The 2026 NFL training camps are on the horizon, and with that in mind, ESPN surveyed league executives, coaches and scouts to help us rank the top 10 players at 11 different positions. This is the seventh edition of these annual rankings.
Here's how it works: Voters gave their own top 10 players at a position, then we compiled the results and ranked candidates based on the number of top-10 votes, composite average and dozens of interviews, with research and film study help from ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen as well as ESPN Research. More than 70 voters submitted a ballot on at least one position, and in many cases all positions. Additional voting and follow-up calls with those surveyed contributed to placements.
This was not a five-year projection or a career achievement award, but meant to answer a simple question: Who are the best players right now?
Our rollout schedule: running backs (July 6), cornerbacks (July 7), edge rushers (July 8), defensive tackles (July 9), tight ends (July 10), offensive tackles (July 11), interior offensive linemen (July 12), quarterbacks (July 13), off-ball linebackers (July 14), wide receivers (July 15) and safeties (July 16).
Three years ago, star running backs met over videoconference to discuss the depressed state of their positional market. Their prospects have since improved. From 2024 to 2025, Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley signed respective deals worth $19 and $20.6 million per year. This offseason, three more backs earned contracts between $14 million and $16 million. And a pair of 24-year-old stars -- Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs -- will reset that market soon enough while they battle for ball-toting supremacy for years to come.
A mix of talented young and veteran stars around the league are strengthening their teams' chances in a big way due to their versatility.
"I think the wide receiver prices have gotten so crazy that teams are warming up to the fact you can get a super talented back with pass-catching ability instead," an AFC executive said. "Paying $17 or $18 million a year for a guy like that doesn't sound so bad anymore."
Many of the top guys have preserved their spot as they approach or surpass the age of 30, but this year's list features two debuts and one player we featured in 2024 who dropped off last year.
1. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 2
Age: 24 | Last year's ranking: 4
Robinson edged Gibbs despite a tight vote; the Detroit runner registered nearly as many first-place votes, but Robinson won with an average rating of 1.78 in the composite voting.
His overall body of work is undeniable. He led the NFL with 2,498 yards from scrimmage in 2025, breaking William Andrews' franchise record from 1983 (2,176). He joins Andrews and Julio Jones as the only Falcons to lead the NFL in scrimmage yards.
"Bijan is just more dynamic than the rest of the field in terms of creating positive runs despite blocking failure," an NFC executive said. "Combo of his bend, feet and agility. His size shows up with physicality. And while Gibbs is top-end faster, Bijan is still explosive in his own right, creating home run plays."
Robinson's 820 yards on 79 catches last season show he can get upfield despite defenders closing in.
"Routes, hands and pass protection, he's elite in that area," the executive added.
2. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 8
Age: 24 | Last year's ranking: 3
Many who voted Gibbs as the top back were emphatic that he's the best.
"Your eyes tell you there's no one like him with the ball in his hands," an NFL coordinator said. "He plays with better pace because of his vision, and then the gear is different. You see him blow by guys with angles. And he's elite in the passing game."
Gibbs' 18 touchdowns in 2025 are the second most in a season in Lions history, trailing only Gibbs himself in 2024 (20).
"He's got 39 [rushing] touchdowns in three years while splitting time," an NFC exec said. "It's crazy."
While some voters see Robinson as the better inside runner, Gibbs has proved durable despite running inside and outside the box. With David Montgomery traded to Houston, Gibbs could log his first 300-carry season in 2026. He has averaged 225 carries per year since 2023.
3. Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
Highest ranking: 2 | Lowest ranking: 8
Age: 29 | Last year's ranking: 1
Barkley proved how great he can be with a 2,000-yard season in 2024 behind Philly's elite offensive line, resulting in last year's No. 1 ranking.
But the Eagles' line in 2025 was subpar by its standards. Barkley still produced 1,180 yards, but big gains were far less frequent. His four runs of 20-plus yards were 13 fewer than the previous year. His rushing yards over expected, as charted by NFL Next Gen Stats, went from second in the NFL in 2024 to 24th last season.
Many voters did not knock him too harshly for that.
"I'm not going to penalize him for a terrible all-around offense last year," a high-ranking personnel official with an NFL team said. "He's still a three-down weapon and if I needed a running back for one season I'm still taking him 1."
Since 2024, Barkley ranks second in 100-plus-yard rushing games (14) behind Derrick Henry (17).
"My only criticism is that he doesn't always produce when things aren't completely clean," an NFL coordinator said. "That's dating back to the Giants. Tends to need things perfectly set up for him."
4. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: Unranked
Age: 30 | Last year's ranking: 5
McCaffrey kept a tight pace with Barkley for the third spot but received more votes outside of the top five than he usually does.
In 2025, McCaffrey posted his third career season with at least 2,000 scrimmage yards, tied for fourth most by a running back in NFL history. He needed a league-high 413 touches to do it.
McCaffrey's 3.9 yards per carry was his lowest full-season clip since his rookie year in 2017. One factor: The 49ers ranked 29th in rushing yards before contact (2.04).
"He's declined some -- I think you will see more juice if he doesn't have to be the focal point of both the run and pass game," an NFC executive said. "But he's such an elite overall player with versatility who takes care of himself that he can be a top guy for at least one more year."
5. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
Highest ranking: 2 | Lowest ranking: Unranked
Age: 27 | Last year's ranking: 7
Taylor was pumping out top-three votes this year in appreciation of a stellar six-year campaign despite shaky quarterback play around him. He appeared on all but one of the ballots, and nearly 30% of his votes were within the top three.
Taylor has 69 career rushing touchdowns. Only Derrick Henry (84) has more since 2020.
"Really special in space," an NFL coordinator said. "Once he hits the second and third levels with some space to operate, he's uniquely talented."
That showed in 2025, when Taylor's four rushes of 40 or more yards trailed only Gibbs.
The presence of Daniel Jones has helped Taylor, both in play-action and in the passing game. Taylor caught a career-high 46 passes last season.
6. Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens
Highest ranking: 5 | Lowest ranking: 10
Age: 32 | Last year's ranking: 2
Henry's demise still feels far away. Last season, Henry broke off 17 runs of 20 or more yards -- four more than any player -- on his way to a 5.2 yards-per-carry average on 307 attempts. His five seasons with at least 1,500 rushing yards tie Barry Sanders for the most in NFL history.
"He hasn't really slowed down, to be honest, at least from what I've seen," a veteran NFL defensive coach said. "You can knock him because he's not the pass threat the others are. But he's still a major problem. Guy takes care of himself like no other."
Henry committed four fumbles in 2025, including a costly fourth-quarter drop in a Week 1 loss to Buffalo. But that can be forgiven because of Henry's stellar workload and production.
7. James Cook III, Buffalo Bills
Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: 10
Age: 26 | Last year's ranking: 8
Cook should probably be ranked higher based on his overall body of work, but older players in front of him won't relinquish the votes. Cook was close to surpassing Henry but ultimately didn't.
But he was one of five players to appear on every ballot, thanks to a league-leading 1,621 rushing yards last season. He also led the league in rushing yards over expected (358).
Cook is the first Buffalo player to lead the AFC in rushing since Thurman Thomas in 1993. He's also the first Bill to lead the NFL since O.J. Simpson (1975-76).
"He has a three-down skill set, pass-game value, inside run ability and a speed threat on the outside," an AFC executive said. "[He] has become a complete player."
8. De'Von Achane, Miami Dolphins
Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: Unranked
Age: 24 | Last year's ranking: Honorable mention
Achane's production in his first three NFL seasons -- amassing more than 4,300 scrimmage yards -- makes him hard to ignore. Nearly half of Achane's votes were inside the top five. His 5.62 career yards per rush are the most by any running back in NFL history with a minimum of 500 attempts.
"An explosive play waiting to happen," a veteran NFL defensive coach said. "Elite receiver out of the backfield."
Achane is the ultimate make-you-miss back. Since entering the league, Achane ranks first in yards after the catch per attempt (3.8).
9. Kenneth Walker III, Kansas City Chiefs
Highest ranking: 6 | Lowest ranking: Unranked
Age: 25 | Last year's ranking: Received votes
The reigning Super Bowl MVP is the first since Dexter Jackson (2003) to win the award and change teams the next season. After two 1,000-yard seasons in Seattle, Walker is tasked with elevating the Chiefs' running attack.
"He reminds me a lot of a mix between peak Kareem Hunt and Maurice Jones-Drew," an AFC executive said. "Dense lower body, fast enough, tough to bring down. Not sure how his game will age yet, but he should be good this year."
Walker appeared on nearly 60% of the ballots, with voters noting his combination of open-field vision and physicality elevating him.
Walker has averaged a modest 15.2 carries per game for his career, a total that could increase in Kansas City.
10. Breece Hall, New York Jets
Highest ranking: 7 | Lowest ranking: Unranked
Age: 26 | Last year's ranking: Honorable mention
No Jets player in franchise history produced more scrimmage yards through the first four years than Hall, who has 5,040 yards despite missing much of his rookie year with an ACL tear. Hall turned in his first 1,000-yard rushing campaign last season for the Jets, who rewarded Hall with a three-year, $43.5 million extension this offseason.
"True three-down back, creates as a runner and can play in the passing game with good hands," a high-ranking executive with an NFL team said of Hall. "He's a big back [at 220-plus pounds] with the ability to create on his own with good body control and is strong through contact."
Honorable mention
Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers: "Still a really quality back but has probably slowed down slightly. Can still hit singles and doubles but not a lot of home runs as far as explosive plays. Still really good between the tackles." -- NFC executive
Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams: "Really underrated. Productive, tough as s---, runs hard, brings the juice, has improved as a pass catcher and really good in protection. Just doesn't have the high-end traits of some of the others." -- NFL coordinator
Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns: "Runs incredibly hard, faster in the open field than you'd think. I think he's going to have a big year." -- AFC executive
Also receiving votes: D'Andre Swift, Javonte Williams, Chase Brown, Ashton Jeanty, TreVeyon Henderson, Travis Etienne Jr., Alvin Kamara