3) CMC the No. 2 RB?
How nit-picky do I want to be? Christian McCaffrey (No. 5) and Jahmyr Gibbs (No. 9) both enjoyed standout seasons in 2025, earning rightful places in the top 10 behind top RB Bijan Robinson (No. 3). All three are dual-threat dynamos who deserve to be among the highest-paid at their position; Sonic and Bijan leapfrogged CMC this offseason.
Behind those top three running backs fell Derrick Henry (No. 15), Jonathan Taylor (No. 17), rushing leader James Cook (No. 20) and De’Von Achane (No. 26).
Based on last year’s production, that’s an impressive and pretty unassailable top seven (sorry, ex-No. 1 Saquon Barkley and Kyren Williams, a surprising afterthought at No. 89) — but I will quibble with the final order.
Robinson’s 2025 campaign is undeniable and deserving of the top spot (a league-high 2,298 yards from scrimmage, 6.3 yards per touch), but behind him, I have some questions.
CMC’s comeback season was fruitful for San Francisco. He was ever the workhorse in his return from injury, leading the league with 413 touches en route to first-team All-Pro honors alongside Robinson. But McCaffrey’s efficiency wasn’t there. Of 70 qualified rushers, CMC was 69th in rushing yards over expected per game (-9.7), just above Tampa Bay’s Bucky Irving. McCaffrey was last among the aforementioned Magnificent Seven in rushing yards per game (70.7) and expected points added per game (-1.6). His drop in efficiency was driven by his 3.3 yards per carry average on attempts directed outside the tackles, the second-fewest among qualified RBs, per Next Gen Stats.
Meanwhile, Cook, Henry and Achane each averaged at least 1 rushing yard over expected per attempt; Achane led the NFL with 5.7 yards per carry; and Taylor and Gibbs paced all NFLers with 20 and 18 touchdowns, respectively.
As a receiver, CMC gets credit for logging an historic third 100-100 season and pacing all RBs in receiving EPA (+32), with Robinson and Gibbs behind him. But his deficiencies in the running game cannot be overlooked.
CMC should have landed in the top 20, but the top six is a little rich for my blood, inspiring comeback story notwithstanding.