Christian McCaffrey too low in Pro Football Focus rankings

Christian McCaffrey should be much higher in the rankings given what he meant to the Panthers in 2018,

No one can deny the impact Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey had on the offense in 2018. He was the team’s running and passing weapon and he showed he could carry a heavy workload as he was a key member of the Panthers offense. On a unit that struggled from time-to-time, McCaffrey was a constant. He put to bed any fears about a sophomore slump, and he proved he was one of the most versatile running backs in all of football.

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Thursday, Pro football Focus put together their list of “The top 101 players from the 2018 NFL season.” McCaffrey made his debut on the list at No 38. There were some big names on the list, and the fact that McCaffrey was even included with those names was certainly great to see. Per PFF’s assessment, McCaffrey had some of the highest ratings of his career, ratings that attested to the fact that he was a game-changer in more ways than one.

"Christian McCaffrey finished 2018 as the best pass-catching running back in a league where catching the ball out of the backfield is as important as ever. Among running backs with at least 60 targets, McCaffrey’s receiving grade of 89.3 ranked first in the NFL. He gained an average of 1.79 yards per route run, sixth at the position."

If anything, McCaffrey is the perfect example of a player who is perfect for today’s style of offense. Now if you are a running back, you needs to be able to both pass and catch the football. It never used to be like this in the National Football League but especially with the rules becoming more quarterback-friendly, that is the case. Coming into the season I wondered how he would be able to adjust to Norv Turner’s new offense. He adjusted just fine, putting up tremendous numbers. The real challenge for him now will be to see if he can build off of them in 2019.

I thought he should be a little higher on the list. He meant so much to the Panthers offense and without him, they would have struggled tremendously. A mid-20s ranking would have been more appropriate. For reference, David Bakhtiari of the Green Bay Packers and Damion Harrison of the Detroit Lions were Nos. 39 and 40.

Something tells me that this will not be the only time he appears on the list. He has a chance to be a catalyst for years to come. He has shown he can handle a heavy workload, now the next step for him would be a Pro Bowl. Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves just yet.

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