New Orleans Saints: 4 toughest running backs on 2021 schedule

Toughest RBs on New Orleans Saints Schedule – No. 3: Christian McCaffrey

Normally, Christian McCaffrey would be a smidge higher but his injuries last year are concerning moving forward so I put him at No. 3. The former first-round pick out of Stanford appeared in just three games last year and finished the season with 225 yards and five touchdowns.

The season prior, however, McCaffrey was explosive, both as a runner and as a receiver. He rushed for 1,387 yards and a whopping 15 touchdowns while hauling in 116 receptions for 1,005 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. Absolutely crazy stats.

The Panthers are rebuilding but McCaffrey is who they were hoping to build their offense around. He might have only appeared in three games last year but he made the most of them. His best game was against the Chiefs, which was the final game he’d end up appearing in. He came off six weeks of rest and rushed for 69 yards and a touchdown while also racking up 82 receiving yards and two more touchdowns.

The Saints know full well what McCaffrey is capable of. He had two big games against them in 2019, especially when it came to catching the ball (69 yards in one meeting and 72 yards in the other) so they know he’s difficult to game plan against.