Who Should I Start? Julius Chestnut or Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Sunday, July 13, 11:52 AM

TennnesseeTitans.com's Jim Wyatt points to a battle to watch during training camp being the one between Tennessee Titans running backs Julius Chestnut and rookie Kalel Mullings for the No. 3 role behind Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears. Mullings missed time during the offseason program with an abdominal injury but took part in minicamp and is expected to be a full-go for training camp as he looks to beat out Chestnut. But Chestnut, who played in all 17 games in 2024, won't go down without a fight after having a solid offseason. The 24-year-old had 22 carries for 102 yards while adding two receptions for 11 yards in a depth role in 2024. Wyatt thinks that the Titans will keep three RBs on the active roster this year and one on the practice squad. Chestnut's leg up over Mullings could come on special teams, but Mullings will also work on special teams as he hunts for a roster spot.

Tuesday, May 27, 3:06 PM

Washington Commanders rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt is a potential sleeper to watch during the team's offseason activities, according to Ben Standig of The Athletic. "A back-end roster player who could garner significant attention in the offseason: Jacory Croskey-Merritt," Standig wrote. "The 5-foot-11, 208-pounder has the goods to get there despite sitting out nearly the entire 2024 college season with eligibility issues. If Kingsbury falls for this competitive runner's one-cut burst, there could be a running back room shake-up." The seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft spent the first four seasons of his collegiate career at Alabama State before a breakout season at New Mexico, where he rushed 189 times for 1,190 yards and 17 touchdowns. In 2024 at Arizona, he rushed 13 times for 106 yards and one score in one game appearance. While Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler remain penciled in as the RB1 and RB2 for Washington, it sounds like Croskey-Merritt is a name worth monitoring later in the offseason. If he makes the roster, he could be worth stashing in deeper redraft and dynasty leagues. Last season, third-string running back Jeremy McNichols popped up on the fantasy radar, so anything is possible.