Jahmyr Gibbs keeps stacking up production, but the latest running back ranking still puts him just behind Bijan Robinson.
That’s the setup from Pro Football Focus, which ranked the NFL’s 32 starting running backs ahead of the 2026 season and slotted the Detroit Lions star at No. 2. Robinson of the Atlanta Falcons took the top spot.
The case for Gibbs is loud and clear. Over the last three seasons, no player in the NFL has scored more touchdowns from scrimmage than Gibbs, whose 49 are also the most any player has ever posted in the first three seasons of a career. He’s already built a résumé that looks like it belongs to a back much deeper into his prime.
PFF highlighted exactly why he’s so dangerous. “Gibbs is one of the most electric players in the league, both as a runner and receiver. His 1,449 receiving yards since getting drafted in 2023 are third among all running backs, while his 39 rushing touchdowns in that span are second.”
Speed is part of the package too. “Gibbs is one of the fastest players in the NFL, running a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. And he uses that speed to his advantage, tallying 95 explosive runs since 2023 (4th).”
Still, Robinson gets the edge for now. Through their first three seasons, he has the production advantage over Gibbs in every category except touchdowns, and PFF’s numbers on yards after contact and forced missed tackles also pushed him to No.
- Robinson has also handled more career touches, which tracks with the way the two offenses have used them.
Tyler Allgeier shared work in Atlanta, but not to the same extent David Montgomery has alongside Gibbs in Detroit.
The gap is small enough that the two backs could easily be viewed as co-No. 1 options in this kind of ranking. But Robinson gets the nod here, and that’s likely the more common answer right now.
With Gibbs expected to step into a true bell cow role this year, the conversation could look different a season from now. Soon enough, his paycheck should reflect the kind of production he’s already put on tape, and he’ll likely become the highest- or second-highest-paid running back in the league in the coming weeks or months.
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