Who Are The Most Undervalued NFL Running Backs?

Who Are The Most Undervalued NFL Running Backs?
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Neither Ohio NFL team made the playoffs last season. But at least one position delivered good value for both the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals.

BetOhio.com, where real money Ohio sportsbook promotions are always handy, used Spotrac.com and Pro-Football-Reference.com to find the most undervalued NFL running backs from the 2024 season. According to 2024 salary, rushing and receiving yards, Bengals’ Chase Brown and Browns’ Jerome Ford are among the most undervalued in their position.

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Most Undervalued NFL Running Backs

Rank

Player

$ Per Rush. Rec. Yard

1

Bucky Irving (TB)

$646

2

Kyren Williams (LAR)

$717

3

Chase Brown (CIN)

$731

4

Tyrone Tracy Jr. (NYG)

$772

5

De’Von Achane (MIA)

$824

6

Kareem Hunt (KCC)

$908

7

Jaylen Warren (PIT)

$1,205

8

James Cook (BUF)

$1,255

9

Jerome Ford (CLE)

$1,349

10

Rachaad White (TB)

$1,391

This analysis about undervalued NFL rushers is part of our Ohio sports betting content here at BetOhio.com.

Chase Brown Contract Value Is High

In his second NFL season, Chase Brown had a breakout performance for the Bengals. After seeing limited offensive duty as a rookie in 2023-24, Brown rushed for 990 yards and seven touchdowns last season, averaging 4.3 yards per carry. He added 360 receiving yards and four TDs on 54 catches.

On our list of running backs delivering great value for their teams, the former Illinois standout ranks third, at $731 per offensive yard. That trailed only Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie Bucky Irving ($646 per yard gained) and Rams RB Kyren Williams ($717) last season.

Will Cincinnati choose an offensive lineman at No. 17 overall in this month’s NFL Draft to help Brown (plus Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ stud receiving duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins)? Our 2025 NFL Draft pick positions analysis gives some insights.

Brown is still on his four-year rookie contract. For the 2025-26 season, according to Spotrac.com data, the team is on the hook for a salary cap hit barely over $1 million ($1.03 million base salary plus a prorated portion of his signing bonus), making him a bargain among today’s NFL running backs.

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Where Jerome Ford Ranks As A Value For The Browns

Last year, Cleveland Browns RB Jerome Ford was fifth on our list of undervalued NFL running backs. He’s still there this year at No. 9, with 790 total offensive yards in the 2024 season (565 rushing, 225 receiving) even in a campaign where his productivity dipped.

In 2003-24, Ford had 813 yards rushing and 319 through the air, becoming a breakout performer in his second NFL season. But Cleveland Browns betting odds tanked last season along with the team, for which Ford cannot be reasonably blamed, especially because injuries cost him three games. Cleveland fell from No. 16 in total offense the previous season to No. 28, at 300.8 yards per game, in 2024-25.

Undervalued NFL players have become a rarity in Cleveland, but Ford remained a viable candidate in that conversation with a base salary of $985,000. In the final year of his rookie contract, Ford is scheduled to make $3.263 million in base salary this coming season. He will be an unrestricted free agent after that unless the Browns give him a contract extension.

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USA Today photo by Troy Taormina

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Author

Jim Tomlin

Ohio native Jim Tomlin has 30 years of experience in journalism, mostly in sports. He lends his expertise to BetOhio.com as a writer and editor after previous experience at the Tampa Bay Times, FanRag, Saturday Down South and Saturday Tradition.

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