​We’ve reached the next chapter of our All-NFC South Team of the 2010s, and it’s time to spotlight the decade’s top running backs. Two of them wore the New Orleans Saints uniform—Mark Ingram II, who captured the Saints’ team rushing titles before his eventual partner in crime, Alvin Kamara, arrived on the scene and claimed those records for himself. Yet they weren’t the only gifted runners in the NFC South during 2010–2019. We’ll examine who earned a spot from the Saints, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
A central stat in our evaluation is Pro Football Reference’s Approximate Value (AV), which they describe as “an attempt to put a single number on the seasonal value of a player at any position from any year.” In practice, AV favors players who start more games, log more snaps, and contribute to their team’s success by piling up yards, scoring touchdowns, forcing turnovers, and pressuring the quarterback, among other factors. We also assign point values for postseason recognition: a first-team All-Pro is worth ten points, a second-team All-Pro five points, and a Pro Bowler three points. We sum those numbers to produce the score for each player.
Remember that this is an all-decade team for the NFC South, a division that didn’t exist until 2002, and only contributions for the four division teams are counted. So, for example, Drew Brees earning a Pro Bowl nod with the San Diego Chargers in 2005 wouldn’t affect his score here.
In New Orleans, Mark Ingram II starred from 2011 to 2018, turning in a remarkable stretch despite some tough seasons for the franchise. His AV stands at 59, and his awards include two Pro Bowls, giving him a score of 65. Ingram climbed to the top of several Saints’ career rushing lists during those years, and he led the NFC South in rushing yards from 2010 to 2019, amassing 6,007 yards across 106 games. He also racked up 50 rushing touchdowns—the most by any running back in that span and second only to Cam Newton’s 58 among all players—well ahead of the next-best tally, with Michael Turner of the Falcons in a distant third with 33.
Moving to Atlanta, Devonta Freeman was a central figure in Kyle Shanahan’s fast-breaking offense. From 2014 to 2019 with the Falcons, Freeman logged an AV of 49, earned an All-Pro second team nod and two Pro Bowl selections, and finished with a score of 60. Freeman’s peak came in 2015 and 2016, when he broke 1,000 rushing yards in both seasons and led the league in rushing touchdowns during 2015 with 14 (and also contributed heavily in the receiving game). Across those six years, he provided the kind of bell-cow production that complemented Atlanta’s potent aerial attack and helped drive the offense to new heights.