Is Cowboys Javonte Williams a top-10 RB? ESPN doesn't think he's close
· Yahoo Sports
The Cowboys may have found stability in the backfield with running back Javonte Williams, but national recognition has yet to fully follow.
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ESPN polled league executives, coaches, and scouts from around the NFL for their seventh annual top-10 position rankings and Williams was notably absent, a surprising development given his productive 2025 campaign.
The compilation of votes was intended to rank the current state of running backs and not supposed to take future projections nor career achievements into the equation. Williams' omission raises questions about how he is viewed.
The List
The list leaned toward bigger-name backs who have consistently dominated headlines and produced at a high level for multiple seasons.
Atlanta's Bijan Robinson almost unanimously took the top spot followed by Detroit's Jahmyr Gibbs. Eagles RB Saquon Barkley, San Francisco's Christian McCaffrey, and Colts RB Jonathan Taylor rounded out the top five.
32-year-old Ravens RB Derrick Henry took the sixth spot while Buffalo's James Cook, the NFL's leading rusher last season, took seventh. Miami's De'Von Achane, fresh off a new deal, took eighth place while new Chiefs and reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III took ninth. Jets RB Breece Hall landed in the final spot to finish out the top 10.
Green Bay's Josh Jacobs was said to have slowed down slightly, the Rams Kyren Williams is believed to not have the high-end traits, and the young, yet unproven Browns Quinshon Judkins all received honorable mentions while Williams was relegated to the "also receiving votes" category — which places him somewhere between the 14th and 20th spot.
The Case Comparison
With so much visible firepower on offense in Dallas, it is easy to forget Williams in the backfield yet his statistics and 2026 projections are hard to ignore. In 2025, Williams ran for 1,201 yards, good for ninth-most in the NFL.
That sum bested Walker (9) by 174 yards, Hall (10) by 136 yards, and was even more than the third-ranked Barkley by 61 yards.
Williams averaged 4.8 yards per carry which would land him seventh of the 20 names who received any type of mention. His 11 rushing touchdowns and 67 first downs gained would rank sixth.
When it comes to longest rushing attempt in 2025, the 66-yard scamper Williams had against the Jets in Week 5 would be the fourth-longest run on the list only shorter than Robinson (93), Taylor (83), and Gibbs (78). So much for pegging Williams as just a bruising runner.
Not only that, his six rushes of 20 or more yards last year would also rank, coming in tied for ninth-place amongst the list further pushing him into the complete back category.
Conclusion
Right now, as the spirit of the vote was intended, Williams should be considered a top-ten running back. The cast of weaponry he is surrounded by should undoubtedly give him a chance at posting another 1,000-yard rushing season.
Ranking in the top-ten of multiple categories among what is considered the league's best should have given Williams the same type of trajectory worthy of consideration yet his past injury history may have factored into the eyes of some voters.
For Williams and the Cowboys, the omission may ultimately work in their favor. Entering the 2026 season, he now carries added motivation to prove his 2025 breakout was no fluke. If he can deliver another high-level performance, Williams will be difficult to ignore in ESPN's eight annual running back ranking.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Is Cowboys Javonte Williams a top-10 RB? ESPN doesn't think he's close