Kenneth Walker III at No. 1 Ahead of Jahmyr Gibbs

Kenneth Walker III’s first season in Kansas City has put him at the top of the running back position. Through Week 7, Walker’s 94 grade in Pro Football Network’s NFL RB Impact Grade ranks first of 45 running backs. Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs is second at 89.9 and Carolina’s Chuba Hubbard is third at 89.3.

Max Chadwick, an NFL analyst for PFN, went through the top five on Pro Football Network’s YouTube channel and saw a clear break after Hubbard. “So there’s kind of a gap between the top three and everyone else,” Chadwick said.

Why Kenneth Walker III Is No. 1

Chadwick described Walker’s move from Seattle as exactly what the Chiefs needed, a runner who could “take some of the pressure off of Patrick Mahomes’ shoulders.” He also noted that Walker won Super Bowl MVP with the Seahawks before signing in Kansas City.

Video via Pro Football Network.

Through Week 7, Walker has 701 rushing yards on 120 carries. That is second in the NFL, and his 5.8 yards per carry rank first among 42 qualified rushers. Add 116 receiving yards and he has 817 yards from scrimmage, plus eight touchdowns, six rushing and two receiving. Chadwick said Walker has put up those numbers on only the sixth-most touches in the league and trails Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson by three rushing yards despite getting fewer carries.

“Rushing yards over expectation, this is the stat I want to go at the most here for Kenneth Walker,” Chadwick said. Walker leads 39 qualified rushers with 263 rush yards over expected, according to Next Gen Stats, and Chadwick put his lead over Robinson, who is second, at 113 yards. He gave Kansas City’s blockers some credit but put most of it on the runner: “I think the Chiefs’ offensive line has done a good job this year, but even when they haven’t, Kenneth Walker’s still creating a lot of offense as a runner.”

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Chadwick also looked at the grade against history. By his reading of PFN’s records back to 1999, a 94 would rank among the 15 best running back seasons in the system and would be the best since 2024, when Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry “just go nuclear.”

He then raised the possibility that the Chiefs had landed one of the greatest free-agent signings ever, adding that “Kenneth Walker could end up being that, especially if the Chiefs win the Super Bowl this year.” Chadwick called Walker a legitimate Offensive Player of the Year candidate on what he has done through seven weeks.

Jahmyr Gibbs Holds at No. 2

Chadwick opened his case for Gibbs with a joke that he might not need more touches, then took it back: “or maybe he does cuz he’s been incredible.” He called Gibbs a player who has “been the workhorse of that Lions offense for really his entire career.”

Gibbs’ track record backs him up. He finished third of 53 running backs in PFN’s Impact Grade in 2024 and fourth of 55 in 2025. Through Week 7 this season he has 620 rushing yards, fourth in the NFL, plus 32 catches for 270 yards and nine total touchdowns. He has 74 rush yards over expected, seventh among 39 qualified rushers, according to Next Gen Stats.

“What else do you want me to say? He’s a stud,” Chadwick said. He put Gibbs among the very top producers at the position as both a runner and a receiver.

Why Carolina Should Feed Chuba Hubbard

Chadwick spent his most pointed comments on Hubbard, and they were aimed at Carolina’s coaches as much as at the player. Through Week 7, Hubbard has 111 touches (96 carries and 15 catches), which Chadwick said ranks 17th in the league. That workload is why his raw production looks ordinary next to the rest of the top five.

What Hubbard has done with those touches is the point. He has 459 rushing yards, 13th in the NFL, along with 112 receiving yards and six touchdowns. His 87 rush yards over expected rank fifth among 39 qualified rushers, according to Next Gen Stats. Chadwick also pointed to how efficient Hubbard has been on each play as both a runner and a receiver. “He is making the most of them right now,” he said.

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Chadwick added that Hubbard has done this behind blocking that has not helped him. “It’s not been a great Panthers offensive line,” he said. His prescription for the Panthers was simple: “he has been so good when he gets the ball, just give him the ball more!”

James Cook at No. 4

Chadwick ranked Buffalo’s James Cook fourth and leaned on his consistency, saying “he’s played like a top five running back three straight years, and a top 10 running back four straight years.” PFN’s Impact Grade had Cook tied for fifth of 53 running backs in 2024 and fifth of 55 in 2025. He is fourth of 45 this season at 85.5.

Through Week 7, Cook has 627 rushing yards, third in the NFL, at 5.4 yards per carry. He has 716 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns, and his 106 rush yards over expected rank fourth among 39 qualified rushers, according to Next Gen Stats. Chadwick called him “An absolute superstar for the Buffalo Bills.”

Christian McCaffrey and Jaylen Warren Tie for Fifth

San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey and Pittsburgh’s Jaylen Warren share fifth place at 85.1. Chadwick said McCaffrey has given the 49ers production as both a receiver and a runner, saying “he’s everything for that Niners offense.” McCaffrey has eight rushing touchdowns, tied for first in the NFL, and 251 receiving yards on 34 catches. Chadwick said that receiving total ranks fourth among running backs.

Warren’s case rests on volume and efficiency. Through Week 7 he has 561 rushing yards, seventh in the NFL, and 294 receiving yards, good for 855 yards from scrimmage. Chadwick said only Robinson and Gibbs have more among running backs. Warren’s 5.5 yards per carry rank second among 42 qualified rushers, and his 143 rush yards over expected rank third of 39, according to Next Gen Stats.

Warren has scored only twice, one rushing touchdown and one receiving, and that is the clearest gap in his résumé. Chadwick looked past it, saying the Steelers back has been one of the most productive running backs in the league on a per-carry basis.