Best NFL Fullbacks of All Time: The Unsung Workhorses

Ask a general manager in 2026 why his roster carries a fullback and you will usually get a shrug about “specific packages.” Ask LaDainian Tomlinson why he ran for 1,815 yards and a then-record 28 rushing touchdowns in 2006 and he will bring up Lorenzo Neal before his own legs. The best NFL fullbacks were the lead blockers, short-yardage hammers, and pass-protectors who made star running backs possible, and the gap between how teams treat the position now and what it once did is the whole story here.

What separates an elite fullback

A great fullback does several things no other position handles quite as well:

• Lead blocking — attacking linebackers and safeties in space to spring the tailback
• Pass protection — picking up blitzing linebackers to keep the quarterback clean
• Receiving threat — catching swing passes and short routes out of the backfield
• Short-yardage rushing — driving through the pile when a single yard is all that is needed
• Special teams — covering kicks and blocking on returns to earn a roster spot

A fullback who does one of these well is a specialist. The names below did most or all of them, which is exactly why coaches kept finding a place for them.

The all-time greats

Lorenzo Neal (1993–2008) is the gold standard among pure lead blockers. A four-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro across 16 seasons and eight franchises, Neal blocked for a 1,000-yard rusher in 11 straight seasons from 1997 to 2007. Tomlinson’s record-setting 2006 happened with Neal clearing the first crack in the line.

Larry Csonka (1968–1979) was the bruising heart of Miami’s back-to-back Super Bowl teams in 1972 and 1973. He finished with 8,081 rushing yards and 64 rushing touchdowns and is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the archetype of the punishing power-run fullback.

John Riggins (1971–1985) bulldozed his way to 11,352 career rushing yards and 104 rushing touchdowns, was named MVP of Super Bowl XVII, and entered the Hall of Fame in 1992. His blend of size and short-yardage dominance defined Washington’s early-1980s offense.

Mike Alstott (1996–2007) — “the A-Train” — was a legitimate short-yardage weapon rather than a blocker who occasionally got the ball. A six-time Pro Bowler, he started at fullback for Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl XXXVII win, and Buccaneers fans still bring signs with his number two decades later.

Tom Rathman (1986–1994) was the blocking and receiving engine behind San Francisco’s dynasty backfields, springing Roger Craig and protecting for a Joe Montana and Steve Young offense. He later built a long second career as an NFL running backs coach.

Earlier eras produced Hall of Fame fullbacks used largely as feature runners, including Marion Motley, Bronko Nagurski, and John Henry Johnson, while Jim Brown and Franco Harris were both listed at fullback but ran the ball like elite tailbacks.

The greatest NFL fullbacks at a glance

Player	Era	Signature strength	Notable teams
Lorenzo Neal	1993–2008	Elite lead blocking; 11 straight 1,000-yd backs	Saints, Buccaneers, Titans, Bengals, Chargers
Larry Csonka	1968–1979	Power runner; 2× Super Bowl champion; HOF	Miami Dolphins
John Riggins	1971–1985	Bulldozing style; Super Bowl XVII MVP; HOF	Washington, N.Y. Jets
Mike Alstott	1996–2007	Power runner and receiving threat; 6× Pro Bowl	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tom Rathman	1986–1994	Blocking and receiving for the 49ers dynasty	San Francisco 49ers
Kyle Juszczyk	2013–present	Hybrid blocker-receiver; record Pro Bowl selections	Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers

The modern fullback in 2026: Kyle Juszczyk

Juszczyk is the counterargument to anyone who says the position is extinct. San Francisco moves him between the backfield, the slot, and in-line tight end on the same drive, and he catches passes at a rate that would have been unthinkable for a fullback in the 1990s. In 2025 he led NFL fullbacks in receiving yards, and in December 2025 he was named to the 2026 Pro Bowl — his 10th straight selection and the most ever by a fullback, along with first-team All-Pro honors. After a brief release in March 2025, the 49ers re-signed him on a two-year deal that runs through the 2026 season, so as of 2026 he remains the face of the position.

How the position has changed

Through the 1960s and 1970s, a fullback led nearly every running play in a Power-I offense. Once teams shifted to shotgun snaps and spread formations, that blocking assignment became optional rather than standard, and rosters stopped carrying a player whose only job was clearing a lane. Tight ends and H-backs absorbed most of what fullbacks used to handle.

Teams that still run outside zone or gap-scheme power, though, tend to keep one on the roster anyway. The ground-game numbers back them up, and as long as a coach values a dedicated lead blocker who can also catch and cover kicks, the fullback will survive as football’s rarest, most stubbornly useful role.

Related terms

Fullback overlaps with several other backfield and blocking concepts. An H-back is a hybrid tight end/fullback who lines up off the line of scrimmage, while a lead blocker is any back — often the fullback — who runs ahead of the ball-carrier. In short-yardage and goal-line packages, the fullback often shares the backfield with the halfback or tailback in an I-formation.