Most Efficient NFL Running Backs Entering 2025

Efficiency is the name of the game in the NFL, and nowhere is that more true than at the running back position.

Last season NFL teams averaged the second-most rushing yards per game since 1988. We've now witnessed the three most efficient rushing yards per carry seasons in NFL history (2020, 2022, 2024) occur within the past five seasons.

There are a lot of reasons for this uptick in rushing efficiency leaguewide, though last year's gaudy per-carry marks were inflated by a handful of truly incredible individual backs.

That's what we'll look at here, breaking down the most efficient NFL running backs entering 2025.

Most Efficient NFL Running Backs Entering 2025

To do this, I pulled rushing statistics from NFL Next Gen Stats for every running back who recorded at least 150 rush attempts in the 2024 regular season.

The table below ranks the top 10 running backs by Total EPA per rush (which includes turnovers), accompanied by several other rushing statistics.

EPA: Total EPA per carry
SR%: Rushing Success Rate

Let's run through the most efficient NFL running backs entering 2025.

Jahmyr Gibbs (DET)

After a strong rookie season, Jahmyr Gibbs emerged as one of the NFL's truly elite running backs in 2024. Despite sitting outside the top 10 in attempts, Gibbs finished fifth in rushing yards (1,412) and tied for the league lead with 16 touchdowns on the ground.

He was uber-efficient in doing so, ranking third in yards per carry (5.6) and fifth in rushing Success Rate (45.2%).

Gibbs led the league with 0.12 EPA per carry -- more than Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow averaged per-dropback.

Derrick Henry (BAL)

There was some concern on how Derrick Henry would handle the move to Baltimore entering his age-31 season. It came on the heels of a career-worst 4.2 yards per carry in 2024.

Those worries were quickly put to rest. King Henry enjoyed the second-best season of his career with the Baltimore Ravens, pacing the position in yards per carry (5.9) and rushing touchdowns (16) while ranking top three in raw rushing yards (1,921) and rushing Success Rate (47.7%).

Saquon Barkley (PHI)

Last year, Saquon Barkley recorded just the ninth 2,000-yard rushing season in NFL history. The 5.8 yards per carry Saquon averaged in getting there was the fourth-most among 2,000-yard seasons.

From an EPA standpoint, Barkley's only knock was his (relative) lack of touchdowns (13 but only a 3.8% touchdown rate). Only four other times in NFL history has a running back averaged 5.8 yards per carry on at least 325 attempts.

Bucky Irving (TB)

Last year's most efficient NFL running backs were largely comprised of league staples -- players we've come to expect elite-level efficiency numbers from. 2024 fourth round pick Bucky Irving quickly joined that group of football's most efficient running backs.

Irving posted an identical EPA per carry (0.07) as Saquon Barkley last season, though the rook "only" averaged 5.4 yards per carry (behind Saquon's 5.8 but still fourth in the NFL). Bucky played less than half of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers snaps but still finished 10th in rushing yards (and 20th in attempts).

Bijan Robinson (ATL)

Bijan Robinson led the league in rushing Success Rate (49.7%) in 2024, finishing third in rushing (1,456) on a rock-solid 4.8 yards per carry.

He netted the third-most rushing first downs (82) in the NFL and averaged fewer than 4.0 yards per carry just four times across 17 individual games.

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