AFC North running back units ranked from worst to best in 2023

2. Cincinnati Bengals - Joe Mixon, Chase Brown, Trayveon Williams

Despite coming off a down year, Mixon is more accomplished than the players above, with three seasons breaking the 1,000-yard mark in rushing yards with 50 total touchdowns and will likely be moving into the top three in franchise history for career rushing yards this season-- barring any major injuries, of course-- passing both Rudi Johnson and Pete Johnson.

However, efficiency is also a big concern for Mixon too, as he just barely breaks 4.0 yards per attempt for his career at 4.1, and is more of a volume runner than an efficient one, as in his two best seasons he also had the 5th-most (2019) and the 3rd-most (2021).

That being said, he is still fairly young at 27 years old despite being in the league for well over half a decade and could still very much improve. We've seen how explosive Mixon can be as a runner (32 20+ yard runs in his career) and he knows how to hang onto the rock, with only six fumbles spanning six seasons.

It's also worth noting that he's become a solid piece in the passing game, finishing with over 300+ receiving yards in each of the last two seasons, with his most in 2022 at 441 yards.

Behind Mixon is Chase Brown, the fifth-round pick who Cincy fans are excited to see in action. He's one of the most decorated players in Illinois history, according to Rees Woodcock over at Writing Illini. With 1,880+ scrimmage yards and 13 all-purpose touchdowns in his senior season alone, it's easy to see why. However, since he is a rookie, it remains to be seen how this will translate to the NFL.

Though, it is promising he put these numbers up in the Big Ten, which, alongside the SEC, is a conference known for its defenses.

Then there's Trayveon Williams who had a few notable plays last season but, like Anthony McFarland Jr. for the Steelers, he got so little touches that there isn't too much to say about him and he hardly factors into this ranking.