Falcons top CBS Sports’ 2026 ranking of NFL running back duos
CBS Sports put Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson Jr. at No. 1 in a star-heavy list led by Atlanta, Detroit and Baltimore.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
The Atlanta Falcons have the NFL’s top running back pairing entering the 2026 season, according to a new CBS Sports ranking by Jared Dubin.
Dubin placed Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson Jr. at No. 1, putting Atlanta ahead of a list packed with headline names including Jahmyr Gibbs, Derrick Henry and Christian McCaffrey. The ranking weighed star power, backfield balance, recent production and projection, according to CBS Sports.
Bijan Robinson drove the Falcons’ case. CBS Sports described him as arguably the league’s best running back after a season in which he ran for 1,478 yards and seven touchdowns while adding 79 catches for 820 yards and four more scores. Brian Robinson Jr. was credited as a strong second piece after rushing for at least 733 yards in each of his first three NFL seasons before getting 400 yards in San Francisco last year while playing 17% of the offensive snaps.
Detroit landed at No. 2 with Jahmyr Gibbs and Isiah Pacheco. Dubin wrote that the duo is powered mostly by Gibbs, who has averaged more than 5.0 yards per carry in each of his three NFL seasons and has 49 total touchdowns. CBS Sports noted that Gibbs had 77 catches last season and that Dan Campbell has suggested a larger workload could be coming.
The Baltimore Ravens took the No. 3 spot with Derrick Henry and Justice Hill. Henry was credited with 1,595 rushing yards at 5.2 yards per carry in a season when Lamar Jackson was described by CBS Sports as dealing with injury and uneven effectiveness by his standards. Hill’s value, Dubin wrote, comes through pass protection and receiving work alongside Henry.
The rest of the top 10
- No. 4: Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson, Patriots
- No. 5: D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, Bears
- No. 6: Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, Rams
- No. 7: Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier, Cardinals
- No. 8: Christian McCaffrey and the 49ers’ other backs
- No. 9: James Cook and Ray Davis, Bills
- No. 10: Omarion Hampton and Keaton Mitchell, Chargers
New England’s pairing was one of the bigger rises in the CBS Sports evaluation. Dubin wrote that Stevenson dealt with fumbling issues and Henderson struggled to get on the field before Stevenson’s injury opened the door for Henderson. CBS Sports said both backs now look capable of helping on the ground and as receivers, with Henderson’s pass protection listed as a key area.
Chicago’s D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai came in fifth after Swift averaged 4.9 yards per carry with a 54.7% rushing success rate, according to CBS Sports. Monangai averaged 4.6 yards per carry and also cleared a 50% success rate, per Pro-Football-Reference, as cited by Dubin.
For the Rams at No. 6, Kyren Williams’ touchdown production led the profile. CBS Sports credited him with 36 rushing touchdowns and eight receiving scores across three seasons as a starter, while Blake Corum averaged 5.1 yards on 145 carries in 2025.
The Cardinals’ No. 7 ranking leaned on projection around Jeremiyah Love, whom CBS Sports called one of the best recent running back prospects. At Notre Dame, Love ran for 2,497 yards at 6.9 yards per carry with 35 rushing touchdowns across two seasons as a starter, while also catching 55 passes for 517 yards and five scores.
McCaffrey alone was enough to put San Francisco at No. 8 in Dubin’s ranking. CBS Sports pointed to his receiving production, 102 catches for 924 yards and seven touchdowns last season, while noting his history as a rushing champion.
Buffalo’s James Cook and Ray Davis ranked ninth, with Cook coming off 1,621 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, 33 catches, 291 receiving yards and two receiving scores, according to CBS Sports. The Chargers rounded out the list, with Dubin projecting Omarion Hampton and Keaton Mitchell as fits for new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.
CBS Sports also listed five honorable mentions: the Broncos’ J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey, the Eagles’ Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby, the Vikings’ Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, the Steelers’ Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle, and the Buccaneers’ Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.