Jonathon Brooks and Trey Benson Are in Their Own Tier

Despite it being a weaker running back class, there are two running backs in the 2024 NFL Draft who stand out above the rest.

Dec 2, 2023; Charlotte, NC, USA; Florida State Seminoles running back Trey Benson (3) runs the ball / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

The running back class for the 2024 NFL Draft class is not the strongest. There isn't a single player who will go in the first round while most years have a player or two who will at least flirt with being selected.

Why is this class so weak? A lot of it has to do with the advent of the transfer portal and NIL becoming so prevalent over the last two years. A running back can stay for their senior season and make more money than they would in the first year of their rookie contract.

Texas Longhorns running back Jonathon Brooks (24) jumps over Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Reggie / Ricardo Brazziell / USA TODAY NETWORK

That makes things more difficult for the NFL in trying to take running back in the draft. There are still talented players in this class with the 2024 class having the potential to be a legendary one with multiple players who could go in the first round

In the 2024 NFL Draft class, there are two running backs who stand out above the rest: Texas' Jonathon Brooks and Florida State's Trey Benson. Yahoo! Sports' Charles Robinson believes they are in a tier of their own along with most of the class going in the third round.

"The closer we get to the draft and the more I hear the assessments on the running back class, the more I think there’s a shot that the bulk of the class comes off the board in the third round. I wrote a more expansive piece about the running backs last week, but I have some new data after my last dive into calls. While there has been some consideration about a surprise “first” running back off the board, I’m more confident now that it will either be Texas’ Jonathon Brooks or Florida State’s Trey Benson. That’s not exactly a revelation with both being in play at the top of the running back stack, but it now feels like they're more of a tier unto themselves, with the next tier being a mixture of Michigan’s Blake Corum, Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen and Tennessee’s Jaylen Wright."

Brooks is a fascinating case because he is coming off of a torn ACL suffered this past season for the Longhorns. Benson is a little bit of a late bloomer after starting at Oregon before transferring to Florida State.

If you need a running back, this isn't a great class to do so, but if you wait a year, you could hit the jackpot.