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Welcome to NFL Daily where running backs have always mattered.

Yes, this is another NFL Daily 32 ranking the positions across the NFL.

Today is the running back show. I'm Greg Rosenthal in Los Angeles, talking to Ali Connolly in Manchester. I don't know if you heard the news, but running backs, they matter again. They're back. The running game is back. It's bag. We'll put all the big bodies on the field. We're running the ball a whole bunch. Those guys have to pass protect every once in a while. It's a huge moment. I like the

narrative too that like just so well, you know, because it was like 10% different seven years ago

that like the running game was somehow inconsequential. The running game has always mattered.

I know, especially near and dear to your heart. I love the running game, and we said this during the draft season. You go look at the recent history of the guys taking the top 10. It's all the best plays of the position by a substantive difference compared to effectively every other position on the field quarterback. You can go back and forth on so the league has got a really good idea, I think think, about who the best running backs are. I do feel like it's the purest distillation of just ball, just the guy who carries it the best. I think in my head, I think of Bill Campbell and Barry Sanders and all the great players to carry the ball. It just feels like beautiful, pure football. Yeah, it's, you know, I watch the youth flag.

It's like, yeah, the best player is the running back.

It's the same thing as when you were playing with your friends, like whoever can run the ball the best.

So I'm looking forward to this one.

We are defining this one through 32 as the running backs we would want to have for this season. So it's not for one play.

It's not for one game. It's not a lifetime achievement award. Sometimes a heavy workload

works against running backs wanting for 2026. Rookies are eligible. And since I threw

Ollie off his game by not understanding the time zone difference

and giving him the wrong time and now he's had to scramble to the computer, I will be generous

enough to give you the first overall pick. I do appreciate that. I'm going to take Bijan Robinson

from the Falcons. I think it's a top two and it's a flip of a coin of who you prefer with the top spot. I just think Bejan is the best all-around player in ball. I think if you go skill by skill of what matters at a position, there is no one who does the things he does better. Running, receiving, blocking even as a lead blocker in the run game, he's exceptional. Forcing mistackles, yak, both as a runner and receivers. And I think the idea of

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