College football is almost upon us, which means the 2016 NFL Draft will be here before you know it. Those of us at Scouts Inc. -- myself, Kevin Weidl and Steve Muench -- spent the summer scouring tape and ranking the top players at each position from a draft perspective.
Below is our preseason evaluation of the best running backs in the 2016 draft.
Note: Underclassmen are marked with an asterisk.
Top 10 running backs
1. Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State Buckeyes*: Elliott burst onto the national scene in 2014, averaging 6.9 yards per carry and compiling 18 rushing TDs. He's a powerful runner who almost always churns out yards after initial contact and falls forward at end of runs. Another highly productive season and continued development could make Elliott a first rounder in 2016, should he elect to leave early.