AFC West running back rankings: Are the Chiefs at the bottom?
By Grant Tuttle
Melvin Gordon, Phillip Lindsay, and Damien Williams all outperformed expectations in 2018. Which AFC West team has the best running backs for 2019?
The AFC West has had very good luck with running backs historically. From the legend of Bo Jackson to the modern-day all-purpose running back Melvin Gordon, the West has been stacked with running backs, historically. None, however, have been as fortunate as the Chiefs.
With players such as Christian Okoye, Barry Word, Priest Holmes, Marcus Allen, Jamaal Charles, and Kareem Hunt, the Chiefs have seemingly never had a weakness at the position. With uncertainty at the position, will that trend continue this season?
Without further ado, here are my rankings for the 2019 AFC West running back committees:
1. The Los Angeles Chargers:
Projected RBs: Melvin Gordon, Austin Ekeler, Justin Jackson
The Chargers do not yet know the final status of Melvin Gordon’s holdout. Many believe that Gordon’s holdout with the team will continue well into the season. For the sake of this article, we are going to assume that Gordon is with the team for the first game.
Not only is Gordon a very talented running back but Austin Ekeler could easily be a starter for another team. Ekeler excels in the passing game, catching passes out of the backfield. Because of Gordon’s ability to be an all-purpose back, Ekeler serves as a change of pace with great speed.
As the third runner, Jackson also has a good balance of agility and power. If the team has to go with Ekeler and Jackson, they will still be very good running the football in 2019.
Projected stats: (Assuming everyone plays a full season)
Melvin Gordon: 241 rushes, 4.4 avg, 1,060 rushing yards, 11 TDs. 42 receptions, 382 receiving yards, 2 TDs.
Austin Ekeler: 67 rushes, 4.7 avg, 315 rushing yards, 3 TDs. 31 receptions, 408 receiving yards, 4 TDs.
Justin Jackson: 22 rushes, 3.9 avg, 86 rushing yards, 1 TD. 8 receptions, 39 yards, 0 TDs.