NFL Player News

Singletary could be in for some competition for carries in 2020 after the Bills selected Utah's Zack Moss in the third round Friday.

For Singletary's sake, we suppose that's better than the team bringing in a top free agent such as Todd Gurley, but Moss was a top-five running back in several prospect rankings and he'll pose a serious threat for carries if he gets his career off to a good start. That said, Singletary did nothing but shine after passing Frank Gore on the depth chart last season, and with perhaps a shortened summer for Moss to get up to speed with his new team, Singletary should still head into the season as the No. 1 back. Moss, however, has enough of a pedigree to make this a 1A-1B setup along the same lines that many other teams in the league operate under.

The Titans selected Evans in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, 93rd overall.

Evans is perhaps the most explosive running back in this draft, though his 4.41-second speed comes at the expense of his frame, which is rather thin at 5-foot-10, 203 pounds. That shouldn't matter too much in Tennessee, though, because Derrick Henry's presence leaves only a change-of-pace role for Evans anyway. The Appalachian State standout should prove useful insurance behind Henry, and as a helpful firecracker off the bench otherwise.

The Bills selected Moss in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, 86th overall.

Moss (5-foot-9, 223) is a densely-built runner with a three-down skill set out of Utah, where he posted some of the more impressive collegiate running back production of recent memory. Despite running only in the 4.65-second range in the 40-yard dash, Moss diced and bashed his way to 4,067 yards (5.7 YPC) and 38 touchdowns in 45 games. Moss's balance and ability to withstand contact are truly rare, lending more functional explosiveness than his track speed would lead someone to believe. He's actually reminiscent of new teammate Devin Singletary in that respect, as both players were criticized for lack of speed despite immensely productive college careers.

The Buccaneers selected Vaughn in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, 76th overall.

Running back was a need for the Buccaneers and they were able to address it late on Day 2. Vaughn comes to the NFL from Vanderbilt, where he had a productive career for the Commodores. He ran for over 1,000 yards in each of his last two seasons, highlighted by his 2018 campaign in which he racked up 1,244 yards on 7.9 YPC. Vaughn isn't a standout athlete -- he ran a 4.51 in the 40-yard dash and was average to below-average in the jumps. Still he has plenty of juice when he's on the field and with Tampa Bay's weak running back depth chart, he should find his way into the carry rotation as a rookie.

The Redskins selected Gibson in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, 66th overall.

Gibson is yet another versatile offensive weapon emanating from Memphis. He had explosive production in 2019, catching 38 of 56 targets for 735 yards, good for 19.3 yards per reception. He also took 33 carries for 369 yards and four scores. The Tony Pollard comparison is obvious given the same background, but Gibson is more athletic with a denser frame. Gibson is 6-foot and 228 pounds, and he runs a 4.39-second 40-yard dash. He should push for a starting role in three-wide sets right away in Washington and the Redskins can get creative with how they choose to deploy him.

The Ravens selected Dobbins in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, 55th overall.

The Ravens' running game was already producing at an elite level, so Dobbins' talents weren't exactly necessary for Baltimore. At the same time, the former Ohio State star is very likely a standout talent at running back, one whose abilities could soon prove superior to those of Mark Ingram, not to mention Gus Edwards and Justice Hill. Dobbins didn't do athletic tests due to an ankle issue at the combine, but he should eventually fill out to about 215 pounds (209 at the combine) on a 5-foot-9 frame and otherwise showed the ability to turn the corner at Ohio State. After running for 4,459 yards (6.2 YPC) for the Buckeyes over 42 games, Dobbins should be expected to turn into a three-down standout in the relatively near future. For the short term, though, it might be difficult to displace a runner as good as Ingram.

The Colts selected Taylor in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, 41st overall.

The Colts traded up to make this pick, taking Cleveland's selection at the 41st spot. Taylor (5-foot-10, 226) is likely the best yet of Wisconsin's long line of impressive running backs. Taylor perhaps has pass-catching limitations, but Marlon Mack has played a big rushing-specialist role with the Colts, and Taylor figures to lay claim to most of that work going forward. Taylor needs to stop fumbling and could stand to improve as a receiver, but as a pure runner he is basically infallible. Taylor ran for 6,174 yards (6.7 YPC) and 50 touchdowns in 41 career games, then put up a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the combine. Mack's days as starter are numbered.

The Lions selected Swift in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, 35th overall.

Swift (5-foot-8, 212) doesn't have the build to imply a big NFL workload, but there's no question that the former Georgia star is a more dangerous runner and pass catcher than incumbent starter Kerryon Johnson. Johnson of course demonstrated his own considerable skill through his first two NFL seasons, but Swift is probably a level or two better. After running for 2,885 yards (6.6 YPC) in 43 career games at Georgia, Swift established himself as a candidate to eventually emerge as the top running back in this class. As much as he won't disappear either way, Johnson is the underdog in this fight.

Thompson is part of a Chiefs backfield that recently added first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire and veteran free agent DeAndre Washington.

Translation: the 2019 sixth-round pick will need to compete for a spot on the 53-man roster. Thompson averaged 3.7 yards on 46 touches as a rookie, though he did at least work ahead of LeSean McCoy as Kansas City's No. 2 running back during the playoffs. Even so, Thompson figures to compete with Washington, Darrel Williams (hamstring) and a few lesser-known running backs for what figures to be one or two roster spots. Edwards-Helaire and Damien Williams will be the ones competing for significant touches.

Williams has a new competitor in the backfield following the Chiefs' selection of LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Adam Teicher of ESPN reports.

Edwards-Helaire's smaller frame (5-foot-7) and an unconventional offseason ahead for NFL teams could still position Williams to play a key contributing role for the Chiefs during the 2020 season. However, the first-round selection of a running back dims Williams' prospects of serving as the team's workhorse of the future, especially with his contract set to expire following 2020. In addition to rushing for 1,414 yards and 16 touchdowns on 215 carries (6.6 YPC), Edwards-Helaire reeled in 55 passes at LSU last season, so there's no part of Williams' game that Edwards-Helaire can't match or exceed if he proves he can hold up in pass protection.