NFL running backs enjoyed a bounce-back offseason after a tumultuous 2023 that saw numerous top players at the position struggle to land the contracts they wanted. Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard, and D'Andre Swift were among the running backs to do well for themselves in free agency, all signing deals for at least $8 million annually despite the position seemingly losing value around the league.
Most teams solved their running back questions in free agency, and this year's draft reflected that. No running backs came off the board in the first round on Thursday, a year after Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs were both top-12 picks.
There is no surefire standout in the mold of Robinson or Gibbs in this draft, but that doesn't mean teams won't still find big-time contributors on Day 2 or even Day 3.
Here's a look at the first running back selected in the 2024 NFL Draft and where he ranks among the latest first running backs off the board in draft history.
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Who was the first running back selected in the 2024 NFL Draft?
The Panthers selected Texas RB Jonathon Brooks with the No. 46 pick Friday, making him the first running back off the board.
Brooks took over for Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson for the Longhorns in 2023 and played very well, rushing for 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns on 6.1 yards per attempt.
The junior suffered a torn ACL late in the season, forcing him to largely sit out the pre-draft process, but he still earns his way to the top of the running back class as the first player selected at the position.
The Panthers' running game struggled between Miles Sanders and Chuba Hubbard in 2023. With a new regime in place, Brooks will have time to work his way back from the ACL tear if needed but should have a path to significant snaps as soon as he's fully recovered.
Latest first running backs selected
2024 marks only the fourth time since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 that no running back was selected in the first round. 2013, 2014, and 2022 are the only other drafts without a first-round running back, showcasing how much the position has been devalued in recent years.
Brooks is the second-latest running back to be the first one selected in an NFL Draft, behind only Bishop Sankey (2014).
Here's a look at the latest first running backs to be drafted since 1970.
MORE: First running back drafted by year
| Pick | Player | Team | Year |
| 54 | Bishop Sankey | Titans | 2014 |
| 46 | Jonathon Brooks | Panthers | 2024 |
| 37 | Giovani Bernard | Bengals | 2013 |
| 36 | Breece Hall | Jets | 2022 |
| 32 | Clyde Edwards-Helaire | Chiefs | 2020 |
| 28 | Mark Ingram | Saints | 2011 |
| 26 | Greg Bell | Bills | 1984 |
| 24 | Steven Jackson | Rams | 2004 |
| 24 | Josh Jacobs | Raiders | 2019 |
| 24 | Najee Harris | Steelers | 2021 |
