Top 4 NFC East running backs in 2023 ranked
By Ali Jawad
The running back position is a very controversial one. We have seen in recent years how much certain teams value their backs and how quick teams can be to shuffle up their backfields.
The Dallas Cowboys backfield will have a different look this season. For the first time since 2015, the backfield won’t present Ezekiel Elliott.
The Eagles will welcome a new starter in former Lions running back D'Andre Swift, whom the team acquired by trade during the 2023 NFL Draft, while the Commanders have a pair of backs they might feel good about going into the new season.
Then there is the New York Giants, who were hoping to, but came up short agreeing to a long-term deal with their all-world back Saquon Barkley.
Let's rank the top four running backs of the NFC East.
4. Brian Robinson Jr.
We have seen multiple players carry the rock for Washington in the past few seasons: Antonio Gibson, Jaret Paterson, JD McKissic, and the projected starter Brian Robinson Jr.
While we can expect Robinson and Gibson to share the backfield, it’s safe to say that the Commanders feel Robinson is their guy.
The Commanders drafted the Alabama product in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. A few months later, Robinson was the victim of a near-fatal shooting in a robbery in which Robinson Jr was shot in the knee. Fortunately, Robinson did not suffer any serious injuries.
Robinson Jr would miss the first four games of his rookie season recovering from his gun wound. Upon returning, he would rush for 797 yards and two touchdowns. He likely would have topped the 1,000-rushing mark if he did not miss the season's first month.
If the second-year back can build upon those numbers, then the Commanders might have just found their running back of the future.