While Rico Dowdle undoubtedly possesses talent, it is incredibly telling how his former team utilized him in high-leverage moments a season ago. The fact that Carolina opted to give Chuba Hubbard 13 carries compared to Dowdle's five during their Wild Card loss to the Rams last season speaks volumes about how he is viewed when the chips are down, something that I'm reading into as he joins an offense that returns their RB1 from 2025.
Because of that profile, there is significant downside to drafting Dowdle without a path to much upside. Dowdle could very well lead his new team in rushing yards. I would be genuinely shocked if he ends up leading this backfield in running back scoring in PPR formats, and that's the bottom line.
The primary reason for my skepticism is, obviously, Jaylen Warren, whose elite versatility gives him a massive weekly advantage. Warren has proven to be a premier dual-threat weapon, standing out as one of only four running backs to record at least 300 receiving yards and 500 rushing yards in each of the past three seasons.
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The only other names on that exclusive list are fantasy superstars: Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Breece Hall. Furthermore, Warren is wildly efficient on the ground, tying Jonathan Taylor with a stellar 4.7 yards per carry since 2022. Among all running backs with at least 500 carries over that span, that mark ranks sixth, trailing only De'Von Achane (5.6), Gibbs (5.3), James Cook (5.1), Derrick Henry (4.9), and Robinson (4.9).
To cement his status atop the pecking order, Warren clearly earned Aaron Rodgers' trust last season, and that kind of established rapport can go a long way in this offense.
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While Dowdle will certainly be involved, this backfield is Warren or bust for me in 2026, and I have my concerns about the potency of this offense when it comes to the ability to support multiple backs (or multiple WRs, for that matter).
Bijan Robinson| ATL
Jahmyr Gibbs| DET
James Cook III| BUF
Ashton Jeanty| LV
Jonathan Taylor| IND
Christian McCaffrey| SF
De'Von Achane| MIA
Saquon Barkley| PHI
Chase Brown| CIN
Derrick Henry| BAL
Javonte Williams| DAL
Kenneth Walker III| KC
Jeremiyah Love| ARI
Omarion Hampton| LAC
D'Andre Swift| CHI
Travis Etienne Jr.| NO
Breece Hall| NYJ
Kyren Williams| LAR
Josh Jacobs| GB
David Montgomery| HOU
Cam Skattebo| NYG
Bhayshul Tuten| JAX
TreVeyon Henderson| NE
Bucky Irving| TB
Chuba Hubbard| CAR
Jaylen Warren| PIT
Jordan Mason| MIN
Jadarian Price| SEA
Quinshon Judkins| CLE
Jacory Croskey-Merritt| WAS
Kenny Gainwell| TB
Rhamondre Stevenson| NE
Tony Pollard| TEN
RJ Harvey| DEN
Zach Charbonnet| SEA
Rico Dowdle| PIT
Blake Corum| LAR
Kyle Monangai| CHI
Chris Rodriguez Jr.| JAX
Tyler Allgeier| ARI
Rachaad White| WAS
Aaron Jones Sr.| MIN
J.K. Dobbins| DEN
Isiah Pacheco| DET
Nick Singleton| TEN
James Conner| ARI
Kimani Vidal| LAC
Tyrone Tracy Jr.| NYG
Jaylen Wright| MIA
Woody Marks| HOU
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
