The NFL awards were handed out yesterday, so now is as good a time as any to reflect on the past season. This article will cover the top five running backs of the 2015 NFL season; it is not, as some may contend, a list of the five best running backs talent-wise. The criteria is simply based upon how well each player performed given the context of their season in 2015, and nothing else. Obviously, Adrian Peterson is on this list, but who else made it?
5. David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals
This may come as a shock to some people, as Johnson only started the final five games of the year for the Cardinals and had a mere 581 yards rushing on the season, but the rookie actually had one of the most productive seasons out of any running back in 2015.
He had under 200 total touches in 16 games played, but still scored 13 total touchdowns -- good for the second most by any running back in the league.
Johnson was a home-run hitter all season, and ended with 125 carries, 581 yards and eight touchdowns rushing; 36 receptions, 457 yards and four touchdowns receiving; and 22 returns for another 598 yards (27.2 average) and one touchdown on kick returns. He was an excellent playmaker for the second-best team in the NFC.
4. Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Muscle Hamster finally made his way back into the spotlight, having his first productive year since his rookie season. Second in the league in rushing at 1,402 yards, and would've found his way higher up this list if he could just find the end zone a bit more. Only six rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown, he was disappointing purely on that end of things. Other than that (well, that and a league-leading five fumbles lost), Martin had an outstanding 2015.
3. Todd Gurley, St. Louis Rams
Of course, Johnson wasn't the only rookie who made waves this year. Gurley had a season to remember, and there was a time when it was shocking if he did break a 40-plus-yard touchdown in a game. He was a big-play machine, and despite starting only 12 games, he finished the year third in rushing yards.
The Georgia product came off of an ACL tear to rush for better than 1,100 yards, averaging 4.8 yards per pop and scored 10 times. If the quarterback play was better, he might have had some more impressive receiving numbers, but his running ability was comparable only to perhaps Peterson in 2015.
2. Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons
Freeman had the definition of a breakout season. Expected to originally be in a by-committee situation with Tevin Coleman, the latter got injured early in the year. The second-year man out of FSU took full advantage, becoming one of the most productive backs in the NFL.
He ended up with 1,056 yards on the ground and 11 touchdowns; but what was most impressive overall was that he was just as successful in the passing game, catching 73 balls for another 578 yards and three more touchdowns. His 14 combined scores were the most for any running back in the NFL in 2015.
1. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
Finally, Peterson has to take home the honors for the top running back in 2015. He's the only proven veteran workhorse left in the league at this point, and was the only back to average 20 carries per game. He led the league in rushing with 1,485 yards, a 4.5 YPC average and 11 touchdowns; he added another 30 receptions for 222 yards as well.
He was able to do all of that while being the primary focus of the opposing defense, something very few backs in the league can say they had that in common anymore. While this has become a passing league, Peterson continues to prove that being a run-first team still has its appeal when you're as talented as he is.
