At this time last year, most Chicago Bears fans did not like D’Andre Swift. When Ben Johnson was hired, it was all but assured that he would not be back. Now, Bears fans love Swift, but even they would be a bit surprised by just how highly he had graded out last year.Â
Pro Football Focus recently ranked the best running backs in the NFL based on their grading system. While most fans would agree that Swift was good last year, most would say the top ten is a bit high. Still, the system ranked Swift ninth among running backs.Â
"The Ben Johnson addition to the Bears’ coaching staff did wonders for Swift’s career, as he set career highs across the board in rushing yards (1,234), yards after contact (754), rushing touchdowns (10), rushing first downs (66), missed tackles forced (45), explosive runs (33) and rushing grade (88.2)."Jim Wyman
D’Andre Swift is one of the best running backs in the NFL
Some of this comes down to sample size and role. Kenneth Walker ranked first, and Zach Charbonnet ranked fourth. Both split a backfield for the Seattle Seahawks. We all agree that Seattle improved its running game last year, but not many would say it was because it had two of the NFL's elite rushers.
Because Seattle had both, they could use their skills to the best of their ability. So, Walker thrived in his role, Charbonnet was great when called upon, and they both graded out well.Â
This is not quite saying that they are the best, and if we re-drafted the NFL, they would go this high. More than they provided the most value, thanks to their role. This can be a bit of a credit to Ben Johnson, who is clearly putting Swift in a position to grade out well.
However, a lot of the best rushers did make the list. De’Von Achane and Bijan Robinson rounded out the top four, and both would be high on any ranking list. Josh Jacobs, Jahmyr Gibbs, Kyren Williams, and Breece Hall were the other names ahead of Swift, and most would agree with that ranking as well.Â
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Notable players below Swift include James Cook, Jonathan Taylor, and Christian McCaffrey. So, it is likely fair to say that Swift is certainly a top 15 rusher, but maybe not quite a top 10 when it comes to the real ranking of most talented running backs.