“Only a Sith deals in absolutes.” — Obi-Wan Kenobi
As we come to the end of our position lists of prospects for the 2023 NFL draft, we have to address the current maxim that running backs don’t matter. Of course, that’s not true as an absolute. What we generally mean when we say that is that the position is more fungible than it has been in the past, and that’s true. Fewer teams have every-snap bell-cow backs, because fewer teams are looking for them. There are more backfield rotations in which specific backs with specific skills are utilized in specific situations, and the days of the back getting 350 carries and beating defenses over the head with it are pretty much gone.
That’s as much a function of the modern NFL as anything else. It’s not that running backs are somehow worse or less effective than they used to be — quite the opposite in some cases. And it’s not as if some NFL teams don’t still want to define their offenses with the run game. I live in Seattle, so I can tell you that from about 10 miles away from my house. Today’s NFL is a 3×1 league. It’s a quick-game/RPO passing league with explosive plays coming out of those concepts. By that nature, you’re not going to see as many pro-sets and I-formation stuff. You can only put 11 guys on the field at the same time.
Peering more specifically into the 2023 class of draftable running backs, perhaps the question to ask is not whether they matter, but how do they matter? Ideally, you’d want a power back who can carry a serious load in the run game if it’s required, with the kinds of satellite skills that produce those explosive plays and keep defenses on edge.
There are as many different kinds of backs in this class as there are in most others, so it’s all about what flavor fits your offense. We have the additional paradigm complication at the top of a back who is truly generational (as much as we all overuse that word), and may well be the best prospect at his position in the last 15 years.
From Bijan Robinson on down, here are my eight best running backs in the 2023 draft class, and how they each could matter at the NFL level.
(All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus, Sports Info Solutions, and Football Outsiders unless otherwise indicated).
(All prospect measurement percentiles courtesy of MockDraftable.com).
2023 NFL Draft: The top 9 safeties
2023 NFL Draft: The top 11 cornerbacks
2023 NFL Draft: The top 8 linebackers
2023 NFL Draft: The top 8 interior defensive linemen
2023 NFL Draft: The top 8 edge defenders
2023 NFL Draft: The top 5 offensive tackles
2023 NFL Draft: The top 8 interior offensive linemen
2023 NFL Draft: The top 8 tight ends
2023 NFL Draft: The top 8 receivers
2023 NFL Draft: The top 5 quarterbacks
1. Bijan Robinson, Texas
Height: 5′ 11″ (57th percentile) Weight: 215 (56th)
40-Yard Dash: 4.46 (82nd)
10-Yard Split: 1.52 (83rd)
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 37″ (80th)
Broad Jump: 124″ (83rd)
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Wingspan: 74¾” (56th)
Arm Length: 31⅛” (57th)
Hand Size: 9¾” (84th)
Bio: Robinson attended Salpointe High School in Tucson, Arizona, made the varsity team as a freshman, and announced his presence with authority in this sophomore season, gaining 2,023 rushing yards and scoring 26 touchdowns on 189 carries. Robinson finished his time at Salpointe as Arizona’s all-time high-school leader in rushing yards with 7,036, and touchdowns with 114. Robinson was a five-star recruit, the No. 1 running back in the nation in 2020, and the No. 2 overall prospect behind only Georgia cornerback Kelee Ringo. Robinson chose Texas over just about any school he wanted, which led to amazing productivity and an NIL deal to endorse his own brand of mustard, called “Bijan Mustardson.” It is the “Official Dijon of Bijan,” and we have nothing to add that could amplify the greatness of this idea.
In three seasons with the Longhorns, Robinson gained 3,407 yards ad scored 33 touchdowns on 539 carries. He also caught 60 passes on 77 targets for 803 yards and eight touchdowns. In 2022, he had 475 snaps in the backfield, 23 out wide, and 14 in the slot.
Stat to Know: Robinson forced 104 missed tackles last season, which is the most for any running back in the history of Pro Football Focus’ charting. In addition, his career Missed Tackle Rate Forced of 39% is tied with former North Carolina and current Denver Broncos star Javonte Williams for the highest in PFF’s charting annals.
Strengths: Robinson’s contact balance is as good as for any running back I’ve ever evaluated. And it’s not just about pure power, though he’s got more than enough weight to just throw defenders aside — it’s the eerie combination of vision, lateral agility, and force through all kinds of contact. There are plays in which you wonder how he “only” broke 104 tackles last season.
And if you want preposterous jump cuts combined with home-run speed you’d more expect out of a guy 20 pounds lighter… well, Robinson can do that all day. He’s probably got more pure “Holy [EXPLETIVE]’ plays on his tape then any other player in this class.
As a receiver, Robinson presents a more than credible weapon in the slot — he’s about far more than just swings and screen passes. Here, he just leveled Iowa State cornerback Anthony Johnson Jr. with a move on the skinny post, adding acrobatics at the end.
Weaknesses: Well, this section is going to be pretty light. Robinson is the most ding-proof prospect in the 2023 class. His only consistent weakness is that he’s a running back in the year 2023 as opposed to the year 1998.
Conclusion: Positional value is a fickle concept. There are those who will automatically criticize any team that takes a running back in the first round of any draft, and it’s really missing the overall point. Overall, running backs are like insurance — they don’t matter until they do, and when they do, they REALLY do. Especially when we’re talking about a running back who pins the needle with every attribute for the position, and adds legitimate value as a multi-level receiver. Robinson is the best non-quarterback and non-defensive player in this class, and were we talking about another era, he could be NO. 1 overall. None of this should shadow his value and potential at the NFL level, because it’s absolute, and it’s bulletproof.
NFL Comparison: Josh Jacobs. The Raiders took Jacobs out of Alabama with the second of their three first-round picks in the 2019 draft. The other two picks, edge-rusher Clelin Ferell and safety Johnathan Abram, were unmitigated busts. But Jacobs became one of the best running backs in the NFL, especially in the 2022 season, when he forced a league-high 90 missed tackles, showed all kinds of second- and third-level speed, and showed that he could get things done as a receiver. Robinson is more evolved with a lot of Jacobs’ traits, but it’s a fairly even comp.
2. Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama
Height: 5′ 9⅛” (25th percentile) Weight: 199 (14th)
40-Yard Dash: 4.36 (97th)
10-Yard Split: 1.52 (83rd)
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 33½” (37th)
Broad Jump: N/A
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Wingspan: 74⅛” (46th)
Arm Length: 30½” (35th)
Hand Size: 9¼” (47th)
Bio: Gibbs overcame financial insecurity as a child and young adult, became an early star at Dalton High School in Dalton, Georgia. He earned All-State and All-American honors as a senior, and was named Georgia’s Mr. Football in 2019. Gibbs, who also excelled in basketball and track, was a four-star recruit and committed to Georgia Tech — primarily because he had developed a relationship with running backs coach and former NFL running back Tashard Choice. An immediate star as a running back and return man, Gibbs transferred to Alabama for the 2022 season.
Over three seasons with the Yellowjackets and the Crimson Tide, Gibbs totaled 2,139 yards and 15 touchdowns on 383 carries, adding 103 receptions on 123 targets for 1,215 yards and eight touchdowns. In 2022, he had 391 snaps in the backfield, 18 in the slot, four out wide, and two inline.
Stat to Know: Gibbs leads all NCAA running backs over the last three seasons with 25 catches of 15 or more yards, and 39 forced missed tackles on receptions.
Strengths: Gibbs had 31 explosive plays last season on just 192 touches in 2022, which gives you a basic idea of how he is as a player. You love the deep receptions, of course, but I had to put this 60-yard catch against Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl. This is a seemingly simple short crosser, but from Gibbs just disintegrating linebacker Austin Moore with a preposterous foot fake, to the “I’m open” move, to the speed after the catch, to the acceleration up the boundary, Gibbs is clearly a player who can creative explosives out of plays a lot of running backs just couldn’t.
Gibbs blends appealing contact balance for his size with elite lateral agility, and the kind of multi-directional speed that will leave defenders in his dust. Add a level of vision that a lot of backs would envy, and it’s a very complete package.
Weaknesses: Gibbs’ size and prediction for getting into release routes out of the backfield makes him a less than optimal pass-blocker; he’s more of an innocent bystander than an interested party.
Conclusion: If you’re selecting Jahmyr Gibbs for your NFL team, probably in the bottom of the first round or the top of the second, you’re not doing that because you want a headbanger who impose his will on enemy defenses. You are doing so because you want to add an offensive weapon who has a proven ability to maximize his athletic attributes everywhere from the backfield to the slot to out wide, with possible further development along the way. He’s a prototype player for any team looking for elements in their running back that brings to mind anybody from Brian Westbrook to Le’Veon Bell.
NFL Comparison: Alvin Kamara. It’s the obvious comparison, it’s the one everybody is using, and while I could try to be cute and go elsewhere, it just makes too much sense. Selected by the Saints in the third round of the 2017 draft, Kamara was the ideal lightning/satellite back in Sean Payton’s offense. Payton helped to force the advent of the base nickel defense by moving Reggie Bush from the backfield to the slot, Kamara was a furtherance of that paradigm, and in a lot of ways, Gibbs is the next step in the progression — or, at the very least, a very good copy of the original.
3. Zach Charbonnet, UCLA
Height: 6′ 0⅜” (77th percentile) Weight: 214 (52nd)
40-Yard Dash: 4.53 (60th)
10-Yard Split: 1.54 (70th)
Bench Press: 18 reps (39th)
Vertical Jump: 37″ (80th)
Broad Jump: 122″ (75th)
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Wingspan: 75⅝” (69th)
Arm Length: 32″ (87th)
Hand Size: 9⅞” (89th)
Bio: A four-star recruit out of Oaks Christian High School in Camarillo, California, Charbonnet was a high-school teammate of current Giants edge-rusher and 2022 fifth-overall pick Kayvon Thibodeaux. He committed to Michigan over offers from UCLA and USC (among others), and transferred to UCLA in 2021 after fighting for reps in the Wolverines’ stacked backfield over two seasons. In two seasons with the Bruins, Charbonnet gained 2,496 yards and scored 27 touchdowns on 398 carries, adding 61 catches for 518 yards.
Stat to Know: 806 of Charbonnet’s 1,358 rushing yards came after contact last season, and he averaged 4.15 yards after contact per rushing attempt.
Strengths: At his best. Charbonnet comes to the field with vision, contact balance, and acceleration in a package that projects him very well to the NFL as a feature back.
Charbonnet also has the lateral speed to bounce it outside for big gains; he averaged 6.9 yards per attempt on 92 runs charted to the outside or off-tackle last season. And he has the ability to re-set in space to bring that contact balance into play, which can be a real problem for defenders at the second and third level. These attributes stand out especially for his size; Charbonnet chews up turf from an agility perspective like a guy 2-3 inches shorter.
Weaknesses: Charbonnet has proven to be a good receiver on simple swing passes and screens, but I don’t know how much you want him running a more advanced route palette at this point. He needs some development as an every-down target.
And while Charbonnet is willing as a blocker, he doesn’t always hit the mark.
Conclusion: If you’re a shot-caller for an NFL team in need of an old-school hammerhead who can blow through tackles and also presents some speed and wiggle. Charbonnet could well be your guy. He may struggle at first for an every-down role at the next level due to some limitations at this point in his process, but the stuff that works is valuable, and it works right now.
NFL Comparison: Marshawn Lynch. Selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2007 draft (it was a different era) by the Bills, Lynch had a few good seasons with his first NFL team, but he exploded onto the scene pretty quickly after the Seahawks traded for him in the 2010 season. Lynch was a broken-tackle machine as you know from his marquee runs over time, but he also possessed tremendous lateral agility, and became the epicenter of Seattle’s offense for a time despite a relative lack of home-run speed, and not a ton of value as a receiver.
4. Tyjae Spears, Tulane
Height: 5′ 9⅝” (27th percentile) Weight: 201 (18th)
40-Yard Dash: N/A
10-Yard Split: N/A
Bench Press: 18 reps (39th)
Vertical Jump: 39″ (91st)
Broad Jump: 125″ (87th)
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Wingspan: N/A
Arm Length: 30¾” (43rd)
Hand Size: 10″ (92nd)
Bio: Spears attended Ponchatoula High in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, north of New Orleans. He was a three-star recruit who didn’t see a lot of big-school offers, and he committed to Tulane, allowing him to stay close to home, when that offer came in. There was a late offer from Kansas State, but Spears stayed put with head coach Willie Fritz. It proved to be a wise decision. In 2022, Spears gained 1,581 yards and scored 19 touchdowns on 229 carries. adding 22 receptions for 256 yards and two touchdowns. He was the American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year, First Team All-AAC, and the Most Valuable Player of Tulane’s 46-45 Cotton Bowl win over USC, in which he ran 17 times for 205 yards and four touchdowns.
Stat to Know: Spears had 793 breakaway yards last season (yardage on runs of 15 or more yards) on 21 such carries.
Strengths: I got to watch tape with Spears in the lower ballroom of the Omni Severin Hotel in Indianapolis in the days leading up to the combine, so let’s get the details on some of his more remarkable plays last season from the man himself. This 62-yard run in the Cotton Bowl against USC is the one you’d think he’d want NFL evaluators to watch the most, though this wasn’t even one of his four touchdown runs. He got past all kinds of trouble at the line of scrimmage, and just about had another score, though he got caught at the end when he got a bit too cute.
“We were running a little inside zone,” Spears told me. “We had been working on that play Hug the playside leg, and it just popped right out the front door. I should have scored on that. man. But he had a great angle. I mean, I kinda fell down, but that was crazy. I don’t know, man — you can’t win all of them.”
There was also this 55-yard run against Tulsa, in which Spears put moves on that defense that just weren’t fair. Spears might be the best stop-and-start runner in this class; his ability to get back to full speed from a “dead-leg” move is kind of freaky.
“I just tried to make the hit as light as possible,” Spears said. “Never give up face, I just took my leg from him, and that’s just bursting on the inside, taking my leg from him.”
Spears can de-legitimize contact at all levels of the field, which is an important attribute.
Spears is also able to make things happen as a receiver beyond the basic routes, as he showed on this 29-yard catch against Southern Miss.
“It’s called a seam read,” Spears said. “It’s two yards outside the hash. I had to clear the linebacker there — he had a bust right there, and that ain’t my problem. That’s his problem. Had a bust right there, and I caught the ball over his head. My objective is as a running back, as a ballcarrier, to just make the first guy miss. This was just a little counter action, boom, and I’m going to make that guy miss me. That’s what it’s going to look like, right there.”
At his size, Spears won’t always make the killer block, but when I asked him to name his favorite play from last season, he immediately brought up this block against Memphis. With 10:35 left in the second quarter, Spears did indeed shift into the A-gap, and Memphis linebacker Cincir Evans had no idea what was coming.
“I’m gonna fight,” Spears said when I asked him what this block should tell the NFL about him. “I may be considered a little guy, but I’m gonna step up and hit you in the mouth and fight. I’m not bragging, and I had a fair amount of good runs, but I’m talking about pass protection.”
Weaknesses: For all of Spears’ effort and grit, there are times when the blocking thing doesn’t go quite as well. He’s not the first back you’d want off the bus against an overload blitz, picking out one of two guys to address who might outweigh him by 50-70 pounds.
And there are times when Spears’ size shows up in power situations. He has impressive contact balance, but he really gets his missed tackles through speed, suddenness, and agility. He must rely on these things, and quick vision, to avoid traffic jams.
Conclusion: Spears won’t be an ideal for every NFL team. You have to want a satellite back, and you have to be able to use him in a multitude of ways. He may never gain 1,000 yards in a season on the ground, but he could be a real weapon in a yards from scrimmage sense, and the extent to which Spears’ NFL team focuses on what he is, as supposed to what his size prevents him from doing, is how much his NFL team will be rewarded with the potential of a unique player.
NFL Comparison: Austin Ekeler. The 5-foot-10, 200-pound Ekeler was an undrafted free agent out of Western State, and he managed to transcend size and small-school concerns to become the most important non-quarterback in the Chargers’ offense. Ekeler went from 24 catches in his rookie season of 2017 to 107 in 2022, he forced 44 missed tackles last season, and he had seven runs of 15 or more yards… for 233 total yards. It’s pretty easy to superimpose that kind of role for Spears.
5. Devon Achane, Texas A&M
Height: 5′ 8¾” (13th percentile) Weight: 188 (3rd)
40-Yard Dash: 4.32 (98th)
10-Yard Split: 1.51 (86th)
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 33″ (31st)
Broad Jump: N/A
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Wingspan: N/A
Arm Length: 29″ (4th)
Hand Size: 8½” (5th)
Bio: A four-star recruit out of Marshall High in Missouri City, Texas, Achane wasn’t just a football star — he also helped Marshall to two straight state track championships, was the 2020 Gatorade Texas Track & Field Athlete of the Year, and posted the fastest times in the country in the 200-meter run and the 4×100 relay. He chose Texas A&M over offers from Alabama, Florida State, Houston, and LSU. Achane started with a bang, winning the Most Valuable Player award in A&M’s Cotton Bowl win over North Carolina at the end of his freshman season. Over three years with the Aggies, Achane gained 2,376 yards and scored 21 touchdowns on 369 carries, adding 65 catches for 554 yards and five touchdowns. He also returned 20 kicks for 613 yards and two touchdowns — a 96-yarder in 2021, and a 95-yarder in 2022.
Stat to Know: Last season, Achane had 18 runs of 15 or more yards on 196 carries.
Strengths: You want the track background to show up on Achane’s football tape, and it certainly does — not only with his straight-line speed, but with some preposterous moves to render defenders motionless, wondering what just happened. LSU safety Joe Foucha experienced that unpleasant sensation when Achane just whipped around him on this 10-yard touchdown run.
Achane can also bang it inside on zone or gap concepts, and he’s eager to exploit any opening. I would love to see him in an NFL offense with pulling and sweeping linemen, just blasting those gaps so that he can start the speed show. He shows a nice combination of patience and burst in those moments.
You can extend Achane’s exploitation of openings to the passing game; anything open on the edge, and he’s gone. This is a good time to mention that he forced 53 missed tackles last season. So, not just a speed guy.
Weaknesses: There are many things Achane does well on the field. Let’s just say that blocking is… not one of them. At all. Per PFF, he allowed two sacks and 10 total pressures in 2022. As much as his burner speed will put him on the field, that might take him right off.
Conclusion: Achane’s athleticism has been touted for a long time, that praise is well-deserved, and he can deploy it at a level that puts defenses in a box more often than defenses would like. He’s got surprising after-contact power for his size, there’s potential as a receiver, and though his blocking is absolutely abysmal, his NFL team would likely be smart enough to avoid that being an issue. Splitting hairs regarding whether he’s an every-down back might be a bit short-sighted when there are teams fully capable of having him hitting the ground running everywhere from the backfield to the slot. Home-run hitters like this don’t grow on trees. You take players like this, and you don’t really ask them to muscle up.
NFL Comparison: Napoleon Kaufman. Like Achane, the 5-foot-9, 185-pound Kaufman was a prodigal track star, and that showed up with all kinds of big plays for the University of Washington. No surprise that Al Davis selected Kaufman with the 18th overall pick in the 1995 draft. Kaufman was a football player, not just a straight-line speed guy, so he provided more value than a lot of those track dudes Davis loved to bet on. Kaufman was a lightning bolt waiting to happen as a runner, receiver, and returner, and Achane has all of that potential.
6. Roschon Johnson, Texas
Height: 6′ 0¼” (76th percentile) Weight: 219 (67th)
40-Yard Dash: 4.58 (40th)
10-Yard Split: 1.52 (83rd)
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 31½ (17th)
Broad Jump: 122″ (75th)
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Wingspan: N/A
Arm Length: 32″ (82nd)
Hand Size: 9⅝” (77th)
Bio: Raised in Port Arthur, Texas (the birthplace of Jimmy Johnson and Janis Joplin), Johnson attended Port Neches-Groves High in Port Arthur and was a four-star recruit as a quarterback and running back. He committed to Texas over offers from (deep breath) Florida, Florida State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee and Texas A&M because he had wanted to be a Longhorn since he was a kid. The original plan was for Johnson to be a dual-threat quarterback, but running back injuries had his coaches moving him there.
Johnson had a nice start to his collegiate career with 649 yards and seven touchdowns on 123 carries in his freshman season of 2019, but then, the Longhorns bagged Bijan Robinson, and Johnson’s carry share was going to decline, for obvious seasons. Over four seasons, he totaled 2,190 yards and 23 touchdowns on 392 carries, with 56 catches for 420 yards and three touchdowns.
Stat to Know: Johnson forced 46 missed tackles last season… on just 94 rushing attempts.
Strengths: While he’s more than capable of running with power, Johnson can also turn on the jets both at the second and third levels, and when it’s time to bounce something outside. His longest run of the 2022 season, this 52-yard touchdown against Oklahoma State, was more about Johnson’s ability to just beat everyone to the goal line.
And just because he’s big, don’t assume that Johnson was forcing all of those missed tackles by running people over. On this 32-yard run against UTSA, Johnson’s quickness and elusiveness in short spaces were the featured skills.
Of course, when it is time to just go Beast Mode on a defense, Johnson has no problem doing that. He’s an aggressive, smart runner with outstanding second-reaction recovery and contact balance. You don’t have to tell Oklahoma’s defense about it — they’ve seen it up close.
Speaking of Johnson embarrassing Oklahoma’s defense, he’s also got the ability to break off huge yards after catch on simple outlet stuff. This 38-yard reception had 44 YAC. Johnson is a guy who can bail his quarterback out quite credibly.
Weaknesses: Texas had some interesting formations last season in which Johnson and Robinson were in the backfield at the same time, and for the most part, Johnson’s blocking could have better when his buddy got the ball.
Other than that, Johnson’s primary weakness seems to be that he isn’t Bijan Robinson… but as we have established, nobody else is, either.
Conclusion: You have to do some projecting to classify Johnson as a top-five back in this class, but based on the reps he had, it wasn’t difficult for me. As a power back with some second-level speed and juice, he’d be an easy top-rated back were he not hidden behind such a great player in Robinson, and he shouldn’t be debited too much for that. He’ll hit in the NFL because he brings a serious load at first contact, and he had some compelling answers for what to do after it.
NFL Comparison: Chris Ivory. An undrafted free agent out of Tiffin via Washington State, Ivory had limited college reps for reasons Johnson didn’t (injuries and violations of team rules), but when the Saints picked him up in 2010, he proved pretty immediately that he could serve as an outstanding power back. I believe that Johnson can become more than a rotational guy, but here’s where we start.
7. Zach Evans, Mississippi
Height: 5′ 10¾” (48th percentile) Weight: 202 (20th)
40-Yard Dash: N/A
10-Yard Split: N/A
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: N/A
Broad Jump: N/A
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Wingspan: N/A
Arm Length: 31⅝” (73rd)
Hand Size: 10¼” (98th)
Bio: A five-star recruit out of North Shore High School in Houston, Evans was the No. 2 recruit in the 2020 class behind only Bijan Robinson, and he committed to TCU over offers from every major school in the country. He was the Horned Frogs’ first five-star signee in the school’s history. After two seasons with TCU, in which he gained 1,063 yards and scored nine touchdowns on 146 carries, adding 18 catches for 206 yards and a touchdown, Evans transferred to Ole Miss, where he gained 936 yards and scored nine touchdowns on 144 carries in 2022, adding 12 catches for 119 yards and a touchdown.
Stat to Know: Evans’ 2022 “Boom Rate” (percentage of plays that result in an EPA greater than +1) of 15% is second-highest among all backs on this list, behind only UAB’s DeWayne McBride (19%).
Strengths: Evans forced 36 missed tackles on those 144 attempts last season, and the tape shows how. He’s got great lateral agility, he bounces well through contact, and he’s not above throwing a stiff-arm out there to win extra yards.
Evans will also churn through contact — if you want to tackle him on your own, you’d better square up, and even if you bring friends, it’s not going to be an easy ride. He shows a lot of functional power for a back his size.
And while Evans made his bones as a receiver from backfield routes, I think he has the athleticism to do some interesting things in the slot.
Weaknesses: That said, before Evans can be more versatile and accessible in the passing game, he’s going to have to overcome a problem with drops that happened too often last season. He’s got a risky habit of trying to burst upfield before he’s secured the ball.
And Evans probably isn’t going to be your first choice when it comes to blitz pickup.
Conclusion: It was Evans’ singular misfortune to transfer from TCU to Ole Miss as the Horned Frogs got it together to the point of a shot at the national championship. Perhaps he’d be a more highly-regarded back coming from a team like that; I don’t know. But the five-star stuff shows up a lot on his tape, and he does project well to the NFL as a back capable of equal parts speed, agility, and sneaky strength.
NFL Comparison: Melvin Gordon III. Last year, I compared Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III to Gordon, and it fit — everywhere from the slashing running style to the embryonic receiver abilities to the occasional garish whiffs in pass protection. Walker turned into an asset for the Seahawks in his rookie season, and Evans reminds me a lot of both backs in his predilection for consistently exhibiting speed and agility, and I think that Evans is more powerful at his base than either of those backs.
8. DeWayne McBride, UAB
Height: 5′ 10¼” (45th percentile) Weight: 209 (36th)
40-Yard Dash: N/A
10-Yard Split: N/A
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: N/A
Broad Jump: N/A
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Wingspan: N/A
Arm Length: 30⅝” (39th)
Hand Size: 9½” (69th)
Bio: McBride played for three different high schools, winding up at Vanguard High in Starke, Florida. A standout track athlete as well as a football star, McBride was a three-star recruit who received offers from bigger schools like Tulane, Purdue, Louisville, and Rutgers. But UAB felt like home. Over three seasons with the Blazers, McBride gained 3,523 yards and scored 36 touchdowns on 484 carries. He also caught five passes for 29 yards.
Stat to Know: McBride led all running backs in the 2023 draft class with 4.60 yards per carry after contact, and only East Carolina’s Keaton Mitchell had more runs last season of 15 or more yards (31) than McBride’s 25.
Strengths: If you give McBride an open gap at the line of scrimmage, things are going to get unpleasant for your defense very quickly. He creates all those yards after contact with speed which generates power, and his straight-line speed is for real. As is his lateral agility.
McBride is also resilient and adaptive when it comes to staying upright; this two-spin move masterwork against UTSA proves how much he wants to keep the ball rolling once it starts. He’s a creative player in open space.
Weaknesses: McBride led all running backs on this list with five fumbles last season, and for all of his attributes, that’s the kind of thing that will get you benched early and often in your NFL career. This is where his determination and creativity can get him in trouble.
You really have to project McBride as a receiver, as he didn’t have a ton of reps in that regard, the stuff he was involved with wasn’t terribly complicated, and there were times when the whole idea was kind of a disaster.
Conclusion: McBride’s ability to create explosive plays in different ways on the ground makes his tape fun to watch, and NFL teams will certainly find it interesting. If he can clean up the one obvious liability and maximize all the things he does bring to the table. he projects as a near-feature back who can help to define an offense.
NFL Comparison: Alex Collins. Selected by the Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2016 draft. Collins fell out of favor with his first NFL coaching staff despite his attributes because he couldn’t hold on to the football. That issue followed him to the Ravens in 2017, when he had his best season to date. Like Collins. McBride is a back with a lot on the ball, and more receiving potential than he’s shown on tape, but that one negative could really hurt his NFL future.
