2024 NFL Draft Running Back Rankings 16 to 20: Kendall Milton, Dillon Johnson, Frank Gore

2024 NFL Draft Running Back Rankings: 16 to 20

All five of the running backs here can play. They're all tough, and they'll all be interesting in the various NFL camps.

Are any of them sure things to see the light of day on an NFL offense? No, but all of them were productive in college, they all have roughly the same upside and skill sets, and they'll all go on Day Three.

Out of this group, though, at least one will be a solid starter.

2024 NFL Running Back Rankings
21-25 | 11-15 | 6-10 | Top 5
- 2024 Quarterback Rankings

20 Frank Gore Jr., Southern Miss

5-8, 201, Projection: 5th Round
759 carries, 4,022 yards, 26 TD, 75 catches, 692 yards, 4 TD

Why Draft Frank Gore Jr.: He might be small, but find a tougher runner in the draft. He finishes well, powers when needed, and he knows how to run - he sets up everything well. Almost always produced even with the entire D knew where the ball was going.

Negatives, Concerns: There's not enough of a speed burst for a back of his size. There's no real explosion to his style; he's more workhorse than flash. That's a problem with way over 800 touches as USM. While he can catch, he wasn't enough of a receiver.

Frank Gore Jr. From The College Perspective: How do you not give him a big shot in a camp to see what he can do? No, he's not his dad as a back, but he won't take a carry off and might just produce big in camp when given NFL blockers to work behind.

19 Emani Bailey, TCU

5-7, 202, Projection: 6th Round
366 carries, 2,161 yards, 18 TD, 47 catches, 380 yards, 1 TD

Why Draft Emani Bailey: Really short and REALLY tough. He's a compact, rock-solid runner with a nice burst of short-range quickness to his style. There's a high end to his style - not a ton of touches over his four years, and wasn't used enough as a receiver.

Negatives, Concerns: There's not a real fit for what he does. He's not huge, and he's not fast, and he's not the prettiest of runners. There won't be any flash in what he does at the next level.

Emani Bailey From The College Perspective: At Louisiana he showed enough in space with a good finish, and at TCU he grew into an ultra-reliable runner over his two seasons. There's nothing special about his style, but he could be a nice part of a rotation who can do a little of everything.

18 Kimani Vidal, Troy

5-8, 213, Projection: 5th Round
781 carries, 4,010 yards, 33 TD, 92 catches, 700 yards, 1 TD

Why Draft Kimani Vidal: Super fast, he showed off the 40 at the combine - 4.46 - that wasn't always there at Troy. Tough as nails, he was a four-year workhorse with a steady style, and then he turned ultra-productive over his last year years.

Negatives, Concerns: There are a LOT of touches in his past, handling the ball almost 900 times in his four years. He won't block all that well, and he still needs to show more as a receiver to trust him as a third down option.

Kimani Vidal From The College Perspective: He'll be an interesting call. He took a beating over his time at Troy, but it still seems like he could do a whole lot more if he grows into a dangerous receiver. The combine and offseason workouts helped his story.

17 Dillon Johnson, Washington

6-0, 207, Projection: 5th Round
462 carries, 2,393 yards, 27 TD, 173 catches, 1,054 yards, 1 TD

Why Draft Dillon Johnson: He's a big, tough back who showed in the high-powered Washington offense that he could crank up the ground game. Good luck getting him down with one tackler, but he's not just a bruiser. Is a terrific pass catcher and nasty when he gets up a head of steam.

Negatives, Concerns: SLOW. A 4.68 runner, he's not a flash as a third down back, he won't do much on the outside, and his style will get him punished between the hashmarks.

Dillon Johnson From The College Perspective: An interesting all-around prospect, he was a wonderful receiver for three years in the Mississippi State system, and last season showed he could be a workhorse. While he's limited, he's well worth the Day Three flier. there's boom potential here.

16 Kendall Milton, Georgia

6-2, 225, Projection: 4th Round
297 carries, 1,839 yards, 23 TD, 12 catches, 116 yards, 1 TD

Why Draft Kendall Milton: There might be a ton of carries left in him. He wasn't asked to do much over his four seasons a Georgia with just over 300 touches, but he was still productive at an efficient level over the last two seasons. Really, really tough on the inside.

Negatives, Concerns: There's a shot he's a one-down back. He wasn't used as a receiver - just 12 catches - and he doesn't have burst or a whole lot of speed on the outside. He'll need to find the right fit.

Kendall Milton From The College Perspective: There's a massive upside to what he can potentially do. Someone who wants a first down thumper who can grow into a workhorse might find a gem. For a back of his style and production, he should be fresh.

2024 NFL Running Back Rankings
21-25 | 11-15 | 6-10 | Top 5
- 2024 Quarterback Rankings