Meet the three contenders for RB2 in the 2026 NFL Draft

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Running back discourse during the NFL Draft cycle almost always revolves around the top guy. Is Ashton Jeanty worth a top-10 pick? Should any back be taken in Round 1?  The discu sions can be dizzying (and tired), but the 2026 NFL Draft has been lucky to avoid the problems of a polarizing RB1. Notre Dame Fighting Irish star Jeremiyah Love took his talents to New York as a Heisman finalist and will almost certainly hear his name called in Round 1. He's a star who checks all the nece sary boxes, Bryan Bickell Jersey  and the only question is how high he'll go.  No other back has a serious case for Round 1. This running back cla s is a bad one, and as the football world stacks its consensus board, three players have made strong arguments to be a distant RB2.  Who is RB2 in the 2026 NFL Draft?  Emmett Johnson, Nebraska  Emmett Johnson was the Nebraska Cornhuskers' best player in 2025, and his dominance on the ground kept them competitive in the Big Ten. He rushed for 1,451 yards (leading the conference) and 12 touchdowns while adding another 370 yards through the air.  Johnson is at his best in structure. I like his combination of vision and footwork, and his agility helps him turn routine plays into explosives despite muddy looks between the tackles.  Johnson has enough speed to hit the occasional home run, but a lot might be riding on his time in Indianapolis. If he can separate himself athletically from his peers, the biggest hole in his profile will be a lack of refinement in pa s protection. Teams have been willing to overlook that in the past, making Johnson a potential top-50 pick and a starter come September.  Jonah Coleman, Washington  Johnson, at 200 pounds, is the smallest back in this conversation. Coleman is on the other side of the spectrum. At 5'9", 220 pounds, Coleman is a bowling ball whose low center of gravity meshes well with his contact balance and lateral agility.  There's a world in which Coleman splits time as part of a committee, given a lack of long speed and acce s to explosive plays. However, Coleman's consistency should land him an early-down role at the very least, and if a right-tailed outcome looks like David Montgomery, he'll make some team happy.  MORE:  It's worth noting that Coleman's ma s helps him project better than he's produced in pa s protection, and he was an efficient receiver in 2025. If one believes in his skills as a three-down back, his tackle-breaking ability could earn him the trust of a team picking in Round 2.  Jadarian Price, Notre Dame  Like Ohio State last season, Notre Dame may boast a pair of early-drafted backs headed to the league at the same time. Love is written into RB1 with Sharpie. Price, currently, is the consensus RB2.  I just don't see it.  Price has an average frame and fundamentals. The burst is exciting, and he should be able to find explosive runs at the next level, but he wasn't particularly consistent in his complementary role. Further, there's no proof of concept that he'll stay on the field for pa sing downs. He struggles in pa s protection, and while he has showcased flashes of route running, he has 15 career receptions.  Throw in an Achilles tear from his freshman season, and this profile looks a lot more like a Day 3 change-of-pace back than a starter. He's firmly in the conversation based on his draft stock, but I'm more likely to turn to Penn State's Nicholas Singleton on Day 2 than rolling the dice on Price.  More NFL Draft news  Hurricanes Custom Jersey