RYOE (rushing yards over expected)
RYOE is the yardage a back gained beyond what the blocking and the defensive alignment predicted. James Cook of the Bills led 2025 at +358 yards over expected across 49 qualifying backs.
Next Gen Stats tracks where every defender stood at the handoff and estimates how many yards an average back gains from that picture. RYOE is the difference between what he actually gained and that number. It separates the runner from the run blocking, which raw yards per carry cannot do.
Updated Jul 26, 2026
Current leaders — 2025
| # | Player | Att | Yds | RYOE | RYOE/Att | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James CookRB · BUF | 309 | 1,621 | 358.2 | 1.17 | 12 |
| 2 | Derrick HenryRB · BAL | 307 | 1,595 | 340.1 | 1.12 | 16 |
| 3 | Bijan RobinsonRB · ATL | 287 | 1,478 | 257.1 | 0.91 | 7 |
| 4 | Devon AchaneRB · MIA | 238 | 1,350 | 242.0 | 1.03 | 8 |
| 5 | Jonathan TaylorRB · IND | 323 | 1,585 | 195.1 | 0.61 | 18 |
| 6 | Jaylen WarrenRB · PIT | 211 | 958 | 180.6 | 0.86 | 6 |
| 7 | Rhamondre StevensonRB · NE | 130 | 603 | 175.6 | 1.36 | 7 |
| 8 | Jahmyr GibbsRB · DET | 243 | 1,223 | 166.9 | 0.69 | 13 |
| 9 | J.K. DobbinsRB · DEN | 153 | 772 | 161.1 | 1.08 | 4 |
| 10 | Jordan MasonRB · MIN | 159 | 758 | 158.3 | 1.02 | 6 |
See the full rushing yards over expected leaderboard — James Cook leads.
Why it matters
RYOE is the most useful number in the backfield because it survives an offensive line change. James Cook led in total at +358 and Derrick Henry of the Ravens was second at +340, while on a per-carry basis Rhamondre Stevenson of the Patriots led at +1.36 yards over expected per attempt. Total rewards the workhorse, per-attempt finds the back who was better than his volume. The gap between the two lists is usually a committee waiting to break open.
Updated Jul 26, 2026
The counter
RYOE measures the running, not the touches — and touches are assigned by a coach, not a model.
Updated Jul 26, 2026
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