Top 10 Best NFL Fullbacks of All Time

Mike Alstott

Best pure fullback to play the game. He could literally do it all - blocking, running, and catching. Not to mention, he was the heart and soul of the Super Bowl-winning team.
Listen to other key players on that team, like Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, and John Lynch. Alstott was the identity of Bucs Ball.

Another "Thunder and Lightning," like mentioned before with Dunn. I think what's been overlooked on this list is TOUCHDOWNS. This guy had 71 touchdowns - more than even Csonka!
I can't think of too many people during his time who were more potent at the goal line. Not to mention, the guy could catch! He should be number 1 or 2 in my book.

Larry Csonka

Wow, what a career. He is a two-time Super Bowl champion, and he won Super Bowl VIII MVP. This is a fullback we are talking about!
Not to mention, Csonka earned the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award and five Pro Bowl nods.

He was simply unstoppable in his prime. I watched every game, and the stats do not show the frustration on the faces of defensive linemen after being run over for the 25th consecutive time for yet another first down.

Clearly the greatest fullback ever. A lot of people on this list played more of a halfback role.

Jim Brown

James Nathaniel Brown (February 17, 1936 to May 18, 2023) was an American professional football player and actor. He played as a fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the NFL from 1957 to 1965. Brown led the league in rushing yards eight times, was selected to the Pro Bowl every year of his career, earned... read more

One of the most prolific NFL players of all time. He played with the Cleveland Browns, and during his era, they were an excellent team.
He led the Browns to NFL championships, and he won them. His runs are ones no one will soon forget. A bright spot in a great part of Browns history.

More of a halfback than fullback, but the best at both positions.

Fast, punishing runner, and hard to tackle.

Franco Harris

Franco Harris was an American football player best known for his time as a running back in the NFL. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 1972 NFL Draft as the 13th overall pick. Harris played the majority of his career with the Steelers and briefly joined the Seattle Seahawks... read more

Most remember him for the Immaculate Reception, but at the same time, he was an amazing runner during the Pittsburgh Steelers dynasty. He's one of the elite fullbacks in NFL history.

He's one of the great ones. He had great durability and was a great all-around player.

As a Cowboys fan, he was the enemy, but you can't deny his talent.

Jim Taylor

He was a duo partner to Paul Hornung in the 1960s. Those two put up numbers together and were nicknamed "Thunder and Lightning." Jim Taylor was a key runner for the Green Bay Packers' 1960s dynasty.
When the injury-prone Hornung was out, Taylor took the bulk of the carries, and it paid off. However, he played at the same time as Jim Brown, so he was often overshadowed.

The Packers might not be what we know today without Jim Taylor. When push came to shove, he was the player Lombardi chose to pick up the slack. Jim Taylor even beat out Jim Brown for the rushing title. Yes, I said JIM BROWN. Csonka never won a rushing title, and he certainly didn't have five straight 1,000-yard seasons (in an average of 13 or 14 total games, from Week 1 to the championship Super Bowl).
If that isn't convincing enough, Jim Taylor only played for the Saints for one season, even though they had a 3-12 record. Despite that, they still retired Jim Taylor's number 31 - something I feel Green Bay should have done a long time ago.

Bronko Nagurski

Bronislau "Bronko" Nagurski was a Canadian‑born American football player born on November 3, 1908, who became one of the early legends of the NFL. He starred as a fullback and defensive tackle, renowned for his remarkable strength and feared on the field during the 1930s .... read more

For playing in the 1930s, he was one heck of a player. While his numbers didn't stand out, he was a great runner who helped the Chicago Bears win three NFL Championships.

John Riggins

He's ranked lower because he played half the time at fullback and the other half at running back. Still, he's one of the most accomplished rushers in NFL history, winning Super Bowl XVII and being voted MVP of it.
Despite his achievements, he only had one Pro Bowl appearance in his career. He also had over 100 career touchdowns and more than 11,000 rushing yards.

The Diesel: 104 rushing touchdowns, Super Bowl MVP. He got better as the game went on.

As a Cowboys fan, I hated him, but he was a beast.

Kyle Juszczyk

He has it all, including a deep-threat ability when they forget about him for a moment!

Best hands of any fullback ever!

There's a reason he is the highest-paid fullback in the history of the league.

Lorenzo Neal

Best blocking fullback of all time. No question about it.

Marion Motley

He split time between linebacker and fullback, but you couldn't deny his running talent. He played at a time when the Cleveland Browns were a strong team.
Motley won the 1950 championship with them and made a Pro Bowl once. Like most on this list, he is also a Pro Football Hall of Famer.

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Bill Brown

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Craig Heyward

Daryl Johnston

Nicknamed The Moose. He was overshadowed by #22, obviously, but could still scratch out those short yards in the red zone or on 4th and 1.
Johnston had great hands and served as an additional threat in the passing game. Aikman wasn't afraid to dump a pass off to him out of the backfield for a couple of yards. He was underrated as a player, largely due to the presence of the Triplets.

The best blocking fullback of all time. Hands down.

Solid. One of the most dependable ever.

Larry Centers

Christian Okoye

Would you be scared if a man who was 6'3, 250 pounds, coming at you with 4.40 speed, and nicknamed the Nigerian Nightmare was charging at you?

During his prime, he was unstoppable.

Tom Rathman

At this point on the list, I don't know who to put down because there just aren't enough good fullbacks to rank. So, I went with my gut on Rathman.
He had decent yards and a decent amount of touchdowns for a fullback, and he was a two-time Super Bowl champion. Not very special, but still pretty good.

Tony Richardson

Blocked for 2,000-yard seasons for both Priest Holmes and Adrian Peterson. He also blocked for Emmitt Smith, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Thomas Jones. He is by far one of the most feared fullbacks from the linebacker perspective in NFL history.

James Develin

One of the best fullbacks of all time. Keep hating on the Patriots, but he and his talent have been a major part of the later part of the Patriots Dynasty.

Vonta Leach

An absolute animal. He was one of the best blocking fullbacks ever.

Mack Strong

One of the last great lead-blocking fullbacks, having paved the way for Ricky Watters, John Williams, and Shaun Alexander. Strong was also pretty versatile out of the backfield for a 250-pound mauler.