Eagles RB Saquon Barkley Named Top Rusher Ahead of 2025 NFL Season

The Philadelphia Eagles decision to sign free agent RB Saquon Barkley last offseason proved to be the right one with the Penn State product becoming the ninth back in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season on their way to a Super Bowl title.

After the best season of his career, Barkley claimed the top spot of a running back rankings list released by ESPN ahead of the 2025 NFL season.

Saquon Barkley Named Top RB in the NFL Ahead of 2025 Season by ESPN

ESPN”s Jeremy Fowler conducted a poll of sorts regarding who executives, coaches, and scouts across the NFL believe is the best running back in league entering the 2025 season. Well, the answer was almost unanimously Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley.

Fowler wrote, “Barkley’s Super Bowl-inspired run in 2024 harkens back to then-New York Giants GM Dave Gettleman taking serious heat for selecting a running back with the second overall pick despite plenty of good quarterbacks available in the 2018 draft. Barkley was just that good. And just maybe, that pick wasn’t so bad and Gettleman looks smart?”

Barkley was nothing short of spectacular during his first year in Philadelphia, rushing for 2,005 yards 13 touchdowns to go with 33 receptions for 278 yards and another two scores in 2024.

Ironically enough, Barkley was well within striking range to break Eric Dickerson’s record of 2,105 rushing yards in a single season, but elected to rest the final week of the regular season with their playoff seeding already secure.

This decision to forego an individual accolade to prioritize health entering the postseason paid off.

Barkley’s 499 yards and five scores over the Eagles four-game playoff run was pivotal to Philadelphia hoisting the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in franchise history. In his first three playoff games with Philadelphia, Barkley topped 100 yards rushing and scored a rushing touchdown to help lead the Eagles’ offense.

Fowler added, “When including the regular season and playoffs, Barkley’s 2,504 rush yards and seven scrimmage touchdowns of 60-plus yards are the most in a season in NFL history. His speed was constantly on display, reaching at least 20 mph on nine touchdown runs, per Next Gen Stats. No other player had more than two.”

Barkley is still at the peak of his powers physically at the age of 28, but history isn’t exactly on the side of the Penn State product after rushing for over 2,000 yards last season.

The nine backs who have rushed for 2,000 yards in a season are Barkley, Dickerson, Adrian Peterson, Jamal Lewis, Barry Sanders, Derrick Henry, Terrell Davis, Chris Johnson, and O.J. Simpson.

Do you know how many of those players have rushed for over 2,000 yards in a season twice in their career? None.

In other words, no back who has hit that elite mark has ever improved upon that mark the next season.

Now, Saquon is an exceptional talent who is positioned to play behind one of the best offensive lines in the league with dynamic wideouts on the perimeter to keep defenses honest.

Betting against Barkley isn’t something I’d recommend, but history does suggest that the odds of Barkley topping 2,005 rushing yards in 2025 isn’t a sure bet.