NFL Draft
2/14/25
6 min read
2025 NFL Draft: Player Comparison's For Top RBs
In an absolutely loaded running back class, there are a handful of prospects who resemble past and present stars from around the NFL.
The 2025 NFL Draft might be the most loaded group of running backs the league has seen in over a decade. Along with a potential top-15 pick in Ashton Jeanty, the class might feature a dozen Day 2 prospects at the position and dozens more in the later rounds.
With so much talent to sift through, the top-of-the-class features players with significantly different play styles. For fans of the league just now getting into the draft, let's make some NFL comparisons for the top RB prospects to give a better picture of what these prospects could become once they hear their names called in this year's draft.
2025 NFL DRaft RB Comparisons
Ashton Jeanty, Boise State 
Comparison: Supercharged Doug Martin
The biggest reason that Ashton Jeanty is garnering first-round buzz is his elite contact balance in a compact frame. The first running back that comes to mind with that play style is the Muscle Hamster.
As a rookie, Martin produced more than 1,000 yards after contact, keeping a low center of gravity while breaking tackles and picking up chunks of yards. While his career wasn't consistent, Martin was still a two-time Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro in 2015.
That best version of Martin is what Jeanty could be for an NFL team. He basically broke PFF's metrics for college running backs, producing more yards after contact (1,970) than any other running back had in total rushing yards, all while forcing an obscene 151 missed tackles.
There are a lot of "what ifs?" when it comes to Martin's long-term career, but Jeanty could show NFL fans what the best version of that type of running back could look like.
Kaleb Johnson, Iowa 
Comparison: James Conner
There aren't a lot of 6-foot-2 running backs in the league, but someone with a body type and play style similar to Kaleb Johnson would be James Conner.
While he's not a home-run hitter, Johnson consistently won at Iowa. He used excellent vision and contact balance to pick up chunks of yards consistently. He produced more than 1,000 yards after contact, rushing for more than 1,500 yards and 21 touchdowns in his final college season.
Conner, at 6-foot-1 and 233 pounds, has a similar build to Johnson. He has played with vision, power, and contact balance to be a productive running back throughout his career. He's averaged more than 3.0 YAC per carry in eight NFL seasons and hasn't shown severe signs of slowing down.
That kind of long-term workhorse back is what Johnson could become in the NFL, and there's an outside chance his play style will get him to sneak into the first round.
Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
Comparison: Joe Mixon
In another draft class, there's a good chance that Omarion Hampton would be RB1 because the comparisons to Joe Mixon are easy to visualize.
With a nearly identical frame at 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, Hampton brings legitimate power behind his pads, combined with excellent contact balance to break tackles with consistency. On top of that, Hampton brings solid breakaway speed and elusiveness in open space to keep defenders guessing instead of always trying to run through them.
That should immediately bring Mixon to mind. While he has earned his reputation as a power back, the current Houston Texans running back is also capable of winning by bouncing to the outside or forcing defenders to whiff in 1-on-1 situations.
Hampton-Mixon is one of the easiest comparisons in this draft class because of their body types and play styles.
TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
Comparison: Tony Pollard
A smaller, smooth runner with elusiveness, top-end burst, and play speed sounds a lot like Tony Pollard early in his career.
TreVeyon Henderson isn't the biggest or most explosive back in this class at 5-foot-10 and 208 pounds, but he's one of the smoothest runners in the group. Along with his elusiveness in space, he had 21 different runs of at least 15 yards in 2024.
While he doesn't have Pollard's pass-catching resume, Henderson's skill set should be able to translate to the passing game in the NFL with the way he runs. Pass protection is something Pollard has steadily improved on as well, and Henderson has shown flashes of this during his time at Ohio State.
Pollard is still a productive running back in Tennessee, even if he's not the same consistent home-run threat that he was in Dallas. Still, the comparison between him and Henderson makes too much sense, given their respective success on the field.
Cam Skattebo, Arizona State
Comparison: Modern Mike Alstott
There are a few angry run scepters in Cam Skattebo's future.
While he's not a particularly explosive or elusive runner, Skattebo is getting legitimate buzz as a top running back prospect because of his angry running style. No matter what angle he's being hit from, Skattebo's center gravity is so low that he finds ways to stay upright and generate explosive runs.
Skattebo is basically what a modern version of Mike Alstott would look like. A bruising bowling ball fullback for Tampa Bay back in the day, Alstott would refuse to go down, requiring multiple defenders just to slow him down, and even then, he'd still find ways to escape and pick up yards.
Unlike Alstott, Skattebo has also shown legitimate ability as a pass catcher and even a trick play quarterback with the ability to chuck it deep. He's come a long way from his Sacramento State days, and now Skattebo has a chance to be a top-50 pick because of his unique running style as a true power back.
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