Wow, the race to lead the NFL in rushing yards in 2022 is intense! I’m really excited to watch the competition unfold this season. As I look over the roster of players I can’t help but be impressed. There are stars like Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, and Todd Gurley who have all posted impressive numbers in the past so I expect they will be among the leaders in this category. But, there are also some newcomers who will definitely give them a challenge.
Let’s start with the veterans. Derrick Henry had the highest single-season rushing total in 2020 and consists an undoubted leader of the pack. His impressive 224 yards per game average and 6.7 yard per carry are absolutely stunning. I’m sure he’s hungry to keep his amazing streak alive in the upcoming 2022 season.
Saquon Barkley enters this season with a vengeance as well! The two-time Pro Bowler is determined to become the first player to lead the league in rushing yards two years in a row. His 3,464 career rushing yards and impressive 5.6 yard average per carry are certainly nothing to scoff at.
However, there are several dark horses in the game now. Nick Chubb had a breakout year in 2020, with 1,494 rushing yards and a 5.3 yard average per carry. He has demonstrated he has what it takes to be one of the leaders at this game and I’m sure he’s aiming higher for the 2022 season.
The Los Angeles Rams have two of the strongest contenders for this year’s top spot: Todd Gurley and D’Andre Swift. Gurley has logged 7,494 career rushing yards and 4.9 yards per carry over his 8 year career. Swift was taken in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft and rushed for 1,200 yards and 5.3 yards per carry across his 15-game rookie season so I’m curious to see what he can do in his sophmore year in the league.
There is no doubt this is going to be a highly contested race! I’m sure the competition between Henry, Barkley, Chubb, Gurley, and Swift will be neck-and-neck until the final week of the season. It’s going to take a lot of sacrifice and commitment from each and every one of them to come out on top.
On top of these top contenders, there are also many emerging stars I’m excited to watch. Kenyan Drake, Joe Mixon, Melvin Gordon, and Christian McCaffrey all have very impressive records that can make them major competitors for leading the pack in 2022. For example, Joe Mixon has rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of the past three seasons and is quickly becoming one of the best young players in the league. It would be a lof of fun to see all of these great players compete for the top spot!
I’m ready to kick off the 2021 season and see who steps up to the plate to be next year’s best rusher. It’s definitely going to be an exciting and hard-fought race! Who do you think will come out on top?