All-NFC South Team of the 2010s: Where do Saints running backs rank?

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All-NFC South Team of the 2010s: Where do Saints running backs rank?

John Sigler, Saints Wire · Saints Wire

Sun, Jul 12, 2026 ·

4 min read

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We've reached the next chapter in our All-NFC South Team of the 2010s, which means it's time to highlight the decade's best running backs. Two of them played for the New Orleans Saints -- Mark Ingram II, who won the team rushing titles before his tag-team partner Alvin Kamara came onto the scene and took those records for himself. But they weren't the NFC South's only talented rushers. They may have not even been the best to do it from 2010 to 2019. Let's take a look at who made the cut from the Saints, Atlanta Falcons , Carolina Panthers , and Tampa Bay Buccaneers .

Methodology

One key stat we're relying on is Approximate Value from Pro Football Reference , which PFR defines as "an attempt to put a single number on the seasonal value of a player at any position from any year." In practice, that means giving higher numbers to player who start more games, play more snaps, and do more to help their team win by racking up yards, scoring touchdowns, creating turnovers and sacking quarterbacks, and so on. We're also assigning point values to being named a first-team All-Pro (ten points), second-team All-Pro (five points), and Pro Bowler (three points). And then we're adding those numbers together. Remember, these are all-decade teams for the NFC South, which didn't exist until 2002, and only contributions on the four teams in the division factor into our formula. So Drew Brees earning a Pro Bowl nod with the San Diego Chargers in 2005 doesn't help him, for example.

First team: Mark Ingram II

NEW ORLEANS, LA - DECEMBER 24: Mark Ingram #22 of the New Orleans Saints reacts after a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on December 24, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Team: New Orleans Saints (2011 to 2018)
AV: 59
Awards:Pro Bowler (2)
Score: 65

Ingram's reward for toiling on some bad Saints teams from 2014 to 2016 was rising to the top of the franchise record books in almost every rushing category. He also had the most rushing yards in the NFC South from 2010 to 2019, with 6,007 across 106 games. Ingram's 50 touchdown runs were the most among running backs and second-most among all players ( Cam Newton had 58 of them), with Atlanta Falcons great Michael Turner in a distant third place at 33.

First team: Devonta Freeman

Aug 22, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman (24) runs the ball against the Washington Redskins in the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Team:Atlanta Falcons (2014 to 2019)
AV: 49
Awards: All-Pro second team (1), Pro Bowler (2)
Score: 60

Freeman was a key piece to Kyle Shanahan's red-hot Falcons offense, rushing for 1,000 yards in both 2015 (also leading the league in scoring with 14 touchdowns as a rusher and receiver) and 2016 while chipping in 2,015 receiving yards in his six-year stint. He was exactly the sort of bell-cow back Atlanta needed to compliment their dangerous passing game.

Second team: Christian McCaffrey

Dec 1, 2019; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey (22) with the ball in the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Team: Carolina Panthers (2017-2019)
AV: 40
Awards: All-Pro first team (1), All-Pro second team (1), Pro Bowler (1)
Score: 58

McCaffrey set the league on fire in his first three years, peaking with 403 combined touches for 2,392 scrimmage yards and 19 total touchdowns in 2019 -- leading the NFL in each category, and fumbling just once. But that high usage took a toll and injuries limited him to just 10 games over the next two years, at which point the Panthers traded him to the San Francisco 49ers . But McCaffrey was incredibly impressive those first three seasons when healthy and playing at his physical prime.

Second team: Alvin Kamara

Nov 5, 2017; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) celebrates his 33-yard touchdown reception with fans in the second quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Team:New Orleans Saints (2017-2019)
AV: 42
Awards: All-Pro second team (1), Pro Bowler (3)
Score: 56

Kamara may not have had the volume of touches McCaffrey did to start his career, but it sure seemed like every catch and carry was a highlight reel-worthy play waiting to happen. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year and earned three consecutive Pro Bowl nods to close out the decade, but Kamara's most productive years were yet to come. We'll see him again on our All-2020s Team.

Honorable mention: Doug Martin

Nov 12, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin (22) against the New York Jets at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2012 to 2017)
AV: 38
Awards: All-Pro first team (1), Pro Bowler (2)
Score: 54

Martin was one of the NFL's most productive rookies in 2012, rushing for 1,454 yards and 11 touchdowns while catching 49 passes for 472 yards and another touchdown. That was good enough to win a Pro Bowl appearance but not Offensive Rookie of the Year, which went to Robert Griffin III over Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson . Martin remained a big part of the Buccaneers offense and had another 1,400-yard season in 2015. He died in police custody last October leading to a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Oakland .

Another running back who deserves mention: Carolina Panthers star Jonathan Stewart , who had a higher AV (43) than McCaffrey and Kamara but lacked the postseason awards to set him apart. The highly-productive Stewart was next-best behind Mark Ingram II in rushing yards (5,349 in 99 games) among all NFC South running backs.