Best NFL offenses in 11, 12, 13, 21, 22 personnel groupings

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          • Matt BowenJun 10, 2026, 06:25 AM ET
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              Matt Bowen is a fantasy football and NFL writer for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2015, writes regularly for ESPN+ and spent multiple years on "NFL Matchup." After graduating from the University of Iowa, Matt played safety in the NFL for St. Louis, Green Bay, Washington and Buffalo over seven seasons.
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          Personnel is the name of the game in the NFL, and one offensive grouping was particularly buzzy in 2025.

          The Rams spearheaded an increase of 13 personnel, leading to 1,845 total plays around the league with three-plus tight ends. That was the most in a single season since ESPN has that data going back to 2007. And the uptick of 13 personnel should only continue in future seasons after a record 17 tight ends were drafted in the first five rounds this April, per ESPN Research.

          But 13 personnel is far from the only offensive grouping used in the NFL. Right now, five are used widely by teams: 11, 12, 13, 21 and 22. What do the numbers actually mean? It's a system that counts running backs and tight ends on the field. For example, 12 personnel means one running back (the 1), two tight ends (the 2) and two wide receivers are on the field.

          As mandatory minicamps start for the 2026 season, we wanted to evaluate the offenses that excelled in these five personnel groupings. Which teams ran them the most or least in 2025? Who ran it the best last season, and who could run it the best in 2026? Let's get into all that, starting with 11 personnel.

          Jump to a personnel grouping:
          11 | 12 | 13 | 21 | 22

          11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR)

          Most snaps in 2025: Dallas Cowboys (479 passing attempts, 244 rushing attempts, 4,888 total yards, 22 total TDs)
          Least snaps in 2025: Baltimore Ravens (291 pass attempts, 107 rushing attempts, 1,714 total yards, 10 total TDs)

          Why it works: This personnel grouping forces defenses to use lighter sub-package fronts (six in the box) against the three receivers on the field. And it gives an offense more threats in the passing game, stretching defenses vertically and horizontally. When running the ball, offenses can reduce alignments on the perimeter by inserting wide receivers off motion to gain more blockers.

          The team that ran it the best in 2025: Cowboys. They led the NFL with a 101.80 EPA on 11 personnel snaps, averaging 6.6 yards per play. Quarterback Dak Prescott helped the offense produce a league-best 206.7 passing yards per game; running back Javonte Williams and the team also saw high-level rushing production at a league-best 80.8 yards per game.

          The team to watch in 2026: Buffalo Bills. They will feature multiple personnel sets, but 11 personnel is still their foundational core. In 2025, the Bills led the league with 79 total explosive plays (rushes of 10 or more yards and passes of 20 or more yards) out of 11 personnel. And the team added two catch-and-run targets for quarterback Josh Allen this offseason -- DJ Moore and fourth-round pick Skyler Bell. Plus, the run game is still a staple of new coach Joe Brady's offense in 11, as James Cook III averaged 4.9 yards per carry in this set (with 14 explosive play rushes) in 2025.

          12 personnel (1 RB, 2 TE, 2 WR)

          Most snaps in 2025: Cleveland Browns (227 passing attempts, 182 rushing attempts, 1,947 total yards, 11 total TDs)
          Least snaps in 2025: Los Angeles Chargers (34 passing attempts, 26 rushing attempts, 295 total yards, 1 total TD)

          Why it works: It's a more balanced formation that allows offenses to dictate matchups based on defensive personnel (base or sub packages). With two tight ends on the field, a traditional Y and a "move" player, offenses can flex to three-wide sets or use the play-action passing game. In the run game, they can create a wider porch to set edges.

          The team that ran it the best in 2025: Atlanta Falcons. On 400 snaps in 12 personnel, the Falcons had a 50.16 EPA, second highest in the league. They had an NFL-best 2,455 yards and 49 total explosive plays (28 rushes, 21 passes), too. With their alignment versatility, running back Bijan Robinson and tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. allowed the Falcons to effectively use the grouping. And we should expect them to continue using 12 personnel at a high rate, as new coach Kevin Stefanski was in charge of Cleveland's snap-leading offense last season.

          The team to watch in 2026: Philadelphia Eagles. Under new coordinator Sean Mannion, I expect the Eagles to show more 12 personnel in 2026 (264 snaps last season). The team can pair veteran tight end Dallas Goedert and rookie Eli Stowers, a seam stretcher who can pick up extra yards after the catch. Plus, in Mannion's system, look for quarterback Jalen Hurts to see more under-center reps, which leads to timing, boot and play-action concepts out of 12 personnel. Keep an eye on the Saints here, too.

          13 personnel (1 RB, 3 TE, 1 WR)

          Most snaps in 2025: Los Angeles Rams (126 pass attempts, 204 rush attempts, 2,036 total yards, 32 total TDs)
          Least snaps in 2025: New England Patriots (zero snaps)

          Why it works: A traditional run-heavy grouping, 13 personnel uses three tight ends to win edges and create extra gaps for the defense to account for in both zone and gap schemes. Plus, as defenses respond by adding more numbers to the box, offenses can get creative in the pass game by releasing all three tight ends into routes from condensed or spread sets (specifically versus big defensive personnel). They can also use max protection to scheme shot plays to the single wide receiver.

          The team that ran it the best in 2025: Rams. Coach Sean McVay made 13 personnel a staple of the Rams' offense, and others will copy it after their success. The Rams had a league-high 75.25 EPA in 13 personnel last season, with the next best team -- Buffalo -- at 15.7. Quarterback Matthew Stafford completed nearly 70% of his throws out of the grouping, leading to 20 touchdown passes. And the team had a league-best 69.5 rush yards per game and 39 explosive plays (21 rush, 18 pass) here. In order to double -- or triple -- down on the set in 2026, the Rams drafted another two-way tight end (able to block and catch) in Ohio State's Max Klare.

          The team to watch in 2026: Chicago Bears. They ran 94 snaps out of the grouping last season (fifth most), but that number should elevate in 2026. Colston Loveland, Cole Kmet and 2026 third-round pick Sam Roush can be used creatively as blockers, while also working multiple levels of the field as receivers. And Loveland gives Chicago a matchup player who can play in-line, work out of the slot or flex to the backside X receiver.

          21 personnel: (2 RB, 1 TE, 2 WR)

          Most snaps in 2025: San Francisco 49ers (179 pass attempts, 206 rush attempts, 2,248 total yards, 14 total TDs)
          Least snaps in 2025: Bears, Rams, Arizona Cardinals (zero snaps)

          Why it works: With two running backs on the field, offenses can gain numbers and blocking angles by tagging the fullback to lead, insert or wrap in the run game. This also creates heavy opportunities for play-action, mirroring the backfield action, because it can open voids in the coverage for the tight end and two receivers. And with versatility at the fullback spot, offenses can easily shift to 12 and 11 personnel looks for better matchups against base defensive personnel.

          The team that ran it the best in 2025: 49ers. It's a staple of coach Kyle Shanahan's offense. The 49ers had a league-high 35.84 EPA, 21 explosive passes and 19 explosive rushes in the grouping last season. With the versatility of fullback Kyle Juszczyk, Shanahan can create run game advantages while leaning on his play-action pass concepts and the receiving traits of running back Christian McCaffrey.

          The team to watch in 2026: Chargers. With Mike McDaniel joining as the new offensive coordinator and the team signing former Dolphins fullback Alec Ingold, the Chargers should see a steady increase in 21 personnel snaps. (There could also be more 12 or 13 personnel looks after they signed tight ends Charlie Kolar and David Njoku.) Last season, McDaniel's offense in Miami ran 234 snaps of 21 personnel (second most).

          22 personnel: (2 RB, 2 TE, 1 WR)

          Most snaps in 2025: Bills (23 pass attempts, 123 rush attempts, 671 total yards, 6 total TDs)
          Least snaps in 2025: Bears, Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars, Green Bay Packers, Tennessee Titans (zero snaps)

          Why it works: This is an old school goal-line and short-yardage set -- putting 10 offensive players in the box -- that allows teams to run downhill with a lead blocker. Think isolation, power and zone lead plays, which we still see on Sundays despite it seeming outdated. However, with more versatility across the board, offenses are using 22 personnel to gain matchup advantages. They can have their "move" player and traditional Y tight end flex outside the formation to win in the pass game, or both options can create play-side numbers when running the ball.

          The team that ran it the best in 2025: Miami Dolphins. Under McDaniel, Miami had a league-high 16.24 EPA out of 22 last season, averaging 7.2 yards per play, the most among teams with at least 50 snaps. Miami also ranked at the top with 19.3 passing yards per game out of 22, using the play-action pass and matchup-based concepts to throw the ball.

          The team to watch in 2026: Denver Broncos. The Chargers could fit here with McDaniel as their playcaller. But let's not forget about coach Sean Payton's offense in Denver. The Broncos will use traditional 22 personnel to run the ball, plus fullback Adam Prentice can shift to create 13 personnel looks. And Payton can spread the formation to get the run fronts he wants or to create favorable matchups for quarterback Bo Nix as a thrower. Nix had 7.7 yards per attempt on passes out of 22 personnel in 2025.