Ranking NFL's top 10 RBs for 2021: Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey dueling for the throne

No one dominates the running back position like these guys

Rumor has it running backs don't matter, but I suppose that logic depends upon which ones you're talking about, because they're not all created equal. For when it comes to assessing the best in the NFL at the position, you're hard-pressed to keep that argument going, knowing full-well not everyone can do what they do, when/if given the chance. It's the reason the Dallas Cowboys awarded Ezekiel Elliott a historic contract despite re-signing Alfred Morris as insurance during his 2019 holdout, and only months after drafting Tony Pollard.  And, of course, you then saw Christian McCaffrey financially blow the roof off not long thereafter. It's also why the New York Giants will do the same for Saquon Barkley or risk losing him in the future, the latter not being something the Tennessee Titans wanted to take a chance on when they awarded Derrick Henry his new deal. A myriad of variables determine how successful a running back will be at the NFL level, and the bottom line is not all of them are created equal. That becomes deathly clear when attempting to identify the best in all of football.  The following 10 players have proven to be in a league of their own, in one way or several.