BY RALPH VENTRE
New York Jets’ running back Breece Hall is not lacking self-confidence.
Entering into a friendly debate on the social media site formerly known as Twitter, Hall ranked the Top 5 running backs in the National Football League and placed his name atop the list.
The latest conversation stemmed from a Complex Sports published interview with Atlanta Falcons rookie Bijan Robinson. Asked to name the NFL’s Top 5 running backs, excluding himself, Robinson listed Christian McCaffrey (49ers), Hall, Kyren Williams (Rams), Jahmyr Gibbs (Lions) and Derrick Henry (Titans).
Hall revised Robinson’s Top 5 and posted it to his X page. The Jets’ RB1 ranked himself first followed by Robinson second, McCaffrey third and Gibbs fourth. Fifth place was a tie between Henry and David Montgomery (Lions).
As for whether Hall’s rankings are accurate is up for debate. He slotted the 2023 NFL rushing champion third overall while overlooking Williams and Buffalo’s James Cook, who ranked third and fourth amongst NFL rushing leaders, respectively. Hall rushed for 994 yards in 2023, ranking 13th overall amongst league leaders.
In support of Hall, his 1,585 scrimmage yards were second most amongst NFL running backs in 2023, slightly ahead of Cook (1,567) but well behind McCaffrey (2,023). The feat appears even more impressive considering Hall was coming off an ACL tear and running behind a makeshift Jets’ offensive line.
Despite an impressive comeback from the injury that prematurely ended his rookie season, Hall was available but not consistently effective throughout the 2023 campaign. He had fewer than 30 rush yards in eight of 17 games and averaged under 2.5 yards per carry on seven occasions. During a nine-game stretch from mid-October to mid-December, Hall did not eclipse the 50-yard rushing mark in a game.
Breece Hall’s Top 5 RBs (2023 stats)
Breece Hall, Jets (1,585 yards, 9 total TD, 4.5 ypc)
Bijan Robinson, Falcons (1,471 yards, 8 total TD, 4.6 ypc)
Christian McCaffrey, 49ers (2,023 yards, 21 total TD, 5.4 ypc)
Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions (1,261 yards, 11 total TD, 5.2 ypc)
Derrick Henry, Titans (1,381 yards, 12 total TD, 4.2 ypc) / David Montgomery, Lions (1,132 yards, 13 total TD, 4.6 ypc)
TALKING PIGSKIN 