Top Ten NFL Running Backs of All Time

The Top Ten
1 Barry Sanders Barry Sanders is a former American football running back who spent his entire professional career with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League.

Simply the best RB ever! It's not even a question in my opinion. Remember, Barry had one of the worst OLs run blocking for him (except for the '91 team) for the vast majority of his career and he still managed to put up GoaT stats. Not to mention, all you have to do is watch Barry play and watch his highlights to see that he was the most talented RB of all time. His running ability/skills were and are still unmatched. If he'd actually had a good line blocking for him during his 9yr career he would've easily put up well over 20,000 rushing yrds, not to mention his TDs and receiving yrds. The best RB ever! Period. The end.

I wasn’t even a Lions fan but would watch them to see Barry play. His balance, strength and speed was a thing of beauty. For a decade, he averaged over 1,500 yards and 10 touchdowns per season. His OL was usually mediocre to bad and still he put up enormous numbers. If he would have played for Dallas, he probably would have ran for well over 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns per season. Detroit coaches always cheated him near the goal line.

Barry sanders is the best obviously he brought the running back level to a whole new level

Barry was the greatest player ever no question.Emmett smith had a great offensive line if he was put on the lions he would have sucked.IT is Barry

2 Walter Payton Walter Jerry Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for thirteen seasons.

Also coming from a packer fan. I feel bad for Walter because of 1, He died so quick and 2, Fat Fridgey was the name for da Bears in 85 (The curse year( Again, coming from a packer fan).

To quote Madden NFL 2005: "Walter Payton was selected to 9 Pro Bowls in his 13-year career. The best ever! "

Again people he could juke truck spin had speed and my opinion is WALTER IS 1!

He should be ahead of Barry Sanders

3 Jim Brown James Nathaniel Brown was a former professional American football player and actor. He was a running back for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League from 1957 through 1965.

Brown, Sanders, and Payton are the top three all-time. Anyone voting for Marshawn Lynch, Ezekiel Elliot, or Terrell Davis need to have their heads checked. Bo Jackson and Gale Sayers were excellent in their time, but didn't play long enough to be an "all-time" great.

Jimmy Brown was the best running back of his, or any other time. At 6'2", 230 lbs. with 9.7 speed in the 100 yard dash, Brown was the best combination of size, power, balance, speed and durability (He never missed a game in 9 years) ever. When you consider he only played 12 game seasons... and retired still at the height of his powers, his records (per game) are still the best ever. And... He was a very good receiver, also. Sure, he did not block, but, he was not asked to. They did not ask him to kick field goals either, but, he was pretty good at that, too. (look it up)

It's hard to comprehend how amazing of aback he was because he did so much at Syracuse... Everything and he was the best at all.
He was literally running the game and everyone else was trying to catch up and attempt to bring this monster down

Brown, Sanders, and Payton are the top three ever. The rest are debatable.

4 Emmitt Smith Emmitt James Smith III is a former college and professional American football running back who became the National Football League's all-time leading rusher during his fifteen seasons in the league during the 1990s and 2000s.

Yes he also had Michael Irvin,Troy Aikman and the best offensive line in NFL history which included Larry allen. And he had jerry Jones as owner who is considered won of the best owners ever and he had a great coach the only reason he succeeded was because he was put into a great position to be great

If you have more yards gained than anyone else that makes you best. I know, he played in more games than others mentioned. That makes his rushing yardage even more impressive. He was able to play in more games, and stayed hyealthy.

All time rushing leader, need I say more.

Has the most rushing yards

5 Eric Dickerson Eric Demetric Dickerson is a former college and professional American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for eleven seasons during the 1980s and 1990s.
6 Marshall Faulk Marshall William Faulk is a former college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League for twelve seasons.
7 Adrian Peterson Adrian Lewis Peterson is an American football running back who originally played for the Minnesota Vikings and currently plays for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League.

Can't stay on the field on 3rd down, because he can't pick up a blitz, can't catch, can't block, and fumbles the ball in every big spot imaginable. Not top a top 10 RB. Maybe a top 10 RUNNER

"All Day" is the consummate running back with size, speed and strength. He can run by you or through you.

Beating your children does not represent the talent you have out on the gridiron.

WOW. No offense to LeSean McCoy but Adrian Peterson is way better than him.

8 LaDainian Tomlinson LaDainian Tramayne Tomlinson is a former professional American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for eleven seasons.

Should easily be in top 10 at least

He was pretty darn amazing

Breaks into the clear

9 Earl Campbell Earl Christian Campbell is a former American football running back who played professionally in the National Football League for the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints.

Earl was a pleasure to watch, you could see the passion he had for the game in the way he carried himself day in and day out. No one person was going to stop Earl, he could run around you but what fun was in that he preferred to run through you and then over you and if he had to he could out run you. Show me a back that had a higher level combination of strength and speed and that played in his era with no offensive line against probably the best dynasty of all time in the Pittsburgh Steelers with 9 Hall of Famers to 0 for the Oilers and then I would concede that Earl should be second, but in my opinion there isn't one. But the most impressive thing to me was the person Earl was, never a showboat let his play on the field do the talking. He would never throw is teammates under the bus, he was the consummate team player.

U moron! first of all adrian Peterson top 5 if not even on this list. You can't have Beastmode and Jamaal Charles ahead of Peterson

Sorry he's number 11 on here but he should be top 5 still

10 Bo Jackson Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson is a former baseball and American football player. He is the only athlete in history to be named an All-Star in both baseball and football, and one of few to do so in two major sports.

Best he is faster than marshawn lynch and he is better and stronger bigger and just better

The Contenders
11 O.J. Simpson Orenthal James Simpson (born July 9, 1947), nicknamed "The Juice", is an American former football running back, broadcaster, actor, advertising spokesman, and convicted felon. Once a popular figure with the U.S. public, he is now best known for being tried for the murders of his former wife, Nicole ...read more.

Rating OJ Simpson as the best Running Back is Simply anyone who ever saw him rush knew that he was to Football as Muhammad Ali was to Boxing!
In his Era, He was the Biggest, Fastest, Smartest running back of the 60's & 70's! His movements and rushing patterns were emulated by the coming greats like Payton, Campbell,E. Smith, Sanders, Dickerson, Faulkner, Tomlinson and the contemporaries of today all derived their skills from what they watched OJ do on the Field! Off the Field is another story, but on the field is Football! James Orenthal Simpson was not just OJ, or just a running back in pro football! He was "The Juice", that made the NFL what it was & IS Today!

I think OJ is a great running back, but I think he is overrated. No doubt he is one of the best of all time. But out of 11 years he only had 5 years with 1000+ yard season and 2 seasons with 10+ touchdowns. Now you can argue that the Nfl had only 14 games a team, but would 2 games really make a huge difference especially if Oj had no problems getting good stats anyways. And when you look at his 2000 yard year, the bills Qb had around 900 passing yards 4 touchdowns and 100 less attempts than Oj; it's not going to be to hard to rush for 2000 yards when you're running the ball 75% of the time.I think Ladanian and Dorsett deserve to be above him at least.

What ever you might think about him off the field is your opinion and you people have that right... but in the 70s there was no better back in the NFL then the juice 4 rushing titles 2000 yards in a 14 game season playing on bad teams oh yeah in bad weather knowing he’s getting the ball and still couldn’t be stopped... check the record PLAYER OF The DECADE

Maybe if he wasn't a serial killer like Hillary Clinton, than he would be a top 5

12 Gale Sayers Gale Eugene Sayers, also known as "The Kansas Comet", is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League for seven seasons during the 1960s and early 1970s.
13 Marshawn Lynch Marshawn Terrell Lynch is an American football running back for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He previously played for the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks, winning one Super Bowl in Seattle. Lynch initially retired from professional football in 2016, but returned in 2017 to play for the Raiders.

It is funny how everyone wants to compare him to other running backs too. Shows his talent there too.

He is the funnest running back to watch! Straight power, and entertainment!

Nobody can get his hands around him

14 LeSean McCoy LeSean Kamel McCoy also known as "Shady" is an American football running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League.

It's Always Shady at the Linc

15 Jerome Bettis
16 Curtis Martin
17 Marcus Allen

Marcus Allen should be top 10. Super Bowl MVP and Broke all kinds of records despite being benched for 3 years.

Did everything well, definitely Top 10

18 Tony Dorsett
19 Franco Harris Franco Harris was an American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks. In the 1972 NFL Draft he was picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall.
20 Terrell Davis Terrell Lamar Davis is a former American football running back who played for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League from 1995 to 2001.

I'm gonna guess your a Broncos fan he should not be at 4

Led broncos to Super Bowl along with elway

NO WAY Terrell is the man he should be at 4

21 Edgerrin James Edgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League for eleven seasons.
22 Larry Csonka
23 Thurman Thomas
24 Le'Veon Bell Le'Veon Andrew Bell is an American football running back for the New York Jets of the National Football League.

He is the most athletic and best running back in the whole world he is a beast

The best ever! Should be number 1 without a doubt

He is the most athletic he is a beast

25 Ezekiel Elliott Ezekiel Elijah Elliott is an American football running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He played college football at Ohio State, where he earned second-team All-America honors in 2015.

Absolute beast and who knows what he'll be in the future

Absolute beast and who knows what he'll do in the future

Absolute beast and who knows what he'll do in the future.

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