2025 NFL Draft RB Rankings: Who Will Be Second Running Back Taken After Ashton Jeanty?
The NFL has finally placed a renewed focus on running backs in the last year, largely thanks to the success of Saquon Barkley. Ashton Jeanty is widely expected to be a top 10 pick, and likely even top 5 now. But who will be selected after him? Mark Harris breaks down his top 5 RB rankings ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Mark Harris
| 5 min
2025 NFL Draft RB Rankings: Who Will Be Second Running Back Taken After Ashton Jeanty?
The 2025 NFL Draft has finally arrived and the big story in this draft is the strength of the running back class. Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty is a huge favorite to be the first RB selected tonight in Green Bay, and there is real buzz that he could even be a top-five pick.
There is still plenty of intrigue after Jeanty. Could Omarion Hampton make his way into the first round? Where will the star-studded Ohio State running back duo get selected? We'll know these answers soon as the NFL Draft churns over the next few days.
It's a loaded running back draft class, and some of these guys could be the difference in your fantasy team winning its league, let alone the NFL team they suit up for. Speed, power, and pass-catching ability can be found throughout this class, and many of them will be great contributors on Sundays.
I've narrowed it down to the top five running backs in the 2025 NFL Draft:
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NFL Draft Second Running Back Odds
Second Running Back | Odds |
|---|---|
Omarion Hampton | -210 |
TreVeyon Henderson | +130 |
Quinshon Judkins | +2100 |
Cam Skattebo | +10000 |
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2025 NFL Draft RB Rankings
1. Ashton Jeanty
No need to out-think the room here. Jeanty just had one of the best running back seasons in recent college football history and he won't have to wait long to hear his name called tonight by Roger Goodell.
His stats are absolutely bonkers. The Boise State phenom racked up 2,601 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns (7.0 yards per carry) as he challenged Barry Sanders' yardage record and led the Broncos to the College Football Playoff.
Critics will say he benefited from a relatively weak Mountain West schedule, but he had no trouble torching the Oregon Ducks for 192 yards and three scores. Plus, his tape against Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl was better than the final stats suggest.
Jeanty is a consensus -10000 favorite to be the first running back drafted for a reason.
2. TreVeyon Henderson (+130 To Be Second Running Back Selected)
I'm bucking the trend here and ranking Henderson as the second-best running back. This dude is just a big play waiting to happen.
His acceleration and breakaway speed should easily translate to the NFL. Give him a crease and it's a house call. Just ask Texas after his game-changing screen pass touchdown in the Cotton Bowl, or Oregon after his dominant outing in the Rose Bowl.
Henderson's 1,016 yards and 10 touchdowns seem decent at first, but remember, he was also splitting carries with Quinshon Judkins at Ohio State and also averaged 7.1 yards per carry. He displayed his athleticism again at the NFL Combine when he ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash, and recorded a 38.5-inch vertical jump and a 10’ 8’’ broad jump.
FanDuel Sportsbook has him pegged at +280 to get picked behind Jeanty and Hampton.
3. Omarion Hampton (-210 To Be Second Running Back Selected)
Anytime you rush for more than 3,100 yards and 30 scores in two seasons, you're doing something right. That's what Hampton did the last two seasons at North Carolina, and it's why he might be a first-round pick tonight.
His 1,660-yard, 15-touchdown 2024 season becomes even more impressive considering all that production came solely in UNC's 12-game regular season. Hampton finished with the third-most rushing yards last year, behind only Jeanty and Cam Skattebo, who both had conference championship games and CFB games to add to their rushing totals.
Whether it's breaking tackles or running away from guys, he can accumulate yards like magic. Hampton is a -210 favorite in the First Running Back Drafted (Not Including Ashton Jeanty) on FanDuel.
4. Quinshon Judkins (+2100 To Be Second Running Back Selected)
Henderson's backfield counterpart comes in at fourth in my ranking, and he also has the fourth-best odds (+15000) to be the first RB selected.
Judkins' raw athleticism is his biggest strength, as he led all running backs with a 9.90 RAS score. That athleticism translated on the field at Ohio State, particularly in the National Championship Game when he pounded Notre Dame with 100 rushing yards, two scores, and caught a touchdown.
He was productive all year for the Buckeyes, and he did just fine as a lead back during his two seasons at Ole Miss. The NFL team that drafts Judkins will be making a safe bet.
5. Cam Skattebo (+10000 To Be Second Running Back Selected)
If you like hard-nosed, physical running backs, Skattebo is your guy. He was the driving force behind Arizona State's trip to the College Football Playoff, and he's more than just a big bruiser because he has great vision at the line of scrimmage and he's an effective pass-catcher (605 receiving yards & three TDs).
But let's not lose sight of his tackle-breaking ability, either. Pro Football Focus charted Skattebo with the second-most broken tackles of any running back this season. Those missed tackles were a huge reason why he set an ASU program record with 1,711 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns, and his contact balance showed up when he played top defenses like Texas, BYU, and Utah.
Even though Skattebo doesn't possess breakaway speed, he has pretty much everything else. Just watch his absolute treat of a highlight tape. His 39.5-inch vertical jump shows is explosiveness as well.
Skattebo is +20000 as the first RB selected on DraftKings, which is tied for the sixth-best odds. While I may be a smidge higher on him than the consensus, his versatility should help him find a role on Sundays.
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