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10 NFL running backs who can lead the league in rushing

By Rucker Haringey

NASHVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 24: Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans runs the ball during the second half of a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Nissan Stadium on November 24, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans defeated the Jaguars 42-20. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 24: Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans runs the ball during the second half of a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Nissan Stadium on November 24, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans defeated the Jaguars 42-20. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers
Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

8. Aaron Jones

The presence of Aaron Rodgers looms large in the Packers’ offense. That makes it easy to forget the reality that Jones was a 1,000-yard rusher for Green Bay last season.

The key for Jones to go from good to great will be to show he can maintain last season’s workload at his 2018 level of efficiency. His yards per carry average dropped from 5.5 to 4.6 in the last two seasons. The drop can easily be explained by Jones’ uptick in workload, but he needs to consolidate his gains in 2020.

The one certainty here is that Green Bay is dedicated to running the football frequently this season. That’s a big reason why they didn’t choose to add any wide receivers via the draft. Look for head coach Matt LaFleur to run the ball from a variety of formations this season.

To lead the league in rushing Jones will need to fend off second-round pick A.J. Dillon to keep a high percentage of his team’s rushing attempts. Dillon was drafted as an insurance policy in case Jones departs in free agency. Jones is still in line for a ton of carries. If he gets 300 rushing attempts in LaFleur’s revamped offense he could put up video game numbers for the Packers.

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