Top 5 Receiving Backs in the NFL

[AlNFL19]

Who are the five best receiving backs in the NFL right now?

My list:

5. Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers - Ekeler is an electric receiving back who is currently ranked absurdly highly by PFF - but for decent reason.

4. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants - He's just a rookie but he wouldn't have gone No. 2 if he couldn't catch. He may be the best athlete in the game at the RB position.

3. Todd Gurley II, Los Angeles Rams - Gurley is a great athlete who can house a screen pass from fifty yards out. He's a rare athlete.

2. James White, New England Patriots - White deserves some love now. He's a shifty athlete who the Patriots rely on more than almost anyone on third down. He has 9 more receptions than Rob Gronkowski right now and is on pace for over 850 yards receiving this year. Most of all, though: he's fourth in the NFL in receiving scores (on pace for 13 TDs).

1. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints - The guy is on pace to go 1,000/1,000 this year and is the most electric receiving back in the NFL right now, already with 35 receptions.

[Soko]

Tough question because there are a lot of good backs if we’re going off of just receiving. 

Kamara, Johnson, Bell, Gurley, Akeler, White, McCaffrey, Riddick, and Barkley are all very good out of the backfield. I’m sure I’m forgetting some good ones too. Plus you have to factor in how they get used. Guys like CMC and White get split out as wide receivers, while some others get looks almost strictly out of the backfield. Not because they can’t, but because that’s how their offense works. Makes it tough to judge.

[tyler735]

1. Alvin Kamara

2. Christian McCaffrey

3. James White

4. David Johnson

5. Le'veon Bell

[sammymvpknight]

McCaffery definitely belongs

[stl4life07]

6 hours ago, tyler735 said:

1. Alvin Kamara

2. Christian McCaffrey

3. James White

4. David Johnson

5. Le'veon Bell

Leaving Gurley off the list is insane. 

[VanS]

All I know is Alvin Kamara is #1.  The other 4 spots are debatable. 

[jrry32]

5 minutes ago, VanS said:

All I know is Alvin Kamara is #1.  The other 4 spots are debatable. 

Nah. It's David Johnson. He's being hamstrung by bad playcalling and bad QB play. He's the only premier HB in the NFL who also has a WR skill-set. Gurley, Kamara, Le'Veon, etc. are all a step below imo.

[Forge]

12 minutes ago, stl4life07 said:

Leaving Gurley off the list is insane. 

No it's not. Look at that list. There's absolutely nothing insane about. You can disagree with it, but you really can't argue that each of those guys he listed belongs in the conversation. 

[Forge]

8 hours ago, Yin-Yang said:

Tough question because there are a lot of good backs if we’re going off of just receiving. 

Kamara, Johnson, Bell, Gurley, Akeler, White, McCaffrey, Riddick, and Barkley are all very good out of the backfield. I’m sure I’m forgetting some good ones too. Plus you have to factor in how they get used. Guys like CMC and White get split out as wide receivers, while some others get looks almost strictly out of the backfield. Not because they can’t, but because that’s how their offense works. Makes it tough to judge.

McKinnon and Gio were the two others I thought of past that list. But you're right - lots of good options to choose from and usage can definitely impact how we view them. 

[jrry32]

20 minutes ago, Forge said:

No it's not. Look at that list. There's absolutely nothing insane about. You can disagree with it, but you really can't argue that each of those guys he listed belongs in the conversation. 

For me, the question is which feature HBs could legitimately play the WR position at a high level. I look at the list of guys (ignoring the part-time HBs), and there are only two for me. Those two are David Johnson and Christian McCaffrey. Gurley, Kamara, Bell, etc. all fall into that next tier for me.

[Forge]

Just now, jrry32 said:

For me, the question is which feature HBs could legitimately play the WR position at a high level. I look at the list of guys (ignoring the part-time HBs), and there are only two for me. Those two are David Johnson and Christian McCaffrey. Gurley, Kamara, Bell, etc. all fall into that next tier for me.

I think that is reasonable. 

[Danger]

1. Kamara

some mish mosh of 
Gurley
Barkley
McCaffery
White
 

[Hunter2_1]

5 hours ago, jrry32 said:

For me, the question is which feature HBs could legitimately play the WR position at a high level. I look at the list of guys (ignoring the part-time HBs), and there are only two for me. Those two are David Johnson and Christian McCaffrey. Gurley, Kamara, Bell, etc. all fall into that next tier for me.

James White is that person, too. He can't run, but TB sure does lean on him in the passing game, especially with lack of outside help. 

[jrry32]

5 minutes ago, Hunter2_1 said:

James White is that person, too. He can't run, but TB sure does lean on him in the passing game, especially with lack of outside help. 

JMO, but I don't see White as that guy. I think he's a guy who benefits from the system and the mismatches. I don't think he's a guy who would be a dynamic WR. Unless you're saying he falls into the Gurley, Kamara, Bell, etc. tier of pass catchers, in that case, I agree.

[SteelKing728]

1. Alvin Kamara

2. Le'Veon Bell

3. Todd Gurley

4. James White

5. Theo Riddick