Jaylen Wright is the ninth best running back pick over the last three years, according to rankings from Pro Football Focus. PFF’s Trevor Sikkema went back to 2022 to rank the 10 best prospects at all positions groups, with Wright making the cut in the backfield.
PFF ranked Bijan Robinson No. 1 ahead of Jahmyr Gibbs. Also ahead of Wright was No. 3 Breece Hall (Iowa State), Kenneth Walker II (Michigan State), Jonathon Brooks (Texas), Blake Corum (Michigan), DeWayne McBride (UAB) and De’Von Acahne (Texas A&M). Wright was ranked ahead of Tyler Allgeier (BYU).
“No running back from the 2024 class came close to either of the top two backs in the previous two draft classes,” Sikkema wrote. “If Brooks had not torn his ACL, he might have been in between —or even above — Hall and Walker as prospects. But with that injury and only one year of production, he finds a seat as No. 5.
“The lack of depth beyond the top players in 2022 and 2023 gives way for Corum to take the next spot.”
Miami Dolphins traded up to draft Jaylen Wright
Wright was ranked No. 68 overall on PFF’s NFL Draft Big Board, before being picked by the Miami Dolphins in the fourth round. The Dolphins traded a 2025 third-round pick to move up in the fourth round and pick.
He joins a Dolphins offense that last season finished sixth in total rushing (2,308 yards), led the league in yards per carry (5.1) and tied for the league lead in rushing touchdowns (27).
Mostert carried 209 times for 1,012 yards and 18 touchdowns last season. Achane, who the Dolphins took in the third round last year, had 800 yards and eight touchdowns on 103 carries, averaging 103 yards per carry.
Jaylen Wright last season: 137 rushes, 1,013 yards, 7.4 yards per carry
During his breakout junior season at Tennessee, Wright carried 137 times for 1,013 yards and had four rushing touchdowns, averaging 7.4 yards per carry.
He became just the 19th Tennessee running back to go over 1,000 yards in a season and did it in fewer carries than any other back before him.
Over the last three seasons with the Vols, Wright totaled 2,297 yards and 18 touchdowns on 368 attempts.
He had 409 yards and four touchdowns as a freshman in 2021 and 875 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry in 2021 and 6.0 yards per carry in 2022.
“Wright is an NFL-caliber athlete,” PFF wrote in Wright’s NFL Draft profile. “His youth is both a positive (lack of mileage) and a negative (lack of consistent RB vision), but he has succeeded in gap- and zone-blocking concepts. He also boasts top-tier pass-blocking ability, giving him three-down potential in the NFL.”
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