Top running back targets to monitor at 2022 NFL trade deadline originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Some big-name running backs already have been on the move.
Christian McCaffrey went from the Carolina Panthers to the San Francisco 49ers in a blockbuster trade last week. Then the New York Jets acted quickly to find a backfield replacement after rookie Breece Hall tore his ACL, acquiring James Robinson from the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Other familiar names could soon be on the trade market as contending teams bulk up for a playoff run.
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With just over a week remaining before the Nov. 1 trade deadline, here is a look at some of the top running backs that could be moved.
Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams
The Rams have been shopping the 23-year-old running back, who has just 51 carries for 151 yards this season. Akers, a second-round pick in the 2020 draft, had 625 yards and two touchdowns in his rookie season but played in just one game last year during the Rams' Super Bowl season due to an Achilles injury. He appears to have fallen out of favor with the team while playing backup to Darrell Henderson Jr. and reportedly was offered in a proposal for McCaffrey.
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Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns
Hunt is in the final year of a contract that pays him $6.5 million this season. He was a partial holdout at training camp while seeking a contract extension that never came. The 27-year-old Hunt has shared a backfield with primary ball carrier Nick Chubb since 2019. Through seven games this season, Hunt has 66 carries for 263 yards and three touchdowns.
Elijah Mitchell, San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers' leading rusher last season has now been buried on the depth chart. The 24-year-old, who ran for 963 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie, suffered a sprained MCL in Week 1 and is not expected to return until after San Francisco's bye week in early November. What his role might be when he returns is uncertain following the acquisition of McCaffrey and admirable job Jeff Wilson Jr. has done while filling in for Mitchell.
Jeff Wilson Jr., San Francisco 49ers
Or maybe it will be Wilson who gets moved by the 49ers when Mitchell returns. The 25-year-old Wilson, in his fifth season with the 49ers, took over the starting job when Mitchell went down in the first game of the season. He has rushed for 454 yards and two touchdowns on 88 carries. In McCaffrey's debut on Sunday, Wilson had a season-low 22 rushing yards.
Tyrion Davis-Price, San Francisco 49ers
Sticking with the 49ers here. The rookie running back, who was drafted in the third round, has been pushed further down the depth chart with the addition of McCaffrey. He struggled while backing up Wilson in Week 2, averaging just 2.3 yards per carry on 14 attempts before suffering an ankle sprain that cost him the next three games.
Antonio Gibson, Washington Commanders
Coming off a 1,037-yard season, Gibson lost the starting job to rookie Brian Robinson Jr. The 24-year-old Gibson, through the first four games of the season, had 53 carries for 173 yards and two touchdowns. Since Robinson Jr. got the majority of the carries in Week 5 and was named the starter in the following two games, Gibson has had 18 carries for 100 yards. A third-round pick in the 2020 draft, Gibson has 2,105 yards and 20 touchdowns over his first two-plus seasons.
J.D. McKissic, Washington Commanders
The seven-year veteran is a pass-catching back on the now-crowded Commanders' depth chart. The 29-year-old McKissic has 24 catches for 159 yards and 20 carries for 89 yards this season. Since joining Washington in 2020, McKissic has 147 receptions for 1,145 yards and four touchdowns and has averaged 4.4 yards per carry on 153 rushing attempts. He re-signed with the Commanders on a two-year, $7 million deal ahead of the 2022 season.
David Montgomery, Chicago Bears
Montgomery, the Bears' third-round pick in the 2019 draft, is in the final year of his rookie deal. He has been a consistent, well-rounded back, having rushed for 2,808 yards and 21 touchdowns and made 121 receptions for 924 yards and three touchdowns over his first three seasons. He's splitting carries this season with Khalil Herbert, who the Bears drafted in the sixth round of the 2021 draft. We'll soon find out if Montgomery is part of the Bears' long-term plans.
