The expectations for Bijan Robinson were high as soon as he entered the NFL in 2023 as the first running back taken with a top-10 pick in five years.
Robinson made an impact almost from the start with the Atlanta Falcons and then took his game to another level last season when he led the NFL in yards from scrimmage and was picked as the All-Pro running back.
That production helped Robinson win the honor of being named the top running back in the league by The Associated Press.
A panel of eight AP pro football writers ranked the top five players at running back, basing selections on current status entering the 2026 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.
Robinson got three first-place votes, one second and was the only player named on all eight ballots to win the voting with 41 points. San Francisco's Christian McCaffrey got two first-place votes and finished second with 33 points, with Baltimore's Derrick Henry also getting two first-place votes and coming in third with 30 points.
The other first-place vote went to Saquon Barkley, who finished fourth, with Detroit's Jahmyr Gibbs coming in fifth.
Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor and Buffalo's James Cook also received votes.
1. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Robinson, the eighth pick in 2023, is one of the top dual-threat backs in the league, finishing fourth in the league in rushing last season with 1,478 yards to go along with 820 yards receiving.
He became the second player ever with at least 1,400 yards rushing and 800 yards receiving in the same season, joining Steven Jackson, who did it in 2006.
Robinson led the NFL with 2,298 yards from scrimmage and scored 11 TDs on the season.
2. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
McCaffrey has established himself as the most dangerous receiving threat out of the backfield and is a focal point of Kyle Shanahan's passing game in San Francisco.
McCaffrey wasn't the explosive runner last season as he had been earlier in his career, rushing for 1,202 yards and averaging just 3.9 yards per carry. He more than made up for that with 102 catches for 924 yards as he nearly became the first player ever with two seasons with at least 1,000 yards rushing and receiving.
McCaffrey generated an NFL-best 119 first downs, matching the most for any player in the past 15 seasons.
3. Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens
People have been waiting for Henry to shows signs of decline as he reached his 30s but it hasn't been evident yet.
Henry has topped 1,500 yards rushing in each of the past two seasons after turning 30, with his five 1,500-yard seasons tied with Barry Sanders for the most ever.
Henry ranked second in the NFL last season with 1,595 yards rushing and is 10th all-time with 13,018 yards. He set a record last season with his seventh 200-yard game and has a record-tying four seasons with at least 15 TD runs.
4. Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
Barkley took a step back from his record-setting 2024 season when his 2,504 yards rushing in the regular season and playoffs were the most ever as Philadelphia's offense was less potent last season. He still managed to rush for 1,140 yards and scored nine total TDs to earn some support in this voting.
5. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
Gibbs has been a scoring machine since entering the league with Robinson in 2023, when he was picked four spots later at No. 12 overall. Gibbs' 49 career touchdowns are the most ever for a player before turning 24 years old, topping the previous mark of 47 set by Lions legend Barry Sanders.
Gibbs rushed for 1,223 yards and added 616 more receiving last season when he scored 18 overall TDs.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl