During this year’s free agency cycle and 2026 NFL draft, all four AFC North teams made significant moves to add talent to their rosters. While more additions are still possible over the next few months, everyone’s core players are mostly set ahead of the 2026 season.
How do the different positional groups in the division stack up to one another? Let’s rank the AFC North squads by position, continuing with running back.
1. Baltimore Ravens
Starter: Derrick Henry
Depth: Justice Hill, Rasheen Ali, Adam Randall
Entering his
third season with the Ravens, Derrick Henry remains one of the league’s premier running backs at 32 years old. He’s scored 32 rushing touchdowns over the past two years and ran for over 3,500 yards, while averaging 5.6 yards per carry and over 100 yards per game. Predicting Henry’s decline has become a losing game and another strong campaign is likely in store in 2026. The Ravens have solid depth behind him despite losing Keaton Mitchell in free agency. Justice Hill remains Henry’s primary backup and third-down back. The Ravens replaced Mitchell by drafting Clemson’s Adam Randall in the fifth round.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
Starter: Jaylen Warren
Depth: Rico Dowdle, Kaleb Johnson, Eli Heidenrich
Jaylen Warren assumed the lead running back role for the Steelers last season and totaled over 1,200 scrimmage yards with 11 combined touchdowns, while averaging 4.5 yards per carry. Warren ceded a lot of pass-catching reps to Kenneth Gainwell, who departed in free agency. While the loss of Gainwell is impactful, the Steelers signed Rico Dowdle in free agency. Dowdle has rushed for 1,000+ yards in back-to-back seasons and scored seven total touchdowns in 2025 for the Carolina Panthers. The X-factor in this group is rising sophomore Kaleb Johnson. Johnson was a non-factor last season in a disappointing rookie campaign, but still possesses the upside to become an offensive contributor.
3. Cincinnati Bengals
Starter: Chase Brown
Depth: Samaje Perine, Tahj Brooks, Gary Brightwell
Chase Brown’s 2025 season got off to a putrid start but improved as the year progressed. He wound up eclipsing the 1,000-yard rushing mark and scored 11 times with another 437 yards added through the air. Brown has been a solid dual-threat starter for two years now. Samaje Perine returned to the Bengals last year and rushed for nearly 400 yards with three scores in a second-string role. Perine is a capable third-down back. Tahj Brooks was a sixth-round pick last season and saw very limited action in his rookie campaign.
4. Cleveland Browns
Starter: Quinshon Judkins
Depth: Dylan Sampson, Raheim Sanders, Ahmani Marshall
Gone are the days of Nick Chubb as the Browns are now in a youth era at running back. Quinshon Judkins was a revelation at times in his 2025 rookie season but is returning from a significant leg injury suffered last December. That clouds his prospects for the coming 2026 season. Judkins fell just short of 1,000 scrimmage yards and scored seven touchdowns in 14 games. His rushing efficiency wasn’t great but opposing defenses were able to key in on him. Fellow rising sophomore Dylan Sampson was more productive as a pass-catcher then rusher last season and should be the team’s primary third-down option.
