About a month ago I went division by division to take a look at each team’s backfield to get a better feel for how things would shake out. Since then, the 2023 NFL Draft has come and gone and we have some new rookie running backs to consider in these situations. So let’s take a look at the AFC North and South teams to see what, if any changes need to be made to our backfield expectations since the draft.
If you would like to take a look at the original series, it can be found at:
So, without further delay. Let’s take a look at how the AFC backfields look with their newly drafted rookies.
Los Angeles Chargers
Returning Players: Austin Ekeler, Joshua Kelley, Isaiah Spiller, Larry Rountree
New Additions: None
There were no rookies added to this backfield and it remains the status quo from 2022. This rushing attack will run through Austin Ekeler for this season as long as he stays healthy.
Ekeler is a top-five running back and his backups are nothing more than injury handcuffs until one of them proves they can handle touches to give him a breather.
Kansas City Chiefs
Returning Players: Isaih Pacheco, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jerick McKinnon
New Additions: None
Much like their AFC West rivals, the Chiefs chose not to add any running backs in the NFL Draft although they probably would have been better served if they had.
Isaih Pacheco figures to return as the primary back but he is a day-three running back and it remains to be seen whether he can be the long-term solution for the Chiefs.
McKinnon was brought back in free agency and figures to do some third-down, pass-catching work and could steal some goal-line touches.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire remains the wild card of the bunch. The once-promising first-round pick now appears to be a total bust. He is going into the final year of his contract and it remains to be seen whether he will be a useful part of this offence or if they will leave him on the bench in case of emergency.
Denver Broncos
Returning Players: Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine, Tony Jones
New Additions: None
The AFC West had a moratorium on drafting running backs as we saw a third consecutive division mate that ignored the position despite Denver being in desperate need of some depth.
Javonte Williams will be the starter of the future when healthy, but whether or not he will be healthy this year is a cause of great concern. The Broncos added Samaje Perine in free agency as a depth piece and also have Tony Jones as the third-stringer but if Williams is not ready to go for week one this is going to be a horrible-looking run game.
As the season approaches, if Williams doesn’t look like he is going to be ready, expect the Broncos to sign a veteran running back such as Ezekiel Elliott or Leonard Fournette to serve as a bridge back.
Las Vegas Raiders
Returning Players: Josh Jacobs, Zamir White, Ameer Abdullah, Brandon Bolden
New Additions: None
Considering three of the teams in the AFC West were in desperate need of a running back, it is amazing that not a single one added anybody in the NFL Draft.
Jacobs is back on the franchise tag and figures to receive a heavy workload once again before he ultimately walks out the door in free agency, but, surprisingly, the Raiders didn’t draft anybody as an heir apparent to Jacobs.
This would be a good time to draft Jacobs in redraft leagues and Zamir White in dynasty leagues. While the ball should go to Jacobs often in 2023, the cupboard is bare and White is the only trustworthy back in this backfield going into next season.
If the Raiders don’t add a running back in the 2023 NFL Draft it should be considered negligent management.
New England Patriots
Returning Players: Rhamondre Stevenson, Pierre Strong, Kevin Harris, Ty Montgomery
New Additions: James Robinson
Perhaps the shocker of the NFL Draft, the Patriots didn’t draft a late-round running back. Maybe they finally realized they have stock-piled more than they can use and are finally happy with the players they draft, it’s Bill Belichick so who knows?
Rhamondre Stevenson was one of fantasy football’s biggest breakouts in 2022 and with the departure of Damien Harris, he figures to move forward as an even more crucial piece of this run-heavy offence.
While the Patriots didn’t draft a running back, they did sign free-agent running back James Robinson who is only a year removed from being a three-down workhorse in Jacksonville.
This backfield should see all the work Stevenson can handle with the Harris and Strong providing little more than a breather.
James Robinson remains a mystery. If he is even 50% of what he was in Jacksonville he could seriously cut into Stevenson’s workload, but we will have to wait and see if he is a legitimate threat or just insurance.
New York Jets
Returning Players: Breece Hall, Zonovan Knight, Michael Carter
New Additions: Israel Abanikanda
The New York Jets entered the NFL Draft with one of the more impressive collections of young running backs.
So of course they are the first team in this article who added a rookie running back in the draft because that’s the crazy way the Jets operate.
The Jets broke the hearts of rookie scouts everywhere when they drafted one of the most talented running backs in the rookie class in Israel Abanikanda and seemingly buried him on this depth chart.
The only logic I can find here is that New York is worried about Breece Hall’s injury recovery and decided to draft an insurance policy.
One way or another, this backfield spells bad news for a very talented young running back. If Hall is healthy it will kill any value Abanikanda would have had, and if Hall is injured it will kill his value. In the end, one of these talented backs is going to see a hit in value this year.
Michael Carter and Zonovan Knight only serve to complicate this situation. Carter has always profiled as more of a pass-catching running back and maybe he will serve to operate as the Jets version of JD McKissic but what role Knight will have remains a mystery.
How this backfield situation plays out remains a mystery, but one of these talented running backs is going to take a hit because of the crowded backfield. The worst-case scenario is that all four of them see some touches and kill each other’s value.
Buffalo Bills
Returning Players: James Cook, Damien Harris, Nyheim Hines
New Additions: None
In a year where the running back class was supposed to be considered exceptionally deep, it is surprising to see another team that passed on drafting a rookie running back and instead settled for signing a mediocre free agent.
Many fantasy managers had hoped that James Cook would be the three-down bell cow with Devin Singletary moving on, but that was never going to be the case, he simply doesn’t have the skillset for it.
While Damien Harris is just a rebranded version of Devin Singletary he will still serve as the early down thumper in this offence and could really put a cap on the ceiling of Cook.
Also concerning is the fact that they chose to bring Nyheim Hines in last season which could also steal away from targets from James Cook. While none of these two backups are direct threats to Cook, they could both eat into his workload and are a concern if their touch start to trend upwards
Miami Dolphins
Returning Players: Jeff Wilson, Raheem Mostert, Myles Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed
New Additions: Devon Achane
After a handful of AFC teams that proved to be uneventful for backfield changes, we finally hit the Holy Grail of backfields in the Miami Dolphins.
The Dolphins have become the 49ers of the AFC.
They run an outside zone run scheme and Achane figures to be the perfect fit in that system.
This fit, combined with the injury history of Wilson and Mostert has sent Achane’s ADP shooting through the roof.
The concern here is that while Achane is very talented and is a perfect fit, the Dolphins just re-signed both Wilson and Mostert and both of them figure to be heavily involved in this run game for as long as they are healthy.
The play here is to fade the overpriced Achane and instead target the aging veterans at a much cheaper price tag in redraft leagues, this figures to be a committee backfield and Achane is going to be overdrafted.
