4. Maurice Jones-Drew

Raanan's 2011 Power Rankings: Running Backs

If only he didn't play for Jacksonville. Then maybe he wouldn't have exhausted most of his prime without a quarterback. Still, he's been a stud. (AP Photo/Frederick Breedon)

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Top NFL Running ... By Jordan Raanan, Xfinity.com Sports

It seems like every team has a quality starting running back, which made these rankings tougher than most. Still, someone had to occupy the rear. (Sorry Tim Hightower.)

Here's the projected starting RBs, ranked 32-1, on how I expect them to perform this season. (AP Photo/Tim Larsen)

Jordan Raanan has covered the NFL since 2005. Follow him on Twitter at @JordanRaanan or email him at jraanan@hotmail.com.

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32. Tim Hightowe... Fumbling is not a good quality for a running back. Hightower is an overrated backup. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

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31. Fred Jackson Running backs don't thrive in their 30s, especially when they've been average most of their careers. (AP Photo/David Duprey)

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30. Joseph Addai He's coming off three straight poor seasons. Nothing (age, skills, history) suggests a sudden resurgence. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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29. Pierre Thoma... Runs hard but isn't a guy who is capable of carrying a full load. He does fit well in the Saints' shared backfield, however. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

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28. Knowshon Mor... It's been a struggle in his first two seasons, especially with holding onto the ball. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

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27. Marshawn Lyn... Never averaged more than 4.1 yards per carry in a season. That's not likely to change in 2011. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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26. Ryan Matthew... Matthews should improve following a tough rookie campaign. He showed flashes of being a better than average back in 2010. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

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25. Beanie Wells Regressed after a promising rookie season. It's ascend or descend for Wells in 2011. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

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24. Jahvid Best It's hard to average a measly 3.2 yards per carry like he did his rookie year. Even Reggie Bush, who appears to be a solid comparison, never did that. Like Bush, though, Best is a top-notch receiving threat. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

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23. BenJarvus Gr... Scoring touchdowns is a valuable skill. If nothing else, he's a quality goal-line back. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)

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22. Reggie Bush Not your traditional running back. He's basically one-dimensional, with pass catching being his only above-average skill. (AP Photo/Hans Deryk)

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21. Shonn Greene Coming off a disappointing 2010, he should finally get the chance to carry the load -- and succeed. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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20. Ryan Grant Would be much higher on the list if he was not coming off a serious ankle injury. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

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19. Cedric Benso... He's only gotten stronger later in his career. There's something to be said for surviving two straight 300-carry seasons. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

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18. Felix Jones Finally, no doubt about his place on the depth chart. Jones will thrive as the feature back in Dallas. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)

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17. LeGarrette B... The most elusive running back in the NFL last season, according to Pro Football Focus. That's good enough for 17th. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)

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16. Matt Forte Only one running back (Ray Rice) has more receptions in the last three years. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

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15. Ahmad Bradsh... Proved last season he can carry a heavier load. We always knew he was explosive. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

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14. Rashard Mend... Not exactly the most reliable option, but still, a quality option. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

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13. Darren McFad... McFadden has the talent to be even higher on this list. Only his fragility keeps him from a better ranking. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

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12. Steven Jacks... Six straight 1,000-yard seasons is impressive. But all the hits during those seasons and his decreasing yards per carry indicate a sharp fall off the elite cliff is coming, quite possibly this season. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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11. Frank Gore He's good to miss at least a couple games due to injury and is five years removed from his best season. Add in that he's unhappy with his contact and it could be a tough 2011. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

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10. LeSean McCoy... The 23-year-old should only get better in his second year as a starter. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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9. DeAngelo Will... Not many running backs average 5.0 yards per carry for their career. Now if only he could stay healthy.

(AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

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8. Peyton Hillis... He had an impressive 61 receptions to go with 1,177 rushing yards in his breakout '10 campaign. Relatively fresh (only 203 collegiate carries and 81 in his first two years as a pro), this year should only get better. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

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7. Jamaal Charle... It's hard to argue with 1,467 rushing yards and 6.4 yards per carry last season. But the jury is still out on whether he can withstand the beating of a 250-plus-carry year. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

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6. Ray Rice Rice had almost 1,800 total yards last season in what many considered a down year. His ability to catch the ball out of the backfield sets him apart from most of his contemporaries. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

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5. Michael Turne... The workhorse led the NFL in yards after contact with 941 last season, according to Pro Football Focus. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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4. Maurice Jones... If only he didn't play for Jacksonville. Then maybe he wouldn't have exhausted most of his prime without a quarterback. Still, he's been a stud. (AP Photo/Frederick Breedon)

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3. Arian Foster Another season like 2010 and he has a legit chance to top this list in 2012. If you love strong runners, then you really love Foster. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

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2. Chris Johnson... The most explosive running back -- and maybe player -- in the entire NFL. It's time he's paid as such. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

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1. Adrian Peters... Nobody has his combination of power, speed and durability. At 26 years old and just four years into his career, the dreaded RB drop-off is still a few years away. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

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Richest Players Click here to see which players had the highest 2011 salaries.