2023 NFL Draft: Running back rankings with pro comparisons

With the NFL Draft course of effectively underway, there’s a a lot clearer image of the 2023 class than there was even a month in the past. With exhibition video games and the Mix now previously, it’s simpler to construct a full profile of this 12 months’s prospects. This backfield class has a ton of actually intriguing gamers who might step on the sphere and contribute instantly. After no operating backs went within the first spherical in 2022, there are a couple of gamers who might break into day one this 12 months.

1) Bijan Robinson, Texas

Bijan Robinson wins with all the things. He is a superb athlete who combines pure items with a fantastic really feel for the operating again place to make among the best prospects on this 12 months’s class. He has the facility to run via defenders, the agility to run round them, and the pace run by them. Robinson’s imaginative and prescient is superb and his footwork is someway higher. To cap it off, he’s an adept three down again who could be a critical receiving risk.

Bijan Robinson can take a leap by perhaps being a bit extra aggressive as a runner. Typically he’s a bit too affected person with operating lanes to widen the place he ought to simply be attacking gaps. NFL pace will scale back his margin for error behind the road of scrimmage. That is nitpicking.

Professional Comparability: Ezekiel Elliott

2) Zach Charbonnet, UCLA

Zach Charbonnet wins with energy, stability, and nice instincts as a operating again. Charbonnet has a whole sport on the place, combining a troublesome operating model with shocking lengthy pace. He’s additionally a really adept cross protector and receiver. Charbonnet was extremely productive at UCLA and his sport interprets to the NFL in a really apparent method.

Zach Charbonnet can take a leap by tightening up his response timing. Charbonnet is superb, however not an elite athlete for the place. This may hardly harm him, but it surely simply means he must proceed honing his strengths as a runner. His lack of athleticism means he won’t persistently be a house run risk within the NFL, however he can be the kind of man to get 5 yards falling down on each carry.

Professional Comparability: Eddie Lacy, Inexperienced Bay Packers

3) Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama

Jahmyr Gibbs wins with sport breaking pace and a refined sport as a cross catcher. Jahmyr Gibbs thrived after transferring from Georgia Tech to Alabama. Being in a pro-style offense allowed him to thrive as a cross catcher the place he has wonderful routes, smooth palms, nice consciousness and seamlessly transitions from catching the ball to turning into a runner. He’s a modern-NFL again in that method. He flashes brilliance as a between the tackles runner too, exhibiting he could be a full again.

Jahmyr Gibbs can take a leap by persevering with to enhance his really feel for the operating again place. He can continue to grow as a real operating again when it comes to how he offers with carries into visitors. With Gibbs, that may include reps. One other hurdle can be his dimension. He’s a bit lighter for an NFL again, however his athleticism ought to offset that.

Professional Comparability: CJ Spiller, Buffalo Payments

Devon Achane wins with a fantastic mixture of speeds and technical prowess for the place. Achane doesn’t actually have any apparent holes in his sport on the sphere. He’s quick as hell with nice agility, he can catch the ball no downside, and he exhibits shocking potential to run between the tackles and shake off defenders.

Devon Achane can take a leap by proving he could be a three down again within the NFL. Achane is effectively constructed, however small by NFL requirements. He might want to show that dimension won’t maintain him again from being a featured again in an NFL offense. It feels silly to guess in opposition to him in any respect contemplating how good his tape is, however historical past could make issues a bit trickier to venture.

Professional Comparability: David Wilson, New York Giants

5) Tyjae Spears, Tulane

Tyjae Spears wins with nice agility, shocking energy and wonderful receiving abilities. Spears was the Tulane offense of their Cinderella Season in 2022. He touched the ball 251 instances and scored 24 instances. He averaged virtually seven yards per carry and over 11 yards per catch. He’s a real playmaker in each side of the sport and could possibly be a dynamic position participant within the NFL.

Tyjae Spears can take a leap by proving he can persistently shoulder the load of an offense. Spears is brief, however not small. That being mentioned, his sport is constructed extra round finesse than taking a whole lot of onerous mileage. 2022 was his first season with over 200 carries and a whole lot of his match within the NFL can be about proving he can deal with a bigger duty in an NFL offense.

Professional Comparability: Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers