Gil Brandt's Top RB's

Former Cowboys GM Gil Brandt helped build the Dallas dynasty of the 1970's. He remains a living encyclopedia on NFL history. Lately he's been publishing lists of top players by position. If anyone would know, it would be Brandt.

 

His lists aren't perfect. Some claim he ranks his Cowboys higher than deserved. One Cowboy he omitted from his list of the greatest 27 running backs in history retired with the second most all-purpose yards in NFL history. But he did add rookie Ezekiel Elliott to the list. To his credit Brandt did include ten backs who played before 1970, and 19 from before 1990.
  

rank.rush.all-purpose.years  

27. 05173 12799 1952-1958 Ollie Matson

26. 01631 01994 2016-2016 Ezekiel Elliott

25. 08597 10539 1958-1967 Jim Taylor

24. 01696 04720 1946-1955 Marion Motley

23. 08378 12532 1948-1962 Joe Perry

22. 12243 17648 1982-1992 Marcus Allen

21. 06323 12173 1967-1975 Floyd Little

20. 08081 08901 1968-1974 Larry Csonka

19. 07607 08880 1995-2001 Terrell Davis

18. 13662 15113 1993-2005 Jerome Bettis

17. 12074 16532 1988-1999 Thurman Thomas

16. 06803 08346 1954-1966 John Henry Johnson

15. 11352 13435 1971-1986 John Riggins

14. 02782 03184 1987-1990 Bo Jackson

13. 11747 14108 2007-2017 Adrian Peterson

12. 14101 17421 1995-2006 Curtis Martin

11. 12280 19190 1994-2005 Marshall Faulk

10. 18355 21564 1990-2004 Emmitt Smith

09. 12739 16326 1977-1988 Tony Dorsett

08. 15269 18308 1989-1998 Barry Sanders

07. 09407 10213 1978-1985 Earl Campbell

06. 13259 15411 1983-1993 Eric Dickerson

05. 13684 18456 2001-2011 LaDainian Tomlinson

04. 04956 09435 1965-1977 Gale Sayers

03. 11236 14368 1969-1779 OJ Simpson

02. 16726 21803 1975-1987 Walter Payton

01. 12312 15459 1957-1965 Jim Brown 

 

00. 08225 18168 1986-1997 Herschel Walker