Top 5 Running Backs in the NFL According to Alvin Kamara
Saints star running back and 4x Pro-Bowl Selection Alvin Kamara joined on FOX SPORT's Speak for Yourself to discuss his offseason, the Saints upcoming quarterback battle, and gave his top-five current running backs in football.
Speak For Yourself hosts Emmanuel Acho and Marcellus Wiley welcomed the NFL's leader in touchdowns in 2020 to discuss his offseason and the Saints' future. But they could not let Kamara go without asking for his top-five running backs in the NFL.
When posed with the question of providing his top-5 current NFL running backs, Kamara quickly responded, putting his name atop the list with another NFC South "scat" back, Christian McCaffery. Kamara's NFC South rival collected the league's 3rd 1,000/1,000 single season in 2019 before an injury-riddled 2020 season.
As for No. 41, he proved he was worth every penny of his $77M offseason deal, leading the league in touchdowns with 21 and reeling in 80+ passes for his fourth consecutive season.
"I'm gonna go me and Christian [McCaffery]. If you have to go 1A and 1B or if we can both be at 1... I think that's it right there."
Kamara had a little more trouble with slots two and three, calling it "a toss-up" between Vikings RB Dalvin Cook and Titans RB Derrick Henry. "It's just your preference," AK said about ranking the pair of Pro-Bowl running backs. Cook concluded 2021 with 17 total touchdowns and nearly 2,000 scrimmage yards. Henry became the second Titans running back to Chris Johnson (2009), who surpassed 2,000 rushing yards in a single season.
"I think I prefer Dalvin just from a strategy standpoint in the game. With Derrick, you can load the box because you know what he is going to do. Dalvin, you can load the box, but he can kill you on the other end. He can catch the ball."
To the surprise of the show's hosts Emmanuel Acho and Marcellus Wiley, Kamara listed Dallas' RB Ezekiel Elliott next on his list. Elliott is coming off career lows across the board, but it did not seem to worry the 2017 Offensive Rookie of the Year. "I'm looking at talent, and Zeke has all the talent in the world."
The list concluded with Giants RB Saquon Barkley, who Kamara "wants to see him come back off the injury and do what he has to do." And Packers RB Aaron Jones, who just signed a 4-year extension with Green Bay.
"So he gave us nine running backs..." Host Emmanuel Acho said jokingly.
Kamara quickly responded, "I gave y'all about 10 running backs so the rest, y'all got to figure out."
After the trio shared a laugh, they discussed Kamara's unique running style and the team's mentaility headed into 2021 following years of anguishing playoff defeats. AK also shedded some light on the Saints' upcoming QB battle between Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston.
You can watch Kamara's full interview on FOX SPORTS' Speak for Yourself Below
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