#running back

Chris Johnson having an ALS diagnosis at 39 is just heartbreaking.

Jim Brown, 1966 Philadelphia

The first round running back debate is alive again, and this piece gets right to the reason why. The league keeps calling backs replaceable until a rare one wrecks that argument. Saquon Barkley and Jahmyr Gibbs forced that conversation back into the open, and Ashton Jeanty going sixth in 2025 made it impossible to ignore. This article digs into the real tension behind the pick. A great back can change an offense fast, especially with the 2026 salary cap now at $301.2 million and rookie deals still looking like value. But a first-round running back can also become the most expensive bandage on a roster that has bigger problems everywhere else. From Barkley and McCaffrey to Elliott and Gibbs, the bigger lesson is not just talent. It is timing. A rare back can supercharge a contender. Put that same player on the wrong roster, and the whole argument turns ugly again.