After six promising NFL seasons, Christian McCaffrey’s full potential was unlocked in San Francisco in Year 7, his best year to date. In 2023, he led the NFL in touches (339), scrimmage yards (2,023) and scrimmage touchdowns (21), going on to land the Offensive Player of the Year award, a lucrative contract extension, a spot on the cover of Madden NFL 25 and, perhaps most important, the No. 1 spot on this list. (I kid!) McCaffrey is simply a special player who, at 28 years old, has already cemented his place in history, ranking third all-time with 115.4 scrimmage yards per game among running backs, behind only Hall of Famers Jim Brown and Barry Sanders. 

The do-it-all running back has elevated the 49ers since his arrival midway through the 2022 campaign, with the team going 22-2 in regular season games started by the three-time Pro Bowler. He just won his second career NFL scrimmage triple crown, and he’s at the center of one of the league’s most potent offenses. No non-quarterback has won MVP since Adrian Peterson did it as a running back in 2012. But I wouldn’t put it past McCaffrey to snap that streak.