NFL Player News

The Eagles selected Gainwell in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, 150th overall.

The best running back available, Gainwell ends up in an interesting landing spot in Philadelphia. Gainwell opted out of the 2020 season at Memphis but was electrifying in 2019 as the primary running back, the reason why Antonio Gibson was so lightly used in the Tigers backfield. Pass catching is Gainwell's strong suit, having reeled in 51 of 61 targets for 610 yards in that season, which is rare efficiency for a running back. That skill complements Miles Sanders, who struggled in the passing game with a 52 percent catch rate in 2020. Gainwell is a very real threat to take passing-down work off Sanders' plate right away.

The Jets selected Carter in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, 107th overall.

Carter (5-foot-8, 201 pounds) is unlikely to take up a big workload as an NFL back, but the North Carolina product was consistently productive in college and should be competent on passing downs early in his NFL career. He might be the Jets' best current passing-down option at running back, though a lack of speed at his size (4.54-second 40) makes him a long shot to emerge as a starter.

The Broncos selected Williams in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, 35th overall.

Denver traded up ahead of Miami to get the top running back on the board, nabbing Williams out of North Carolina. Williams broke out as a junior in 2020, taking 157 carries for a whopping 1,140 yards and 19 touchdowns in just 11 games. Running through defenders is his standout trait, as he broke 50 tackles in 2020. However, he did not test as a standout athlete, checking in with a 4.58-second 40-yard dash at 5-foot-10 and 212 pounds. He split time with Michael Carter during his time at North Carolina and will likely be in a committee behind Melvin Gordon in Denver.

McKinnon is signing with the Chiefs, Peter Schrager of FOX Sports reports.

After missing back-to-back seasons with knee injuries, McKinnon finally suited up for the 49ers in 2020, recording 572 total yards and six TDs in 16 games. He finished the season with only 3.9 YPC despite picking up 55 yards on a single run, as he averaged 14.5 carries for only 44.3 yards in his four starts. McKinnon turns 29 next week and likely will need to compete for a roster spot this summer.

McFarland should serve in a backup role this season after the Steelers selected Najee Harris with the 24th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic reports.

McFarland will get to work under offensive coordinator Matt Canada in 2021, who served in the same position at The University of Maryland when the running back ran for 1,034 yards in 2018. However, James Conner left for the Cardinals in free agency during the offseason, and the Steelers decided to replace him by taking the first running back off the board in the first round Thursday. Coach Mike Tomlin described Harris as a "three-down back" after the Steelers selected him, signaling that McFarland should have to compete for carries with Benny Snell and Kalen Ballage in a secondary role in 2021.

Snell will likely begin the season as a backup after the Steelers selected Najee Harris with the 24th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic reports.

Snell rushed 111 times for 368 yards and four touchdowns last season while working behind James Conner, and it appears as though he'll serve as a secondary option in 2021, even after Conner signed with the Cardinals. The Steelers decided to improve their running game by taking the first running back off the board in the first round of the draft, and coach Mike Tomlin described Harris as a "three-down back" after the team selected the Alabama standout. Snell should compete for touches with Anthony McFarland and Kalen Ballage behind Harris in 2021.

Robinson faces added competition in the Jacksonville backfield with the Jaguars' selection of Travis Etienne in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Mia O'Brien of First Coast News reports. "We want to be Top-8 in the league, and with James Robinson, Hyde and Etienne, we think we're there," said coach Urban Meyer on Thursday.

Per O'Brien, Meyer views Robinson and Carlos Hyde as the "1-2 punch" in the Jacksonville backfield with Etienne settling in as the third-down back. Meyer's comments aside, a team that takes a running back in the first round is going to find a significant role for that player. Robinson's passing down work is already in jeopardy with Etienne in the fold, and his carries are at major risk as well. It's no secret that Robinson had a great rookie season, averaging 4.5 yards per carry in an anemic offense, but Etienne is a rare talent at the position and his draft capital dictates that he will get the chance to take over the starting role in the not-too-distant future. Even if Robinson stays atop the depth chart to open the season, there's a strong likelihood that Etienne moves from "third-down back" to the top option in the backfield before long.

The Jaguars selected Etienne in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, 25th overall.

Etienne (5-foot-10, 215 pounds) was an incomparably explosive running back at Clemson, where he produced 4,952 yards and 70 touchdowns on just 686 carries (7.2 YPC), and he logged a 40-yard dash around the 4.45-second mark at the Clemson Pro Day. New coach Urban Meyer clearly prioritized adding speed at running back, where James Robinson is good but for reasons unrelated to his speed. It's not clear where Robinson fits into Jacksonville's plans going forward, but Etienne should prove one of the league's most explosive runners on a per-touch basis, especially with Trevor Lawrence opening up new possibilities in the passing game.

The Steelers selected Harris in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, 24th overall.

Harris (6-foot-2, 230 pounds) was immensely productive at Alabama and shows a polished skill set both as a runner and passing-down back, so he should step into a three-down role early on with the Steelers. That alone should make him one of the early running back selections in fantasy drafts, even if Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers offensive line are in a state of decline. There's no real competition for Harris in Pittsburgh, and the Steelers have every incentive to feed him to make this selection a good value.

The Raiders selected Leatherwood in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, 17th overall.

This comes as a bit of a surprise given that Virginia Tech's Christian Darrisaw and Oklahoma State's Teven Jenkins were still on the board, but Leatherwood nonetheless fills a need. The Alabama product won the Outland Trophy as the nation's best offensive lineman as a senior in 2020 and has experience at both guard and tackle. His projection to the next level is a bit trickier, though, as there are questions regarding his ability to handle speed rushers. He's still a powerful blocker with size to stick at tackle or guard and is an instant improvement to a revamped Las Vegas line.