The NFL Draft is essentially here. It won’t be long now before you’re sitting down in front of your tv, computer screen, or phone to find out exactly where these intriguing prospects are going to land.
Before that takes place though, it’s time to lock in the final rookie RB rankings for this class in order to understand how the talent stacks up.
With that in mind, here are my latest rankings – along with analysis – free for you to consume! Enjoy.
Final 2026 Dynasty Rookie RB Rankings
1 | Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
This one isn’t all that complicated.
While I do believe that we need to pump the brakes on the generational label so many are quick to apply to him – there’s been like five generational prospects in the last three classes according to Twitter – he’s an incredibly high-floor and talented player.
He brings home-run speed to break away from defenders at the second and third level to take one to the house, along with incredible receiving ability.
He profiles for me as a Matt Forte archetype for fantasy football and he’s absolutely worthy of being the 1.01 in Superflex formats.
2 | Jonah Coleman, Washington
Jonah Coleman’s my RB2 in this class, pretty easily, but there is a tier or two gap between him and Love.
He doesn’t have the ability to break away long runs, but he is going to hit more singles and doubles for a NFL offense than they’ll know what to do with, honestly.
He does all the little things right and he has fantastic vision when navigating the line of scrimmage.
He may never be a top 15 dynasty RB, but he’s going to consistently provide a very high floor for fantasy football lineups, which is more than what you can say for any other player below him in these rankings.
Jonah Coleman, baby 💪 https://t.co/bHXDrqjEHP
— Kyle Yates (@kyleynfl) April 10, 2026
3 | Emmett Johnson, Nebraska
Let’s be clear, Emmett Johnson is a role player at the next level.
He doesn’t have the size or athleticism to be a true difference maker for a NFL offense, but he’s an incredibly elusive player in tight windows and he brings pass catching upside, too.
As a player that can run sharp routes out of the backfield and then make a defender or two miss to pick up the first down, etc. that has value to me as a NFL coach.
The type of player he could be is someone like Ty Johnson in Buffalo, but maybe with just a bit more upside and consistent target opportunity if he lands in the right spot.
4 | Jadarian Price, Notre Dame
This one might confuse some people, but I think there’s a wide range of outcomes in Jadarian Price’s projection to the next level.
First off, he has really solid athleticism – not elite though – that will be more than serviceable in the NFL. He runs with power and he’s not afraid to lower his shoulder to pick up additional yardage.
However, he looks like a player – on tape – that has played behind a very talented RB and has not seen a ton of playing time.
His vision is hit or miss, he’s raw in pass protection, and he’s a complete mystery from a receiving ability standpoint.
Why throw the ball to Price as a Notre Dame offense when you can throw it to Love, right?
He’s going to need time to iron out the weak spots of his game. If he does, he can absolutely be a lead option for a NFL backfield.
But, how many teams across the league are going to give him the reps he desperately needs? How long of a rope is he going to have if he can’t be on the field due to pass protection issues?
Price’s evaluation includes a massive projection and those are the players that I’m hesitant to move highly up my rankings. It could work out, but I’ll let someone else take the chance on that happening with where he’s currently being talked about in consensus rankings.
5 | Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas
Yes, Mike Washington Jr. is a freak athlete.
His NFL Combine testing numbers were off the charts and he absolutely has the ability to take open grass and turn it into six points from anywhere on the football field.
But, the tape signals that his athleticism – and size – don’t exactly translate into a locked-in guaranteed role for a NFL team.
At 220+ pounds, Washington Jr. needs to be able to play with power. If you’re carrying around that type of weight, why not use it at the position that takes a massive beating week in and week out?
And yet, there are few examples on tape of him embracing contact and winning the rep.
He struggles to navigate the line of scrimmage efficiently with lateral agility and he’s going to be limited to a zone scheme, in my opinion.
This profiles exactly as his closest player comp in my database is Isaac Guerendo. A freak athlete, but one that doesn’t necessarily have the ability to turn that talent into a consistent week in and week out role in his offense.
Due to the weak class, I think he’ll get solid draft capital. But I’m not going to be as aggressive on him in my drafts as many others will be…
6 | Nicholas Singleton, Penn State
Nicholas Singleton’s a solid RB prospect with really good athleticism, but there’s a lot of refinement that’s needed for his game to be able to be a consistent option for an offense.
He has the size/speed combo to entice NFL GMs, but his best ft in the NFL may be as a pass-catching back out of the backfield. If he can trim down his weight a bit and gain just a bit more explosiveness with that, he could be a very solid 3rd-down RB.
But if I think you need development to be a consistent option, and I don’t know what to do with your role because the skillset and size don’t match up well, you’re going to be lower in my rankings.
If you want to find out my full scouting thoughts on Singleton, make sure to check out the Dynasty Scouting Notebook I wrote up on him.
7 | Eli Heidenreich, Navy
Eli Heidenreich is a player that’s dripping with upside.
He was the passing attack at Navy, which is saying something, and he has the skillset to actually be a full-time slot WR at the next level.
His pure RB film is wonky, as he’s rarely given a carry lined up directly behind the QB, but what he does show navigating the line of scrimmage is solid.
He’s a tad lower in my rankings because I have absolutely no clue how to fully evaluate him. It’s going to take an innovative NFL mind to truly unlock him and understand how to best deploy him, but the talent level is there.
I’d expect a down first year as he gets clarity on what his role will be and masters it, but year two and three could be really intriguing from a fantasy football standpoint.
8 | Kaytron Allen, Penn State
Kaytron Allen was a player on film that shows flashes from time to time, but the ability to tie it all together isn’t there right now.
He lacks true breakaway speed, his vision is hit or miss, and his pass protection reps are rough.
There are things to like about his game, like his size and willingness to embrace contact, but I wouldn’t trust him any time soon to be the engine to my offense if I were a NFL head coach.
9 | Kaelon Black, Indiana
Kaelon Black’s tape is actually pretty solid.
He shows good acceleration and burst, he’s able to navigate tight spaces well with good footwork, and he’s able to be a factor in the passing game.
His age (24) and his lack of a 2026 NFL Scouting Combine invite have him a bit further down here in the rankings for the time being though.
In a weak class, if he wasn’t high enough on the radar to earn a Combine invite, that has me very worried about what his draft capital may end up being.
10 | Adam Randall, Clemson
Adam Randall’s a tricky evaluation.
He’s a former WR and you can see that when you turn on the All-22. He’s sharp in his route running and he’s able to be moved around the formation routinely.
And, with that, his reps at RB are certainly hit or miss. You can see that he’s still struggling to piece together what he’s seeing as he approaches the line of scrimmage and his size doesn’t help him navigate gaps laterally very well.
He’s 230+ pounds and he may be best suited to trim down his weight quite a bit to help with his explosiveness and agility. If I have that many questions about your projection, you’ll wind up here near the bottom of my rankings in a weaker class.
There’s the possibility that it works out, but there’s always an infusion of young talent in each draft class that prohibits NFL teams from being super patient with developmental projects.
