Mossing cornerbacks down the sideline. Throwing nasty stiff arms to gain a few extra yards. Juking helpless defenders in space, making them whiff on tackles.
The NFL’s best offensive skill players do these things at a higher clip than everyone else. Quarterbacks, of course, are the most important players and franchise faces, but it’s the skill guys around them who create most of the highlights in the open field.
So let’s give them some love. Here are my top 20 non-quarterback offensive skill players entering the 2026 NFL season, in descending order:
The best fullback of this generation, Juszczyk is pivotal to Kyle Shanahan’s offense due to his versatility. Juszczyk led the NFL with a 78.6% receiving success rate last season and at age 35 is still a tremendous lead blocker for running back Christian McCaffrey. Now entering his 14th season, Juszczyk has been a first-team All-Pro selection in two of the past three years.
Walker has always been talented, but he garnered a whole new level of respect with his memorable playoff run for the Seahawks, which culminated with him becoming the first running back to win Super Bowl MVP since 1997. He parlayed that into a big free-agent contract with Kansas City, and with Patrick Mahomes coming off a torn ACL and some uncertainty with the Chiefs’ pass-catchers, Walker could be the engine of the offense this season.
Kenneth Walker III turned his Super Bowl MVP with the Seahawks into a spotlight role with the Chiefs. (Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)
With so many elite running backs in the NFL right now and because he plays with one of the best quarterbacks on the planet in Josh Allen, Cook can slide a bit under the radar. But the three-time Pro Bowler led the NFL last season in rushing yards (1,621) and rushing yards per game (95.4). In 2024, he paced the league with 16 rushing touchdowns.
One of the NFL’s most dynamic weapons, Achane figures to get plenty of touches in 2026 for the rebuilding Dolphins. He led the NFL last season with 5.7 rushing yards per carry and his 1,838 scrimmage yards ranked sixth.
In his first season with the Cowboys, Pickens proved that he’s a true No. 1 receiver, even while playing alongside another star WR in CeeDee Lamb. The former Steeler posted career-highs in catches (93), receiving yards (1,429) and receiving touchdowns (9) as a prime target for quarterback Dak Prescott, and his numbers could be even better in 2026 playing on the franchise tag.
Playing on a franchise tag in 2026, George Pickens figures to put up even better numbers than in his breakout 2025 season with the Cowboys. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
After putting together the best rookie tight end season in NFL history in 2024, Bowers saw his second year marred by injury. He missed five games due to a left knee sprain and bone bruise and played through the lingering injury in several others. Now entering Year 3, Bowers is poised to bounce back. He’ll be the undisputed No. 1 pass-catching option for Las Vegas, which will have veteran Kirk Cousins as QB1 to start the season.
While Brown has been one of the league’s best wide receivers for years, his numbers the past couple of seasons were impacted by the Eagles’ pass-game struggles. His production could get back to an elite level in New England, where he’s reunited with coach Mike Vrabel — his head coach at the start of his career with the Tennessee Titans — and one of the league’s best young quarterbacks in Drake Maye.
A.J. Brown is all smiles in New England, where he’s back with former coach Mike Vrabel and paired with an MVP-caliber quarterback. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Now 32, Henry remains the gold standard for consistent, elite running back play. The five-time Pro Bowler carried the ball 307 times for 1,595 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2025 — his seventh season of at least 1,000 rushing yards and double-digit touchdowns. He’s also one of just nine players in NFL history who have rushed for 2,000 yards in a single season.
Taylor was a borderline MVP candidate last season before the Colts’ collapse down the stretch. The star running back led the NFL in carries (323) and rushing touchdowns (18) for the first time since 2021, when he was the rushing triple-crown winner. Taylor has registered at least 1,400 rushing yards three times in the past five seasons.
Lamb had a down year by his standards last year (75 catches for 1,077 yards and three touchdowns) and missed three games with a high ankle sprain, but he still topped 1,000 receiving yards for the sixth straight season.
McBride was the best tight end in football last season, catching a career-high 126 passes on 169 targets (third-most) for 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns. The 26-year-old should once again be one of the NFL’s most targeted players in Arizona’s offense, led by first-year head coach Mike LaFleur.
Trey McBride might not get much national attention playing in Arizona, but he catches plenty of passes in the Cardinals’ offense. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Barkley last season was significantly less effective than in 2024, when he became the ninth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. But that was due in large part to the Eagles’ injuries on the offensive line and issues with the offense at large. The three-time Pro Bowler still surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in 2025, doing so for the fifth time in his career.
The reigning Comeback Player of the Year, McCaffrey was 76 receiving yards short of posting 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season for the second time in his career. The four-time Pro Bowler remains one of the NFL’s most valuable offensive weapons entering his 10th season.
One of the most versatile and consistently dominant wide receivers in the league, St. Brown has registered at least 1,100 receiving yards in four straight seasons. The former fourth-round pick has garnered All-Pro honors three years in a row.
St. Brown has been a Pro Bowler in each of the past four seasons and has led the NFL in first-down receptions in two of them. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Jefferson remains on the shortlist for best wide receiver in football, even as bad quarterback play has hurt his production. Despite catching passes from the likes of Joshua Dobbs, Nick Mullens, Carson Wentz, Max Brosmer and J.J. McCarthy, Jefferson has posted six straight 1,000-yard seasons to start his career. His numbers could climb back into the elite tier if new QB Kyler Murray turns out to be a hit in coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense.
Last season, Nacua led the NFL with 129 receptions and 80 receiving first downs and was second with 1,715 receiving yards despite missing a game. Through three seasons, he’s averaging 95.3 receiving yards per game, which is the highest among qualified pass-catchers in NFL history.
Gibbs is the prototype of the modern superstar running back — an elite rusher who can also produce as a borderline WR2 in the pass game. With David Montgomery traded to Houston and Detroit’s limited options in the backfield, Gibbs is poised to be a true bell cow in the Lions’ offense for the first time.
Smith-Njigba led the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards last season en route to Offensive Player of the Year honors. The former Ohio State star entered the league as primarily a slot receiver but has become a truly dominant force out wide as well, making him a complete WR. He was one of only two receivers in 2025 with at least 100 receiving yards on eight different route types (the other was Nacua).
Robinson was the most dominant running back in football last season, posting 287 carries for 1,478 rushing yards and catching 79 passes for 820 yards for a league-best 2,298 scrimmage yards. He also had the NFL’s longest run last season (93 yards) and earned his first All-Pro nod.
Chase is football’s most dominant receiver. The Bengals superstar has led the NFL in catches in consecutive years, and he’s put up at least 1,200 receiving yards in three straight seasons. Quarterback Joe Burrow is talking Super Bowl this season, which could mean even bigger numbers for Chase.
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