New Orleans Saints star running back Alvin Kamara doesn't get quite as much buzz as he did a few seasons ago. That's partly due to the overall issues around New Orleans' offense in recent years, the biggest reason that a new head coach is in the building.
ESPN's annual positional rankings gave some deserve respect to Kamara this week, though. That's a pleasant surprise - as he has climbed the ranks to the 10th spot after being solely an honorable mention last year.
Alvin Kamara ranked in top ten running backs
A premier back in our rankings for years, Kamara fell to honorable mention last year after a few down seasons. Though some evaluators see slight decline, Kamara fought his way back to the top 10 thanks to 1,503 scrimmage yards last year. Kamara appeared on nearly 60% of the voting ballots but none in the top six.
"Some of the elite traits are still there," an NFL offensive coach said. "He didn't have much of an offensive line or supporting cast last year. But he can still take a screen for big yardage and still has great contact balance."
Kamara has eclipsed 600 rushing yards and 400 receiving yards in all eight seasons of his career. That's already tied for the most such seasons in NFL history, alongside Faulk.
Despite missing the final three games of last season, Kamara still accounted for 26% of New Orleans' scrimmage yards in 2024, the seventh-highest mark in the NFL.
-- ESPN
The offensive line was a constant cycle for New Orleans a season ago.
Injuries decimated the group, and there were learning curves for others guys. This year, the hope is that a move inside for Trevor Penning and the addition of first-round rookie Kelvin Banks Jr. can shore up that unit for the Saints. If they can, Kamara's life gets a whole lot easier.
In recent seasons, it has felt like the veteran RB has to drain so much effort into just getting past the line of scrimmage - rather than breaking off big runs due to the OL struggles and quarterback problems. Going forward, Kellen Moore is tasked with making sure that isn't the case for Kamara.
Regardless, it's nice to see the fan favorite getting his flowers from ESPN. They realize that the job he has done recently shouldn't be overlooked simply because the team hasn't won enough games. Kamara's talent and versatility remains undeniable.
