Titans Running Back Room Lands in Top 5 in Recent Rankings

The Tennessee Titans have one of the best running backs in the NFL in Derrick Henry, but they also have some solid options behind Henry. The overall talent of the group led to the Titans being ranked in the top five in a recent list from Pro Football Focus.

NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans have seen running back Derrick Henry become one of the biggest stars in the NFL, so it is never a surprise to see Henry near the top in any running back ranking, but it is the strength of the Titans' overall group at running back that led to a top-five ranking in a recent list from Pro Football Focus.

Top Five RB Groups

1. San Francisco 49ers
2. Atlanta Falcons
3. Cleveland Browns
4. Tennessee Titans
5. Indianapolis Colts

The Titans' group comes in fourth on the list and there is a real argument to be made for the Titans to be higher. You have the San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons and Cleveland Browns ahead of the Titans as the top three. While you could debate whether the Titans should be second on the list,it seems egregious the Titans aren't at least third.

The Cleveland Browns have a running back leading their depth chart that is one of the best in the league in Nick Chubb, but Chubb has never been more productive than Henry if both play a reasonable amount of games in a single season.

Not only that, but outside of Chubb, the Browns don't have anyone with the promise of Tyjae Spears or utility of Hassan Haskins. Jerome Ford and Demetric Felton, who back up Chubb, combined for nine carries and eight yards in 2022. Haskins on his own had 25 carries for 93 yards last season.

Haskins is now slated to be the third back on the depth chart with the Titans drafting rookie runner Tyjae Spears out of Tulane. Spears has been impressive in the offseason workouts so far and is expected to be used heavily as an offensive weapon in 2023.

It seems hard to make the argument that the Browns group is better overall than the Titans. Also, a group like the one in Green Bay with Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon isn't even ranked in the top five. If anyone should be higher and closer to the Titans, it is the Packers, not the Browns. 

This is what the author of the list, Gordon McGuinness, said about his ranking of the Titans:

"Derrick Henry remains one of the best pure runners in football. Since entering the NFL in 2016, his PFF rushing grade has been below 75.0 just twice, and he is coming off a season where he ranked third in the league by averaging 3.6 yards gained after contact per carry. Hassan Haskins might not have impressed much as a rookie, but 2023 third-round draft pick Tyjae Spears was electric at Tulane, earning a 90.6 PFF rushing grade in 2022."

When the Titans hit the field, lists won't matter any more, but what will matter is how the Titans' group at running back performs because they'll be charged with doing the bulk of the work for the offense, in one way or another. The Titans will need the backs to live up to this ranking in 2023.

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