When Bijan Robinson entered the NFL in 2023 as the first running back selected in the top 10 of the draft in five years, expectations were already sky-high. He has since lived up to every bit of that hype.
After making an immediate impression with the Atlanta Falcons, Robinson elevated his game even further last season, finishing as the league leader in yards from scrimmage and earning All-Pro honors at his position. Now, he has another accolade to add to his resume — the Associated Press has named him the best running back in the NFL.
A group of eight AP pro football writers ranked the top five running backs heading into the 2026 season. First-place votes carried 10 points, while second through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2, and 1 points, respectively.
Robinson dominated the balloting, collecting three first-place votes and one second-place vote. Notably, he was the only player to appear on all eight ballots, finishing with 41 total points. San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey came in second with 33 points after receiving two first-place votes, while Baltimore’s Derrick Henry also earned two first-place votes and landed in third place with 30 points.
The remaining first-place vote belonged to Saquon Barkley, who finished fourth overall. Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs rounded out the top five. Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor and Buffalo’s James Cook also appeared in the voting.
Robinson, who was the eighth overall pick in 2023, is widely regarded as one of the premier dual-threat backs in the game. Last season he rushed for 1,478 yards — good for fourth in the NFL — while also hauling in 820 receiving yards. That combination made him just the second player in NFL history to post at least 1,400 rushing yards and 800 receiving yards in the same season, joining Steven Jackson, who accomplished the feat back in 2006. Robinson finished the year with an NFL-best 2,298 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns.
McCaffrey, meanwhile, has carved out a reputation as the most dangerous pass-catching back in the league and remains a centerpiece of San Francisco’s passing attack. While his rushing numbers dipped somewhat last season — 1,202 yards at just 3.9 yards per carry — he more than compensated with 102 receptions for 924 yards. That performance nearly made him the first player ever to record two seasons with at least 1,000 yards both rushing and receiving. He also generated an NFL-high 119 first downs, matching the most by any player in the past 15 seasons.
Henry, now in his 30s, continues to defy expectations of a decline. He has surpassed 1,500 rushing yards in each of the last two seasons since turning 30, giving him five such seasons in his career — tying Barry Sanders for the most in NFL history. Last season Henry ranked second in the league with 1,595 rushing yards and now sits 10th on the all-time rushing list with 13,018 career yards. He also set a record with his seventh career 200-yard game and has tied the record with four seasons of at least 15 rushing touchdowns.
Barkley, who set the all-time record with 2,504 combined regular season and playoff rushing yards in 2024, took a step back last season as Philadelphia’s offense was less productive. He still managed 1,140 rushing yards and nine total touchdowns, which was enough to earn him votes in this poll.
Gibbs has been a touchdown machine since joining the league alongside Robinson in 2023, when he was selected four picks later at 12th overall. His 49 career touchdowns before turning 24 years old are the most in NFL history, surpassing the previous mark of 47 held by Detroit Lions legend Barry Sanders. Last season, Gibbs rushed for 1,223 yards, added 616 receiving yards, and scored 18 total touchdowns.
