival team in the NFC East Division — while Henry went from the Titans to the Baltimore Ravens and Jacobs went from the Raiders to the Green Bay Packers and led their new teams back to the playoffs.
Will those results benefit a position group that seemingly has a fit for every team?
Jeanty certainly hopes so after rushing for 2,601 yards and falling 27 yards short of Barry Sanders’ Football Bowl Subdivision single-season record as well as falling just short to Colorado receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter in the closest Heisman Trophy race since 2009.
“There’s a need for a lot of teams at running back, whenever they feel necessary to draft one,” Jeanty said.
This year’s position group is deep, versatile and seems to have something for everyone.
Jeanty, for instance, finished last season with nearly 2,000 yards after contact.
Cam Skattebo (5-9, 219) led Arizona State to a CFP playoff berth as well by rushing for more than 1,700 yards and catching 45 passes for 600 yards.
“It’s pretty simple: I’m physical,” Skattebo said. “People don’t think I’m as fast as I am, which I am fast, but I like to punish defenders because they don’t like to do that for four quarters.”
Dylan Sampson (5-8, 200) does more than score touchdowns, but he did break the University of Tennessee’s single-season school record for rushing scores, a mark that had stood nearly a century. The Vols, like Arizona State and Boise State, became a first-time CFP entrant as well.
And former Ohio State standouts TreVeyon Henderson (5-10, 202) and Quinshon Judkins (6-0, 221) both possess rare combinations of power and speed, which they showcased this past season for the Buckeyes as arguably the best backfield tandem in the nation helped the program win the national championship.
“The best part of my game is my breakaway speed,” said Henderson, who had a time of 4.43 seconds in the 40-yard dash during Saturday’s workouts at Lucas Oil Stadium that included quarterbacks and receivers in addition to running backs. “The area of the game I’m looking to highlight is my pass protection. I feel like that shows what type of player you are.”
Jeanty still feels like he has something to prove, too: that he’s a better receiver than he had a chance to demonstrate at Boise State.
Each of the aforementioned prospects is likely to find an NFL home, though it’s unclear where they may land — and whether anyone can climb high enough on draft boards to join Jeanty as a first-round selection.
After this past season, though, Jeanty thinks NFL teams could be rewarded, maybe handsomely, if they’re willing to take a chance.
“You can see the value of running backs is definitely going back up, so definitely coming in at the perfect time,” Jeanty said, before noting of Barkley’s big year: “It’s not just him; all the guys are doing exception things in the NFL. And right here, in my draft class, there are a lot of great backs as well.”
Golden is latest ‘fastest receiver’ for Longhorns
Wid receiver Matthew Golden of Texas recorded the fastest 40-yard dash time in Saturday’s workouts, finishing in 4.29 seconds.
It was the second-fastest 40 time this week in Indianapolis, just one tick off from Maxwell Hairston. The cornerback from Kentucky was clocked at 4.28 seconds on Friday night.
The third of four workout sessions featured quarterbacks, running backs and receivers, and Golden’s showing allowed the Longhorns to retain the title of fastest receiver in the draft. Xavier Worthy of Texas ran a combine-record 4.21 last year at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Ten receivers and three running backs posted times faster than 4.4.
Dont’e Thornton Jr. of Tennessee ran a 4.3 and Chimere Dike of Florida had a 4.34 as the closest to Golden. Other notable times included Jaylin Lane of Virginia Tech at 4.34 and Tai Felton of Maryland at 4.37, with Golden’s college teammate, Isaiah Bond, and Jaylin Noel of Iowa State each clocked at 4.39.
Golden did not do the vertical jump or broad jump.
Bhayshul Tuten of Virginia Tech was the fastest running back at 4.32 and was followed by Jaydon Blue of Texas at 4.38 and Brashard Smith of SMU at 4.39.
Three receivers had vertical jumps of at least 40 inches: Sam Brown Jr. of Miami and Noel each leapt 41 1/2 inches, while Lane was measured at 40. Felton was fourth at 39 1/2.
Noel’s broad jump of 11 feet, 2 inches was the best in the receivers group. He was followed by Isaiah Neyor of Nebraska (11-1) and Lane (11-0). Felton was fifth at 10-10.
Two of the top-rated receivers, Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter of Colorado and Tetairoa McMillan of Arizona, did not work out. Heisman runner-up Jeanty of Boise State, the top-ranked running back prospect, and the top two quarterbacks, Shedeur Sanders of Colorado and Cam Ward of Miami, also did not work out Saturday.
All five plan to do their drills in front of scouts at their respective pro days on their college campuses.
Tuten also led the running backs with a vertical jump of 40 1/2 inches. DJ Giddens of Kansas State and Skattebo of Arizona State tied for second at 39 1/2. Judkins of Ohio State had the best broad jump (11 feet) in the group and was followed by three backs who went 10-10: Giddens, Tuten and Omarion Hampton of North Carolina.
Only three quarterbacks ran the 40, and only four participated in the broad jump and vertical jump.
Upton Stout of Western Kentucky and Nohl Williams of California led the cornerbacks with 21 and 19 reps on the bench press, respectively. Caleb Ransaw of Tulane was third with 16. Nick Emmanwori of South Carolina (20), Jaylen Reed of Penn State (19) and Kitan Crawford of Nevada (18) were the top safeties in the weight room.
Two tight ends from Alabama, CJ Dippre and Robbie Ouzts, had the most reps of the five tight ends who lifted Saturday. Dippre had 32, while Ouzts had 26.
Ethan Downs of Oklahoma led the defensive ends with 32 reps on Friday night while Jordan Phillips of Maryland led the defensive tackles with 29, and Teddye Buchanan of California and Nick Martin of Oklahoma State each had 26 reps to lead the linebackers.
Offensive linemen will be on the field Sunday for the final full day of workouts in Indianapolis.