NFL Draft Running Backs
We already know that some GM is going to take Ashton Jeanty very high in the 2025 NFL Draft. How many other GMs will go the running back route in this year’s first round?
We did not have a single running back taken in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. It was the second time in three years that it happened, as Breece Hall was taken 36th overall in 2022. The 2022 NFL Draft marked the first time since 2014 that there were no first-round RB. This season, though, we know of at least one and it sure seems we’ll have at least two.
But will we get three? That is the question, as the odds heavily favor Under 2.5 first-round running backs in the 2025 NFL Draft.
ODDS UPDATED 4/23 at 12:30 p.m. PT
First-Round Running Backs 2025 NFL Draft
Over 2.5 (+155) // Under 2.5 (-200)
Ashton Jeanty
Draft position: Over 6.5 (+320) // Under 6.5 (-450)
We knew that Jeanty would be a first-round selection after setting the single-season record for rushing yards to finish off a spectacular college career with 4,769 rushing yards and 50 rushing touchdowns over 40 games. He averaged nearly 186 yards per game during the 2024 season.
So the only question with Jeanty is whether or not he is a top-six pick. DraftKings has Jeanty at +200 to be the No. 6 pick, which currently belongs to the Las Vegas Raiders. He is +400 to go No. 4, which is owned by the New England Patriots and -160 to go No. 5 where the Jacksonville Jaguars are currently slated to select.
Since this was originally published, Jeanty has moved into a favorite to be taken in the top 5. He was -110 to go at the No. 6 pick at the time the article was posted.
Omarion Hampton
Draft position: Over 19.5 (-370) // Under 19.5 (+270)
The North Carolina Tar Heel is the most likely running back to join Jeanty in the first round. Hampton has rushed for 1,504 and 1,660 yards the last two seasons while leading the ACC in rushing attempts. He’s racked up 30 rushing TD in that span and has also chipped in four receiving scores.
Hampton had a decent 40 time of 4.46 seconds and a solid 10-yard split of 1.54 seconds. He was also third in the broad jump and tied for fourth in the bench press. He’s pretty widely regarded as the second-best running back of the class.
Hampton’s Over 19.5 odds have been juiced heavier and heavier as the week has gone along.
The Others
TreVeyon Henderson
1st Round? Yes (-120)
The only market up on Henderson at DK at time of publish was a one-way market to be a first-round pick. Henderson has the shortest odds of any running back not named Jeanty or Hampton, who is -1600 to go in the first 32 selections.
The Ohio State back had a 4.43 40 time and a 1.52 10-yard split, trailing teammate Quinshon Judkins by one one-hundredth of a second. He only participated in position drills at Ohio State’s pro day. Henderson’s stats at Ohio State may not jump completely off the page, but he was in a timeshare with Judkins during his senior season and Ohio State won a lot of blowouts, so they rotated guys in. He had 590 carries over four years. Hampton had 622 in three years and Jeanty had 750 in three years.
Because of the strength and culture of the Ohio State program, coupled with Henderson’s clear talent, he could be a first-round guy. This was +125 at the time the article was originally published and he’s now a favorite to go in the first round.
Quinshon Judkins
1st Round? Yes (+1800)
I actually think Yes to be a first-round pick is worth a small bet with Judkins. He didn’t bench at the combine, but did at Ohio State’s pro day and had 24 reps, which was higher than any RB at the combine. He also had the best broad jump and some impressive running times for a 221-point bruiser of a back. He’s also an excellent pass blocker.
As a freshman, Judkins led the SEC in rushing attempts and rushing yards. In his final college season, he was a 1,000-yard rusher and a National Champion with Ohio State. I think the measurables and makeup are going to really impress teams. Many mocks have him in the second or third round, which is probably what transpires, but some of the teams with high first-round picks might be content to trade back and add additional assets because of the trust that they have in their player development staffs.
While it is a long shot, Judkins could be a mover up draft boards. He was 16/1 at the time of original publish and is now 18/1.
Kaleb Johnson
1st Round? Yes (+3000)
And therein lies the problem with betting the Over 2.5 RB in the first round. Johnson is the fifth choice among the 1st round pick odds at DraftKings at 30/1. Johnson had a lackluster combine, running a 4.57 40 and he didn’t grade all that well in the other events he participated in. He led the Big Ten with 1,537 yards and 21 rushing scores while averaging 128.1 yards per game, but he was held under 100 yards by Ohio State, Michigan State, UCLA, and Nebraska during conference play. I don’t think any team would even consider him in the first round.
Cam Skattebo
1st Round? Yes (+5000)
Skattebo was nearly the hero of the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against Texas, as he meant virtually everything to the Arizona State offense. The stats are there, as he had over 2,000 yards from scrimmage in every collegiate season, but he’s a small back who took a beating in college and doesn’t really have a lot of the measurables that teams look for. He may be a good NFL player, but he’s not a good bet to go in the first round.
Dylan Sampson
1st Round? Yes (+5000)
Sampson is the only other RB with first-round odds at DraftKings. He only had 13 reps on the bench and was said to run between a 4.46 and a 4.49 at Tennessee’s pro day. He led the SEC in carries, rushing yards, and touchdowns. He’s only 5-foot-8 and scouts got no tape on him against Ohio State because he had two carries for six yards in the CFP First Round game. He may even be a stretch as a Day 2 pick and will probably have to wait until Day 3 to hear his name called.
First-Round Running Backs 2025 NFL Draft Prediction
If you do think that Henderson sneaks into the first round, Over 2.5 at +155 is a better bet than Henderson at -120, as Jeanty and Hampton should be selected. I do think Judkins at 18/1 is a really interesting long shot gamble, as he fits the mold in my mind of a RB that gains a little steam and a team may prefer his bruising running style over more of a speed-based, outside-the-tackles approach where Henderson excels.
I do think we stay Under 2.5, though, as teams simply prioritize other needs.
Pick: Under 2.5 Running Backs
Jeff Erickson and Nick Whalen discussed the running backs draft market on Prop Points.
NFL season Prop Points host John Hansen joined current hosts Jeff and Nick to talk about Quinshon Judkins.
The post 2025 NFL Draft Odds: Running Backs appeared first on VSiN.
