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- Evan Hull – Northwestern
Hull is the perfect candidate to be a rotational player in a running back room. He has excellent vision and has the natural ability to find gaps or even the slightest of open spaces. In the passing game he is also valuable because he has good hands and is competitive on blitz pickups. Hull is also not afraid to get physical and drop his shoulder into would be tacklers. Despite having a heavy workload at Northwestern over the last two seasons, he still has a lot left in his legs. Hull doesn’t have much of a second gear in open space which results in him often being caught in the secondary. He also does not create consistent yardage after initial contact. Hull will be a great day three pickup.
Player Comparison: Samaje Perine
Projection: 5th – 7th Round
Best Fits: Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants, Carolina (Wild Card – Jacksonville)
- Roschon Johnson – Texas
Johnson was part of one of the better one-two punches in college football last season. He is a tall running back with great size and athleticism. He is a patient runner with good vision and offers plenty of power. Johnson also maintains great balance and in the passing game offers excellent value as a pass blocker. He has good hands but does need work on his route tree out of the backfield. Due to being taller, Johnson often gets chopped down low and could certainly learn to play with better pad level. He also lacks lateral agility and is more of a straight line type of player. Johnson will offer great depth with upside but when on the field will probably be more of an early down/short yardage running back.
Player Comparison: Hassan Haskins
Projection: 3rd – 5th Round
Best Fits: Miami, Arizona, Cincinnati (Wild Card – New Orleans)
- Devon Achane – Texas A&M
Achane is a shifty, little burner of a running back. He is extremely quick and terrific with the ball in open space. Achane is completely electric when outside the hashes. He often wants to get east and west before heading north and south. He is too small to be a feature back and does not happen to be a great runner up the middle. Ideally Achane turns into a gadget type of player. He will be a threat on third downs, as a returner and even as a slot receiver. Achane will probably bust off some of his biggest plays when given the ball on jet sweeps or reverses.
Player Comparison: Demetric Felton
Projection: 4th – 6th Round
Best Fits: New England, Detroit, Carolina (Wild Card – Indianapolis)
- Tyjae Spears – Tulane
Spears has been drawing more and more attention since the season ended. He is an explosive runner with great acceleration and plenty of speed in the open field. As a smaller running back, he does well maneuvering through tighter spaces and happens to be quite twitchy. As a pass catcher he runs some really nice routes and has solid hands. Spears may also be able to possibly add some value in the return game. His lean and narrow build will make it difficult for him to be a workhorse type of running back. Spears will likely be primarily used as a third down back and if he performs well may see some more touches in the run game.
Player Comparison: Kenneth Gainwell
Projection: 2nd – 3rd Round
Best Fits: Carolina, Houston, Pittsburgh (Wild Card – Tennessee)
- Chris Rodriguez Jr. – Kentucky
Rodriguez is a rumbler who is all about getting downhill and running north/south. He is a true power back and once contacted he manages to keep his legs churning. Rodriguez lacks explosiveness and has average to below average speed and acceleration. He is not very dynamic and throughout his career will likely be used more in short yardage situations or goal-to-go situations.
Player Comparison: Carlos Hyde
Projection: 4th – 6th Round
Best Fits: Minnesota, New Orleans, Philadelphia (Wild Card – Indianapolis)
- Zach Charbonnet – UCLA
Charbonnet is a big, physical, bruising running back. Many consider him a top five running back prospect in this class. He puts his head down and initiates contact with defenders and also absorbs hits. Charbonnet additionally has great contact balance, a nice jump cut and is an okay pass catcher. There are a few reasons why I am more skeptical about what he can offer at the next level. Not only does he have average to below average speed, but he has the tendency to dance around rather than just bursting through an open hole. Patience and dancing around are totally different things and if you are not decisive then you won’t be impactful. Charbonnet does not offer much value on third down and will get most of his reps on first and second down. He might not be fully ready to be a feature back right away.
Player Comparison: Latavius Murray
Projection: 2nd – 3rd Round
Best Fits: Buffalo, Jacksonville, Dallas (Wild Card – Los Angeles Rams)
- Kenny McIntosh – Georgia
McIntosh is a long striding running back with a leaner build, which helps him get skinny and slip through tight holes. He is a good athlete that offers value as a pass catcher and as a runner. McIntosh is not built to be a feature back and probably cannot take a ton of punishment every single week. In a running back by committee system he would be a very nice fit.
Player Comparison: Jeff Wilson Jr.
Projection: 2nd – 3rd Round
Best Fits: Carolina, Chicago, Arizona (Wild Card – Baltimore)
- Tank Bigsby – Auburn
Bigsby is a running back with top notch lateral quickness and makes some very quick cuts when finding space. He has ideal vision and toughness that will help him succeed at the next level. Bigsby likes to quickly attack north and south after touching the football. He has average speed and power compared to some of the rest of this group, plus he could certainly show some more patience and let holes open up in front of him. In order to give every down value, Bigsby needs to improve in pass protection. He will be a valuable part of a rotation early or wait in the wings for about a year.
Player Comparison: Jerome Ford
Projection: 2nd – 4th Round
Best Fits: Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville (Wild Card – Cincinnati)
- Zach Evans – Ole Miss
Evans is an elite change of pace runner with the ability to break off huge runs. His vision, aggressive north and south attack, then speed in the open field make him a fascinating prospect with impressive potential. Despite having elite skill sets, Evans is built like a traditional third down back yet does not add pass catcher value. He currently projects as more of a first and second down type of running back. If he improves as a pass protector and receiver then perhaps he could become an every down back. Evans will get time on the field early but I do wonder how many carries per game his body can handle in the NFL.
Player Comparison: Raheem Mostert
Projection: 2nd – 4th Round
Best Fits: Miami, Baltimore, New Orleans (Wild Card – Houston)
- Chase Brown – Illinois
Brown might not be quite as elite at running back as his twin brother is elite at safety. It’s pretty close though… Brown is a direct runner who hits the hole fast and takes off from there. There is not much concern about being indecisive and dancing around when it comes to Brown. Once he gets to the second level, he can accelerate with some nice additional burst and show off the breakaway speed. Brown also has good hands as a receiver and is quite dangerous on wheel routes. Despite being one of the shorter running backs in the class, he is stout which helps balance his frame out. He does have a tendency to get too impatient and not quite let holes adequately develop. Even if Brown has a game where he gets bottled up in tight spaces, he can still make an impact in the open field. Brown should see the field early and turn into a day two or early day three steal.
Player Comparison: J.K. Dobbins
Projection: 2nd – 4th Round
Best Fits: Arizona, Philadelphia, Kansas City (Wild Card – Chicago)
- Israel Abanikanda – Pittsburgh
Abanikanda is a tough and smart runner. At Pittsburgh he was a big play threat and he has the ability to continue that trend. He plays extremely well behind his pad level and sometimes gets lost behind his offensive line then pops up flying past defenders. Not only does Abanikanda display a second gear once he gets to the second level, but I would argue that he even has a third gear. In order to fully mold his game, he does need to take some strides as a pass catcher and in pass protection. Until those things improve he will be an early down back, often starting in a rotation. Just get the ball in Abanikanda’s hands and he will make something happen.
Player Comparison: Isiah Pacheco
Projection: 2nd – 4th Round
Best Fits: Miami, Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina (Wild Card – Pittsburgh)
- Kendre Miller – TCU
Miller is one of the most powerful running backs in this draft class and also possesses some good straight end speed. He has the ideal size to take a bruising at 220 pounds yet still has a bit of twitch. I have been impressed with Miller’s footwork and contact balance. In college, opposing defenders missed a lot of tackles when trying to bring Miller down. At TCU he was not utilized much as a receiver but I do think he has enough blocking skills and athleticism to play every down. Until he gets the necessary reps to be comfortable on third down, he will be a great starting running back used on first and second down.
Player Comparison: Javonte Williams
Projection: 3rd – 5th Round
Best Fits: Buffalo, Cincinnati, Tampa Bay (Wild Card – Dallas)
- Mohamed Ibrahim – Minnesota
I am extremely high on Ibrahim and would argue that he is one of the five most underrated prospects at any position in this entire draft. He is the nastiest runner in this class because of his unreal power and the demeanor to always run angry. Ibrahim will knock down bigger linebackers when hitting head to head. Not only does he have outstanding contact balance, but he also displays some great short area quickness and burst. Ibrahim will not be much of a factor on third downs or as a pass catcher in general. The biggest concern comes from his season ending achilles tear in the first game of the season versus Ohio State in 2021. In 2022, he seemed to bounce back well, not lose much of a step and remained dominant. I’m not sure if I can see Ibrahim having a strong 10 year career, but I think he has plenty in the tank to put together three to five really solid years. That means a team could land a dominant running back and save money at the position thanks to his rookie contract. He may be the Dameon Pierce of last season.
Player Comparison: Kareem Hunt (movement) / Marshawn Lynch (physicality)
Projection: 4th – 5th Round
Best Fits: Cincinnati, Dallas, Los Angeles Rams (Wild Card – Jacksonville)
Watch as Cole unveils the top 3 – highlights included!
