If there is one position group in the AFC West with more boom or bust potential than any other heading into the 2026 season, it has to be the running back position.
Although the Denver Broncos' running game was part of the reason for their inability to beat the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, they've assembled a talented stable of backs heading into the 2026 campaign. The question is, how do they stack up against their peers in the AFC West?
The AFC West includes some of the most intriguing running backs in the league right now, and all of them for different reasons. We're going to do our best to rank the top four players (each team's projected starter) for the upcoming season from worst to best.
Every starting RB in the AFC West ranked for the 2026 season
4. Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers
He only played 9 games as a rookie, but Omarion Hampton put together a pretty respectable season for the Los Angeles Chargers as a 1st-round pick. The upside with run-game genius Mike McDaniel now calling the offense for the Chargers is tremendous.
Although Hampton is a bigger back, he's explosive and capable of wearing down defenses over the course of a game. He might be a little too attracted to contact, but he was still able to average a solid 4.4 yards per carry as a rookie, racking up 737 yards from scrimmage and five total touchdowns in his nine games played.
Chargers fans are understandably expecting a massive jump from Hampton this season, both because he got his rookie lumps out of the way as well as the arrival of McDaniel. On top of that, and maybe most importantly, the Chargers getting healthy on the offensive line has fans salivating over what could be this season.
For the time being, it feels like the Broncos perhaps whiffed by not taking Hampton when they had the chance. We'll see how things play out into the future with Jahdae Barron and RJ Harvey, but many felt like Hampton was a no-brainer fit in the first round, and if he explodes for the Chargers this season, that sound of hindsight regret is only going to get louder.
3. Kenneth Walker, Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs knew they probably had to invest another year in some of their high draft selections on the offensive line, so their primary method of "protecting" Patrick Mahomes coming off of a major knee injury was signing Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker from the Seahawks.
Walker's four years in Seattle were solid, not great, but his postseason performance was incredible. He had over 400 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns during Seattle's championship run, and would have had nearly 500 and five touchdowns had one big run not gotten called back against New England.
Walker set a career-high with over 1,300 yards from scrimmage last season, but there are legitimate questions about his viability on all three downs. On check-downs, Walker can be effective, but he's not much of a dynamic threat as a receiver. As a pass protector, he's been consistently ridiculed and under the microscope.
But the Chiefs needed a more dynamic running back, and they got one. Walker is a solid player who could thrive with Eric Bieniemy as his position coach and Andy Reid calling plays.
2. JK Dobbins, Denver Broncos
Through 10 games last season, JK Dobbins was unquestionably one of the top 5-10 running backs in the NFL overall.
Category | Stat | League Rank (through Week 10) |
|---|---|---|
Rushing Yards | 772 yards | 5th |
Yards per carry | 5.0 | 8th |
Explosive runs (10+ yards) | 21 | T-4th |
Dobbins posted these numbers despite facing a stacked box more than only two other running backs in the NFL all of last season (Quinshon Judkins, Derrick Henry), per NFL Next Gen Stats. The fact that Dobbins was able to rank 5th in the league in rushing yards and 4th in explosive runs despite facing a loaded box 36.6 percent of the time is incredible.
He doesn't get enough credit for just how good he's been over the last two seasons, but the Broncos prioritized bringing him back this offseason on a two-year deal worth $16 million and the potential -- through incentives -- of reaching $20 million.
We'll see what kind of workload the Broncos give Dobbins, but he wasn't held back at all during OTAs or minicamp. He was close to being healthy enough to play in the AFC Championship Game, and has said this offseason that he would have played if they had reached the Super Bowl. But it wasn't meant to be.
Over the last two years with the Chargers and Broncos, Dobbins's 17-game average is 1,380 yards from scrimmage and 10 total touchdowns. He's vowed not to miss any time this year, which would be the first time in his career if that happens. And if he does stay on the field all year, it could be special from a production standpoint.
1. Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders
No running back in the AFC West has the combination of talent, production, and upside that Ashton Jeanty does. Even though Kenneth Walker is the reigning Super Bowl MVP, Jeanty is pretty easily the best and most promising running back in the division right now.
Although it felt like his entire rookie season was tough sledding (it was), Jeanty still managed to rack up 1,321 yards from scrimmage and 10 total touchdowns. He ran for 975 and added 55 receptions out of the backfield.
Having Klint Kubiak as his new head coach/offensive play-caller, the sky is the limit for what Jeanty can do this upcoming season. You just have to hope the Broncos can limit his effectiveness in the two games they play against the Raiders.
There are no guarantees when it comes to player development and progression in the NFL. Progress is not always linear, but Jeanty's arrow is definitely pointing up. We'll see if the Raiders can have a more balanced offense this season to make life a little easier on Jeanty, but seeing him touch the ball less than 300 times this season would be a shock.
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