In the leadup to the 2022 NFL Draft, Vikings.com is taking a position-by-position look at prospects who have garnered a range of attention from national outlets. The series will include rankings by those national outlets, stats and background information for multiple prospects. We'll also include comments that experts shared during interviews.

Vikings status at running back

The Vikings are returning players who accounted for all but 30 of the team's 1,930 rushing yards in 2021 (includes yards by non-running backs like QBs and WRs, along with fullback C.J. Ham).

The ground game will again be led by Dalvin Cook, who has made the Pro Bowl in each of the past three seasons. Cook totaled 1,159 yards and six scores on 249 carries last season, which was down from his career bests of 1,557 yards and 16 scores on 312 carries in 2020.

Alexander Mattison, who rushed for career bests of 491 yards and three scores in his third pro season, is also returning. Mattison's rushing average dropped from 4.6 yards per carry in his first two seasons to 3.7 in 2021.

Kene Nwangwu is back for his second pro season. He electrified special teams on kickoff returns but was limited on offense, rushing 13 times for 61 yards.

Second-year running back A.J. Rose, Jr., is also under contract. He led Minnesota in the 2021 preseason with 37 carries for 151 yards and two scores but did not play in the regular season.

Coaches have expressed an enthusiasm for working with Ham because of the versatility he brings to the fullback position.

That depth is strong, and there are definitely greater areas of need for Minnesota, which has eight picks. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Minnesota add depth at running back and fullback with undrafted free agents. Or, maybe there's a player too good to pass up when the Vikings are on the clock.

Minnesota has selected a running back in every other year since tabbing Cook in 2017. Mattison was added in 2019, and Nwangwu was chosen last year.

The list of available players this year includes Cook's younger brother James and Nwangwu's former Iowa State teammate Breece Hall.

Ask the analyst

Pete Bercich is an analyst with the Vikings Radio Network and Vikings Entertainment Network. A former linebacker and assistant coach, Bercich was drafted by Minnesota in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft.

Bercich noted that running back is "definitely not a position of need" in this year's draft. He said one big question facing the Vikings is how the team handles the running back position after Cook, who is the clear-cut No. 1 and one of the best in the entire NFL.

With the returning depth at the position, we focused much of the talk with Bercich on the Vikings status and potential approach in 2022. He expects the Vikings will continue to place an emphasis on the run under new Head Coach Kevin O'Connell, but maybe not for the same motivations that Minnesota did under Mike Zimmer.

In mid-January, Bercich had noted the Rams, with O'Connell as their offensive coordinator, would be a "tough out" if they had success running the football to complement their strong passing game. L.A. went on to win Super Bowl LVI less than a month later.

"I think it's extremely important for Kevin O'Connell to have balance in his offense, and I think Cook is better than [Cam] Akers or [Darrell] Henderson, so in that respect, I think he has a better weapon in that position," Bercich said.

"Building on that, what do you do with C.J. Ham? Because that's one position that you didn't see out of the Rams — the fullback position," Bercich added. "You did see a little bit of the blocking tight end, H-back kind of thing, but I think that's an easy transition for O'Connell, that he could integrate a fullback into what he does pretty easily, and I think he's going to want to because C.J. Ham is a talent, and you want to find a way to use him."

Bercich said a long-held convention was running the football until the other team could stop it. If an opponent didn't, then grinding out a low-risk (no threat of interception, sack or QB hit) win was A-OK. Under Zimmer, it seemed part of the purpose for the run game was to try to control the clock.

Passing offenses have become more efficient, but Bercich said balance will be important because of the cascade it can have on quarterback Kirk Cousins and others.

"One of the big keys to all of this is the fact that Cousins is better when he can bootleg and play-action and be on the move and do those things, and the more the running game is a threat," Bercich said. "Is the running game a threat when you can move the chains and do those things? Eh, it's [a threat] when you get explosive in the running game. It's when, like Adrian Peterson, and you're like, you put up on the board, 'What is the first thing we have to stop?' And that was always Adrian. You stuff eight, nine guys in the box, and if they beat you passing, they deserve to win.

"You've got to have that aspect of your running game," he continued. "It can't just be efficient. It's got to be explosive, and Dalvin can do that. That's why I think the running game will have a much bigger part of this offense than anything we saw while watching the Rams play, but that also plays to the quarterback's strengths, too. That necessity and wantonness to run the ball, I know with Zimmer it was a mentalilty, 'Great defense, run the ball. You'll never be too far out of a game.' I think it's going to rhyme but it's not going to be exact. It's going to be a situation where they're going to want to be able to play to the strengths of the quarterback and have balance, because balance, I think makes everybody better."

Expert rankings

NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah currently has two running backs in his overall Top 50: 29. Breece Hall and 31. Kenny Walker III. Isaiah Spiller was initially ranked No. 36 but later removed from the list.

ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr., does not have any running backs in his overall Top 25.

Rankings for running backs by Jeremiah, his NFL Media counterpart Bucky Brooks, Kiper, analytics site Pro Football Focus and The Athletic's Dane Brugler are listed below.

Prospects

Note: Heights and weights are from each player's profile on NFL.com (linked for each player's name).

Breece Hall

School: Iowa State | Year: Jr. | Ht: 5-foot-11 | Wt: 217 pounds

2021 stats: 253 rushes for 1,472 yards (5.8 avg.) and 20 TD; 36 receptions for 302 yards (8.4 avg.) and 3 TD; 147.8 scrimmage yards per game

According to Jeremiah & Brooks: Jeremiah described Hall, a cousin of Roger Craig, as a "big, smooth runner with outstanding patience and balance," and an "outstanding weapon in the passing game as a clean route runner with exceptional hands." Brooks noted Hall, who set an FBS record with at least one rushing touchdown in 24 consecutive games (2020-21 seasons), has "soft hands and polished receiving skills," making him "exactly what pro coaches covet in an RB 1."

Kenneth Walker III

School: Michigan State (after Wake Forest) | Year: Jr. | Ht: 5-foot-9 | Wt: 211 pounds

2021 stats: 263 rushes for 1,636 yards (6.2 avg.) and 18 TD; 13 receptions for 89 yards (6.8 avg.) and 1 TD; 143.8 scrimmage yards per game

Decorated campaign: After totaling 579 rushing yards in each of his first two seasons at Wake Forest, Walker transferred to Michigan State and won Walter Camp Player of the Year and Doak Walker (nation's top running back) awards after ranking second in FBS in rushing yards. Walker finished sixth in Heisman Trophy voting.

Isaiah Spiller

School: Texas A&M | Year: Jr. | Ht: 6-foot-0 | Wt: 217 pounds

2021 stats: 179 rushes for 1,011 yards (5.6 avg.) and 6 TD; 25 receptions for 189 yards (7.6 avg.) and 1 TD; 100.0 scrimmage yards per game

Carried the load: Spiller led the Aggies in rushing yards in each of his three seasons in College Station. He earned placement on the SEC's All-Freshman Team after rushing for 946 yards and 10 scores in 2019. Kellen Mond's former college teammate followed with 1,036 yards and nine scores on the ground in 2020 to garner a First-Team All-SEC selection. He capped his time on campus as an All-SEC Second-Teamer.

Kyren Williams

School: Notre Dame | Year: Redshirt Soph. | Ht: 5-foot-9 | Wt: 194 pounds

2021 stats: 204 rushes for 1,002 yards (4.9 avg.) and 14 TD; 42 receptions for 359 yards (8.5 avg.) and 3 TD; 113.4 scrimmage yards per game; 14 punt returns for 151 yards (10.8 avg.)

Big game, big numbers: Williams helped his high school (St. John Vianney) win the 2018 Class 5 Missouri State Championship with 354 total yards, including a state-title-game record 289 rushing, before heading to South Bend.

James Cook

School: Georgia | Year: Sr. | Ht: 5-foot-11 | Wt: 199 pounds

2021 stats: 113 rushes for 728 yards (6.4 avg.) and 7 TD; 27 receptions for 284 yards (10.5 avg.) and 4 TD; 67.5 scrimmage yards per game

Brooks on Cook: Brooks wrote Cook "is a dynamic playmaker with the potential to produce chunk plays via the air or on the ground." Sound like someone else you know with the same last name? Rather than being an every-down back like his older brother, though, Brooks envisioned James as "an intriguing option as a change-of-pace back."

Bercich's breakdown of brothers: "Genetics is an amazing thing, because you watch them on film, and his running style is very similar. I think what James does as well as Dalvin is set up the downfield block. His cutback vision is very good. In that respect, they're very similar. James is very good out of the backfield as a receiver. I think the thing with Dalvin is kind of like Harrison Smith at his position. He is as versatile as any running back in the league. He can do everything, and this includes pass protection. Pass protection comes down to two things. Number one, you've got to know where you're supposed to be going, and that takes time. A lot of running backs don't [play] on third down because they don't want to learn it or they can't learn it. Not only does Dalvin know it, but he's damn good at it. He's one of the best blocking running backs in the league. James I don't think is quite there in that respect."

Pierre Strong, Jr.

School: South Dakota State | Year: Redshirt Sr. | Ht: 5-foot-11 | Wt: 207 pounds

2021 stats: 240 rushes for 1,686 yards (7.0 avg.) and 18 TD; 22 receptions for 150 yards (6.8 avg.); 122.4 scrimmage yards per game

Triple threat: Beyond his rushing and receiving talent, Strong also showcased his arm. He went 4-of-4 passing for 62 yards and four touchdowns in 2021 to go along with a 24-yard touchdown pass on his lone attempt in 2020.

Tyler Allgeier

School: BYU | Year: Redshirt Jr. | Ht: 5-foot-11 | Wt: 224 pounds

2021 stats: 276 rushes for 1,601 yards (5.8 avg.) and 23 TD; 28 receptions for 199 yards (7.1 avg.); 138.5 scrimmage yards per game

Walk-on to record runs: Allgeier joined the Cougars as a walk-on in 2018 and appeared in four games of what became a redshirt year. He played running back, linebacker and returned kicks in 2019 before breaking out on offense in 2020 with 7.53 yards per carry (seventh in FBS). This past season, Allgeier set a school record with 276 carries and tied for the national lead with 23 rushing scores.

Rachaad White

School: Arizona State | Year: Redshirt Sr. | Ht: 6-foot-0 | Wt: 214 pounds

2021 stats: 182 rushes for 1,000 yards (5.5 avg.) and 15 TD; 43 receptions for 456 yards (10.6 avg.) and 1 TD; 132.4 scrimmage yards per game; one punt return for 36 yards; one kickoff return for 25 yards

Journey from Kearney: A native of Kansas City, Missouri, White began his college career by redshirting at Division II Nebraska-Kearney before transferring to Mt. San Antonio College in California for two seasons. White appeared in four games for Arizona State in 2020 and 11 this past season. He led the National team at the Reese's Senior Bowl with 52 yards on 11 carries, highlighted by a gain of 18, in February.

Brian Robinson, Jr.

School: Alabama | Year: Redshirt Sr. | Ht: 6-foot-2 | Wt: 225 pounds

2021 stats: 271 rushes for 1,343 yards (5.0 avg.) and 14 TD; 35 receptions for 296 yards (8.5 avg.) and 2 TD; 117.1 scrimmage yards per game

Time to shine: Robinson emerged in 2021 after an impressive list of Alabama teammates Najee Harris (2021 first round), Josh Jacobs (2019 first round), Damien Harris (2019 third round) and Bo Scarbrough (2018 seventh round) were drafted. His production last season was about the same as his numbers from 2017 to 2020 (274 rushes for 1,361 yards and 15 TD).

Zamir White

School: Georgia | Year: Redshirt Jr. | Ht: 6-foot-0 | Wt: 214 pounds

2021 stats: 160 rushes for 856 yards (5.4 avg.) and 11 TD; 9 receptions for 75 yards (8.3 avg.); 62.1 scrimmage yards per game

Resilient in bouncing back: White was highly touted in multiple top-10 rankings of prep players when he was in high school in North Carolina, but he suffered a torn ACL in the 2017 playoffs. Before his freshman season, White tore his other ACL in a practice. He rushed for 408 yards on 78 carries in 2019 and then led Georgia in rushing yards in each of the next two seasons.