Updated Top 5 RB Rankings for 2027 NFL Draft Class Revealed by ESPN's Field Yates in New Video

Nearly halfway through the 2026 college football season, the top NFL draft prospects are starting to emerge.

During Wednesday's episode of First Draft (26:44 mark), ESPN's Field Yates unveiled his top five running back prospects in the 2027 draft class:

B/R's 2026 Heisman Trophy Odds and Rankings 🔢

B/R's NFL Scouting Department ranked Baugh as the No. 1 running back and No. 11 overall player in the 2027 class in its draft big board . The junior speedster is tied for first in the nation with 12 rushing touchdowns while adding 672 yards on 110 carries.

"The elite feet, the explosiveness. He can be used all over the formation, he had 33 catches last year," Yates said of Baugh. "This is the most complete of all the backs we've talked about so far."

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. agreed that Baugh is "the best running back in this draft," though he called Smothers "the most intriguing, to me." Though he's split carries with senior running back Raleek Brown, he's shown his versatility with nine catches for 73 yards and a touchdown, in addition to his 237 rushing yards and two scores on the ground.

There's a lot of time between now and the 2027 NFL draft, so it will be interesting to see if any other running backs boost their stock over the next few weeks.