​Chase Brown enjoyed a sluggish start to the previous season, largely due to the Joe Burrow injury that prompted Jake Browning to start four games. Through Week 5, the running back averaged a modest 2.46 yards per carry, but he rebounded decisively once Joe Flacco took over for Browning and Burrow returned to the field, finishing with an impressive 5.14 yards per carry after the quarterback changes.
Despite that late surge, Brown’s early-season struggles helped dampen his stock, and several coaches, scouts, and executives no longer consider him among the NFL’s top running backs. ESPN conducted a survey to assess the league’s best at the position, and the results placed Brown outside the top tier. In a piece discussing the survey, Jeremy Fowler laid out how the top-10 list was assembled: voters submitted their personal top-10 at the position, and the results were compiled using multiple criteria. The ranking relied on the number of top-10 votes, a composite average, and extensive interviews, with research and film study support from ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen and ESPN Research. More than 70 voters filed ballots on at least one position, and many submitted for multiple positions. Additional rounds of voting and follow-up conversations with those polled contributed to the final placements.
The published list makes it clear why Brown might be excluded from the top seven, especially with a player like Walker coming off a Super Bowl MVP performance. Still, some observers might argue that Brown could rival Hall for a top spot in certain evaluations. The piece notes that Brown was not even included among the honorable mentions. Those slots went to Josh Jacobs (Green Bay Packers), Kyren Williams (Los Angeles Rams), and Quinshon Judkins (Cleveland Browns).
What’s more revealing is that Brown did receive some votes, even if he did not crack the honorable mention category. He appeared in the broader set of players who attracted votes along with D’Andre Swift, Javonte Williams, Ashton Jeanty, TreVeyon Henderson, Travis Etienne Jr., and Alvin Kamara. This nuance indicates that while Brown’s early-season struggles and a slow start have likely influenced perceptions, there remains a subset of voters who view him as a potential top contributor at the position.
For readers aiming to optimize SEO while maintaining clarity, the narrative above can be framed to emphasize the timeline of Brown’s performance, the impact of quarterback changes, and the implications of the ESPN poll. It highlights the contrast between Brown’s late-season improvement and the overall perception of his standing among NFL running backs, while also noting the mechanics of how the ESPN rankings were constructed and the specific names tied to the honorable mentions and voting outcomes.