The next position that I am covering is fullback. Fullbacks are starting to become a rarity in offenses with the league transitioning to a majority passing game.

I am a fan of the classic, ground & pound offense, so I still believe that fullbacks are vital to the game. Running backs like Adrian Peterson and Eddie Lacy would not have the production without their lead blockers in Jerome Felton and John Kuhn.

As I explained in my quarterback rankings, the way I rank players is based on their performance in the most recent season as well as their status prior to that. Some players might still be higher on my list due to their past abilities and that they are more likely to perform better in the future.

I am ranking a total of 15 fullbacks. Points will vary for each rating category (speed, strength, run blocking, pass blocking, catching). The top 5 will have short summaries describing their play in 2014.

– Zach S.

1. Anthony Sherman, Kansas City Chiefs

2014 stats:

Speed: 7/10
Strength: 12/15
Run Blocking: 20/20
Pass Blocking: 19/20
Catching: 13/15
Total: 71/80

Anthony Sherman is by far the clear cut number one fullback, and somehow he is still underrated. He has been nominated to the Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams, but as the second string or second team. The guy is not the fastest, but he does have solid speed for a fullback. He is not the strongest, but still possesses a good amount of power. Sherman is an excellent lead blocker and a very smart football player. He is a catalyst for giving Jamaal Charles wide open spaces to be elusive. He is also underestimated with his hands. Sherman plays a lot of snaps and is included in shot gun snaps because he is tops in pass protection, too. Blocking is the best part of his game, and that is what one asks for in a fullback.

2. Bruce Miller, San Francisco 49ers

Speed: 6/10
Strength: 15/15
Run Blocking: 19/20
Pass Blocking: 15/20
Catching: 13/15
Total: 68/80

Bruce Miller is a strong, aggressive fullback, that paved the way for Frank Gore (now Carlos Hyde). Miller exerts excellent run blocking skills and power. He was vital to the ground and pound game that Jim Harbaugh instituted in San Francisco while he was the head coach. The option and run heavy sets would not have been as successful with a different full back. The stats do not lie; Gore has turned in consecutive 1,000 rushing yard seasons and he owes that to his lead man in Miller.

3. Henry Hynoski, New York Giants

Henry Hynoski is the perfect fit in Tom Coughlin’s run first scheme. No matter who seems to be in the backfield, Giants’ runners are always somewhat successful. Hynoski made his mark in his rookie campaign when he helped a duo between Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs combine for 16 rushing touchdowns. He was a vital part of that offense that helped the Giants win Super Bowl XLIV. As Rashard Jennings came over from Oakland, he did not lose a step in production. Rookie Andre Williams made some flashy plays behind Hynoski. Hynoski is the best run blocker on this list, in my opinion. He has continued to make average running backs look better than advertised.

2014 stats:

Speed: 6/10
Strength: 14/15
Run Blocking: 20/20
Pass Blocking: 17/20
Catching: 10/15
Total: 67/80

4. Jerome Felton, 2014: Minnesota Vikings / 2015: Buffalo Bills

Two years ago, I considered Felton to be the best fullback in the NFL. Adrian Peterson turned in one of the best seasons by a running back in history and nearly eclipsed the single season rushing record held by Eric Dickerson. Felton was on the field a lot in 2013 as the Vikings ran the ball countless times out of the I-formation. Yes, Adrian Peterson is a phenomenal runner and an athletic freak, but he could not have produced those stats all by himself. This is why I explain my rankings in an introduction paragraph. Felton turned in a down season in 2014, partly because of the absence of Peterson. Matt Asiata and Jerron McKinnon are not even close in combined talent when compared to #28. Felton’s 2014 was not as good as some of the others on this list (Tolbert, Kuhn, etc.), but he is still a better fullback than both of them overall. The former Pro Bowler will be leading the way for newly acquired Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy. Shady should not see his numbers decrease in Buffalo because he will be in a run heavy offense and Felton blowing defenders out of the water.

2014 stats:

Speed: 6/10
Strength: 12/15
Run Blocking: 20/20
Pass Blocking: 15/20
Catching: 13/15
Total: 66/80

5. Mike Tolbert, Carolina Panthers

Speed: 7/10
Strength: 14/15
Run Blocking: 15/20
Pass Blocking: 17/20
Catching: 13/15
Total: 65/80

Mike Tolbert is actually a better pass blocker than he is a run blocker, in my opinion. He is in the backfield next to Cam Newton on shotgun snaps a majority of the time.

6. John Kuhn, Green Bay Packers

Speed: 6/10
Strength: 11.5/15
Run Blocking: 19/20
Pass Blocking: 18/20
Catching: 10/15
Total: 64.5/80

7. Ryan Hewitt, Cincinnati Bengals

Speed: 6/10
Strength: 12/15
Run Blocking: 18/20
Pass Blocking: 17/20
Catching: 11/15
Total: 64/80

8. Kyle Juszczyk – Baltimore Ravens

Speed: 8/10
Strength: 11/15
Run Blocking: 17/20
Pass Blocking: 15/20
Catching: 12/15
Total: 63/80

9. James Develin, New England Patriots

Speed: 4/10
Strength: 13/15
Run Blocking: 18/20
Pass Blocking: 17/20
Catching: 10/15
Total: 62/80

10. Darrel Young, Washington Redskins

Speed: 5/10
Strength: 11/15
Run Blocking: 16/20
Pass Blocking: 15/20
Catching: 13/15
Total: 60/80

11. Marcel Reece, Oakland Raiders

Speed: 10/10
Strength: 13/15
Run Blocking: 12.5/20
Pass Blocking: 10/20
Catching: 14/15
Total: 59.5/80

12. Jed Collins, 2014: Detroit Lions / 2015: Current Free Agent

Speed: 6/10
Strength: 11/15
Run Blocking: 15/20
Pass Blocking: 15/20
Catching: 12/15
Total: 59/80

13. Will Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers

Speed: 7/10
Strength: 12/15
Run Blocking: 14/20
Pass Blocking: 13/20
Catching: 12/15
Total: 58/80

14. Erik Lorig, New Orleans Saints

Speed: 5/10
Strength: 11/15
Run Blocking: 17/20
Pass Blocking: 14/20
Catching: 10/15
Total: 57/80

15. Derrick Coleman, Seattle Seahawks

Speed: 6/10
Strength: 13/15
Run Blocking: 16/20
Pass Blocking: 12/20
Catching: 9/15
Total: 56/80