Top 10 Best Running Backs in NFL History (All-Time Rankings)

When ranking the Top 10 Best Running Backs in NFL History, you’re talking about the lifeblood of football. Running backs powered dynasties, broke records, and carried entire franchises on their shoulders. From Barry Sanders’ video-game agility to Derrick Henry’s raw power, these are the legends who redefined what it means to run the football.

Table of Contents

• Honorable Mention
• #10Derrick Henry
• #9 O.J. Simpson
• #8 Eric DickersonEarl Campbell
• #7 Adrian Peterson
• #6 Marshall Faulk
• Honorable Mention Gale Sayers
• #5 LaDainian Tomlinson
• #4 Emmitt Smith
• #3 Walter Payton
• #2 Jim Brown
• #1 Barry Sanders
• Full Top 10 List
• FAQ
• Conclusion

HM Earl Campbell – Oilers legend with NFL MVP and 3× OPOY

Honorable Mention — Earl Campbell (Houston Oilers)

Key Stats & Accolades:

• 1× NFL MVP; 3× OPOY; 1× OROY
• 3× First-Team All-Pro; 5× Pro Bowls
• 9,407 rushing yards | 74 rushing TD | 4.3 Y/A | 81.8 Y/G | 806 receiving yards

Campbell wasn’t built to last long, but while he burned, he burned hotter than anyone. Defenses stacked 8–9 men in the box against Houston, knowing exactly what was coming, and still couldn’t stop it. His running style was pure brutality: shoulder pads down, thighs like tree trunks, linebackers bounced off him like safeties. Campbell gave Houston an identity — smash-mouth football with no apologies.

#10 Derrick Henry – Titans legend with OPOY and 2× rushing titles

#10 – Derrick Henry (Tennessee Titans)

Key Stats & Accolades:

• 1× OPOY; 1× First-Team All-Pro
• 2× Rushing Yards Leader; 2× Rushing TD Leader
• 11,423 rushing yards | 106 rushing TD | 4.9 Y/A | 84.0 Y/G | 1,651 receiving yards

King Henry isn’t just big — he’s physics in motion. At 6’3” and 247 pounds, he should have been a short-yardage bruiser. Instead, he’s an open-field nightmare who turns secondaries into highlight reels. His 2,000-yard season in 2020 wasn’t just a product of volume — it was game control. When the Titans had Henry, they dictated the entire pace of football games.

What makes him unique in history is his longevity in an era designed against RBs. While the league went pass-heavy, Henry still stacked rushing titles. He’s one of the last true “franchise RBs” — a guy you could build an entire identity around. If he retired tomorrow, his case would still be Top 10 worthy.

I usually lean away from ranking active players on my all-time lists, but Derrick Henry deserves it. His resume speaks for itself and he has no sign of slowing down entering his thirties with the Ravens.

#9 O.J. Simpson – Bills legend with NFL MVP season

#9 – O.J. Simpson (Buffalo Bills)

Key Stats & Accolades:

• 1× MVP; 1× OPOY
• 5× First-Team All-Pro; 5× Pro Bowls; 4× Rushing Yards Leader
• 11,236 rushing yards | 61 rushing TD | 4.7 Y/A | 83.2 Y/G | 2,142 receiving yards

Strip away the off-field infamy, and O.J. was a revolutionary back. He was the first player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards, and he did it in a 14-game season. His 1973 pace translates to nearly 2,300 yards in a 16-game schedule.

What made him special was his glide — he wasn’t a power back, but defenders couldn’t take an angle on him. He was the centerpiece of Buffalo’s “Electric Company” offensive line, and when teams knew the run was coming, he still broke off long touchdowns. Adjusted for era, his efficiency and explosiveness still hold up today.

#8 Eric Dickerson – Rams legend with 4× rushing yards leader

#8 – Eric Dickerson (Los Angeles Rams)

Key Stats & Accolades:

• 1× OPOY; 1× OROY
• 5× First-Team All-Pro; 6× Pro Bowls; 4× Rushing Yards Leader
• 13,259 rushing yards | 90 rushing TD | 4.4 Y/A | 90.8 Y/G | 2,137 receiving yards

Dickerson looked like he was born to run — long legs, upright stride, neck roll bouncing. Critics thought that style would leave him exposed. Instead, it became his trademark. His 2,105-yard season in 1984 remains the gold standard for rushing records, and it’s stood untouched for four decades.

He wasn’t just a record-chaser. Dickerson was a volume monster who carried the ball 370+ times in three different seasons, but he did it while averaging over 4.5 yards a pop. He combined endurance with home-run speed, which is almost unheard of. Defenses couldn’t wear him down, and they couldn’t catch him.

#7 Adrian Peterson – Vikings legend with MVP and 120 rushing TD

#7 – Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings)

Key Stats & Accolades:

• 1× MVP; 2× OPOY; 1× OROY
• 4× First-Team All-Pro; 7× Pro Bowls
• 14,918 rushing yards | 120 rushing TD | 4.6 Y/A | 81.1 Y/G | 2,474 receiving yards

The last running back to win MVP (2012), Peterson was the closest thing to watching Jim Brown in the modern era. His running style was violence disguised as balance — jump cuts that left linebackers whiffing and stiff arms that sent safeties airborne.

The crown jewel of his résumé is the 2012 comeback season: nine months after ACL surgery, he rushed for 2,097 yards, dragging a mediocre Vikings roster into the playoffs. Defenses knew the Vikings couldn’t throw and still couldn’t stop him. That’s generational dominance.

#6 Marshall Faulk – Rams legend with 3× OPOY

#6 – Marshall Faulk (St. Louis Rams)

Key Stats & Accolades:

• Super Bowl Champion; 1× MVP; 3× OPOY
• 3× First-Team All-Pro; 7× Pro Bowls
• 12,279 rushing yards | 100 rushing TD | 6,875 receiving yards | 767 receptions | 36 receiving TD

Faulk wasn’t just versatile; he changed how football was played. As the centerpiece of “The Greatest Show on Turf,” he blurred the line between RB and WR. Defenses had no answer when he motioned out wide — bracket him with a corner and leave space inside, or cover him with a linebacker and watch him roast them.

From 1999–2001, he won three straight OPOYs. Nobody else has done that. He scored 26 total TDs in 2000, and he averaged over 1,300 rushing yards and 800 receiving yards during his peak. Faulk proved that a running back could be the most dangerous weapon in a pass-first offense.

HM Gale Sayers – Bears legend with 5× First-Team All-Pro

Honorable Mention — Gale Sayers (Chicago Bears)

Key Stats & Accolades:

• 1× OROY; 5× First-Team All-Pro
• 4× Pro Bowls; 2× Rushing Yards Leader
• 4,956 rushing yards | 39 rushing TD | 5.0 Y/A | 72.9 Y/G | 1,307 receiving yards | 9 receiving TD

The “Kansas Comet” was football’s first true highlight machine. He could beat you as a runner, receiver, or returner, and his acceleration looked like someone had hit a fast-forward button. Injuries robbed him of longevity, but on a per-touch basis he’s as efficient as anyone. Imagine Reggie Bush or Tyreek Hill, but in the 1960s — that’s what Sayers was doing to defenses before anyone else.

#5 LaDainian Tomlinson – Chargers legend with NFL MVP season

#5 – LaDainian Tomlinson (San Diego Chargers)

Key Stats & Accolades:

• 1× MVP; 1× OPOY
• 3× First-Team All-Pro; 5× Pro Bowls; 3× TD Leader
• 13,684 rushing yards | 145 rushing TD | 4.3 Y/A | 80.5 Y/G | 4,772 receiving yards

Tomlinson’s 2006 season is arguably the greatest single season ever by an RB: 31 total touchdowns, a record that might never fall. But LT wasn’t just a one-year wonder. From 2002–2007, he averaged over 1,700 total yards and 18 TDs a season.

What separated LT was his complete skillset. He had Barry’s agility, Emmitt’s vision, and Faulk’s receiving chops. He could hurdle defenders, catch fades, or truck a linebacker on the goal line. If football had a “fantasy god,” it was LT — but his real-life dominance was even scarier.

#4 Emmitt Smith – Dallas Cowboys legend with 18,355 rushing yards

#4 – Emmitt Smith (Dallas Cowboys)

Key Stats & Accolades:

• 3× Super Bowl Champion; 1× Super Bowl MVP; 1× NFL MVP
• 4× First-Team All-Pro; 8× Pro Bowls
• 18,355 rushing yards (NFL record) | 164 rushing TD | 3,224 receiving yards

Emmitt wasn’t the flashiest, but he was the most inevitable. His patience, vision, and finishing power were perfect for Dallas’ dynasty. He didn’t just rack up yards behind a great line — he was the hammer at the end of those drives.

The résumé speaks loudest: NFL’s all-time rushing yards leader and rushing TD leader. Add three Super Bowls and a Super Bowl MVP, and you have the most decorated back in league history. Critics will say he wasn’t as “talented” as Barry or Bo, but longevity, production, and team success make his case undeniable.

3 Walter Payton – Chicago Bears legend with 16,726 rushing yards

#3 – Walter Payton (Chicago Bears)

Key Stats & Accolades:

• 1× MVP; 1× OPOY; Super Bowl Champion
• 5× First-Team All-Pro; 9× Pro Bowls
• 16,726 rushing yards | 110 rushing TD | 4,538 receiving yards | 492 receptions

Walter Payton was the ultimate football player. He could run, catch, block, throw, and play with a ferocity that defined his era. He once played a game with a 101-degree fever and carried the ball 40+ times. His toughness wasn’t marketing; it was real.

“Sweetness” combined artistry with grit. He hurdled defenders, stiff-armed defensive ends, and pancaked blitzing linebackers in pass protection. His legacy is more than stats — it’s how teammates and opponents alike saw him as the standard for professionalism and toughness. He’s the closest thing the RB position has to a Jordan figure.

#2 Jim Brown – Cleveland Browns legend with 3× MVP

#2 – Jim Brown (Cleveland Browns)

Key Stats & Accolades:

• 1× NFL Champion; 3× MVP; 1× ROTY
• 8× First-Team All-Pro; 9× Pro Bowls
• 12,312 rushing yards | 106 rushing TD | 5.2 Y/A | 104.3 Y/G | 2,499 receiving yards

If you measure greatness by dominance over your peers, Jim Brown is the GOAT. He played 9 seasons, led the league in rushing 8 times, and retired as the all-time leader in nearly every category. His career average of 104 rushing yards per game still hasn’t been matched.

At 6’2”, 230 pounds, he was bigger than linebackers and faster than defensive backs. He was the NFL’s first true superstar, and he retired in his prime still at the top of his game. If he played longer, the rushing records might be untouchable.

#1 Barry Sanders – Detroit Lions legend with 15,269 rushing yards

#1 – Barry Sanders (Detroit Lions)

Key Stats & Accolades:

• 1× MVP; 2× OPOY; 1× OROY
• 6× First-Team All-Pro; 10× Pro Bowls
• 15,269 rushing yards | 99 rushing TD | 5.0 Y/A | 99.8 Y/G | 2,921 receiving yards

Barry Sanders was a walking highlight reel. Every run was a chance to see something no one else could do. His jump cuts and spin moves left entire defenses grasping air. He rushed for 1,000+ yards in every season he played and had 2,000 in 1997 while averaging 6.1 yards a carry.

What makes his case unique is the context. He played behind below-average offensive lines and on teams that rarely scared defenses with the passing game. Yet he still averaged nearly 100 rushing yards per game. He retired early at 30, and still sits 3rd all-time in rushing. If he kept playing, Emmitt might not hold that yardage record.

Barry wasn’t just great — he was different. And different, in this case, means the best.

Full List: Top 10 Best Running Backs in NFL History

Full Top 10 List – features Barry Sanders at #1

FAQ – Top 10 Running Backs in NFL History

Who is considered the best running back of all time?
Most lists land on Barry Sanders for peak, efficiency, and film that still melts minds. Jim Brown is the counterpunch for era dominance and hardware. Both cases are legit; we lean Barry by a hair.

Who has the most career rushing yards?
Emmitt Smith holds the all-time record with 18,355 rushing yards, plus 164 rushing touchdowns and three Super Bowl rings.

Who owns the single-season rushing yards record?
Eric Dickerson set the mark with 2,105 rushing yards (1984), a billboard number that still hasn’t been topped.

Which running back had the best touchdown season?
LaDainian Tomlinson’s 2006 masterclass: 28 rushing TDs (31 total). In the red zone, he was a cheat code.

Why are receiving skills part of these rankings?
Modern backs win on third down and in space. Players like Marshall Faulk and LT changed coverages with route trees and pass pro — that receiving value matters alongside rushing volume and efficiency.

Which active RB can still climb higher?
Derrick Henry already cracks the Top 10. With continued health and production, he can push past a few legends based on longevity + counting stats.

Conclusion – Ranking the Best Running Backs in NFL History

Stacking the Top 10 Running Backs in NFL History means weighing raw yards and touchdowns against peak dominance, versatility, and how much a back warped defenses. From Barry’s joystick cuts to Emmitt’s inevitability and Faulk’s receiver-level polish, each name here changed how football is played.

Think we nailed it — or missed your guy? Drop your Top 10 in the comments, make your case, and tell us who you’re moving up or down. Debate is the point — bring the heat and the receipts.

For the most up-to-date NFL content, follow me on Instagram: @sogfootball — always open for debate.

👉 Want more? Check out more of our NFL Records and NFL Tier Lists to keep the conversation going.