Where does James Conner rank vs. NFC West running backs?
By Sion Fawkes
If the Arizona Cardinals didn’t have a bruiser of a back in James Conner, their running back room would be one of the most underwhelming in football. Luckily for the Redbirds, Conner remains an undisputed RB1 in the NFL, and he is particularly good at finding the end zone.
Before Conner came to the desert, he racked up 2,302 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns with the Pittsburgh Steelers, along with 124 catches, 963 yards, and another four touchdowns. Those are good numbers, but Conner achieved a few of them in only half the number of seasons in the desert.
And in 2023, Conner should be the lifeblood of the Cardinals offense until Kyler Murray returns to action. This will make him a major piece of the offense yet again, and behind a deep offensive line built to run block.
Where does James Conner rank among his NFC West peers?
5 - Elijah Mitchell, San Francisco 49ers
Elijah Mitchell only played in five games last season, and he never saw action in more than three games at a time. But he also never averaged less than 4.9 yards per carry in any of the five games in which he played.
If the San Francisco 49ers decide to keep him, then you can expect Mitchell to be the top RB2 in the NFC West, spelling Christian McCaffrey as needed. He is injury-prone, but if Mitchell stays healthy, he will be making life miserable for opposing defenses.
4 - Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams
Cam Akers put up some solid numbers in 2022, and he would have ranked higher if he enjoyed more consistent production. His 786 yards on 188 rushing attempts and seven touchdowns were solid, but he only came on strong over the final four weeks of the season.
If Akers falls flat on his face to open the season, he may subsequently fall right out of these rankings. But if he plays the way he did between Weeks 15 and 18, Akers could be a dark horse to record some Pro Bowl numbers.