2023 Running Backs

Top 100QBRB – WRTEOTIOL – EDGEDLLBCBS

Grade Scale for Ceiling/Floor: High-End Starter: 80+ | Avg. Starter: 60-79 | Backup/Situational Starter: 40-59 | Roster Filler: 20-39 | Camp Invite: 0-19 |
NFL Readiness: Graded on 0-5 scale
Grade calculation: Average of Ceiling(x3) and Floor + NFL readiness
RkPlayerPosSchoolHtWtHandForty3-ConeVertCeilingFloorReadyGradeScouting Report
RB1Bijan RobinsonRB Texas5'11"2159.75"4.46--37"8566585.3Three-year starter who was a force immediately upon stepping on the field at Texas. Ideal blend of power and agility. Lacks elite long speed, but his explosive acceleration is enough to create big plays. Great balance as a runner and is tough to bring down. Looks comfortable as a pass catcher with plenty of experience 一 ran over 10 routes per game, per Sports Info Solutions. You have to get nitpicky to find holes in his game, but he could benefit from being more decisive 一 his acceleration and ability to fight through contact allowed him to be more patient in college, but he’ll need to speed things up a tick in the NFL. It’s becoming harder to label someone a true three-down back in this pass-heavy era, but Robinson fits the mold.
RB2Zach CharbonnetRB UCLA6'0"2149.875"4.53--37"79554.577.5Highly intelligent runner with elite vision and patience. Excels at avoiding negative plays due to a combination of his vision and his ability to fight through initial contact. Powerful legs make him tough to bring down. Good acceleration but lacks home run speed. Reliable pass-catcher and saw a few targets per game in Chip Kelly’s offense, but lacks the agility and speed to have a high ceiling in that area. Should be viewed as an early-down back who should be complemented by a more elusive runner 一 but he has enough pass-catching ability that he doesn’t necessarily need to come off the field on passing downs.
RB3Jahmyr GibbsRB Alabama5'9"1999.25"4.36--33.5"7758375.3Versatile playmaker with a high ceiling in the passing game. Explosive with the ball in his hands in space and tough to corral in the open field. Home run speed. As a ball carrier, he’s heavily dependent on the offensive line due to his size and indecisiveness as a runner 一 you don’t want him running between the tackles at a high rate given these traits. Dances too much and gets dragged down in the backfield at an alarming rate. Despite his electric ability in the passing game, he can be frustrating due to his tendency to drop some passes and an awkwardness adjusting to poorly placed balls. Very little experience in the slot, but could get an opportunity to learn that role as well. Best suited as a RB2, primarily playing on passing downs, but has enough tools as a runner to be a low-end RB1.
RB4Kendre MillerRB TCU5'11"2159.375"------79422.572.3Built like an NFL workhorse. Good acceleration and decent long speed for his size. Excels at fighting through early contact and won’t get caught in the backfield often 一 good traits for an early-down back. Played in a friendly scheme which created a ton of light boxes. Modest production when running into stacked boxes, and didn’t have the top-tier vision or elusive ability to excel in those situations. Minimal experience in the passing game, and doesn’t have the athletic traits to be a serious weapon in that area. Only a one-year starter, so he’s relatively fresh in terms of wear and tear. Season-ending knee injury in CFP which required offseason surgery 一 unable to work out in pre-draft process. Looks like a potential starter as an early-down back, who may need to come off the field on passing downs. Floor is a little lower because it requires some projection to guess how he’ll adjust to an offense where he’s fighting through more traffic at the line of scrimmage.
RB5Israel AbanikandaRB Pittsburgh5'11"2168.25"4.44----78401.570.0Explosive runner coming off a break-out year. Runs like a wide receiver 一 can fly in the open field, but tends to run a little tall and does not fight through contact consistently. Tends to bounce everything to the outside 一 doesn’t look comfortable fighting through traffic between the tackles. Limited pass game experience, but has the tools to develop that area of his game. Only 20 years old, among the youngest in this class. Has the raw tools to develop into a workhorse, but needs to improve his ability to take on contact and develop as a pass-catcher. Immediate role may be as a return specialist, which will buy him time to develop other areas of his game.
RB6Tyjae SpearsRB Tulane5'9"20110"4.52--39"73392.567.0Explosive runner with home-run speed. Capable runner between the tackles due to his vision, but tends to bounce to the outside. Uncanny ability to avoid negative plays for his size 一 he's surprisingly hard to wrap up in the backfield. Tulane tried to incorporate him into the pass game due to his explosive ability but he’s just not a natural receiver. Has some bad drops and doesn’t look comfortable adjusting to poorly placed balls. Probably best suited for a third-down role, but inconsistent production in the passing game suggests he needs some development before he’s a high-level contributor in that role. Not much wear and tear in terms of usage, but already has suffered two ACL tears to the same knee. Probably best viewed as a lottery ticket 一 if he stays healthy and if you can coach him up in the pass game, you’ve got an explosive complementary weapon, but the floor is low.
RB7Roschon JohnsonRB Texas6'0"2199.625"4.58--31.5"6555466.5Powerful downhill, between-the-tackles runner. Rarely gets stuffed in the backfield and consistently fights through early contact. Not a home-run threat and doesn’t attempt to bounce runs to the outside often. Seeks out contact, even in the open field. Lacks the agility to make anyone miss. Ideal early-down back in a power-run scheme 一 he’ll take what's given, plus some extra yards after contact and keep the chains moving. He’ll have a steady NFL career, but his production will depend a lot on the offense 一 most offenses aren’t giving a ton of carries to one-cut runners with limited juice, but certain coaches will find opportunities for him.
RB8Devon AchaneRB Texas A&M5'9"1888.5"4.32--33"67503.566.3Accomplished track star who brings that speed to the football field. Unlikely many track athletes, Achane has more than just straight-line speed 一 he’s elusive and can make defenders miss in tight spaces. Lack of size is an obvious concern, though he’s well built for his size. Indecisive runner, who gets caught dancing in the backfield too often, especially when the designed gap isn’t available. Relies on his offensive line 一 if he’s contacted in the backfield, he’s probably going down. Capable receiver, though lack of size and small hands limits his catch radius and leads to some drops. Will immediately be a force as a return specialist. Will probably be a dangerous third-down back, but could excel in an expanded role so long as he’s playing behind an offensive line capable of consistently creating running lanes.
RB9Chase BrownRB Illinois5'9"20910"4.43--40"6540563.8Steady runner who posted big numbers due a heavy workload at Illinois. Compact build makes him tough to bring down on first contact. Faced a decent amount of stacked boxes, and fared well. More fast than elusive, but definitely has home run speed once he turns the corner. Made an impression against Michigan 一 29 carries, 140 yards and was consistently fighting through stacked boxes and early traffic and still picking up three or four years a carry. Big hands, but inexcusably fumbled five times in 2022. Limited pass-game production, but occasionally used as a check down option. Traits fit the mold of a low-level starter, but his inability to create big plays for himself limits his ceiling.
RB10Tank BigsbyRB Auburn5'11"2109.5"4.56--32.5"72251.561.8Bull in a china shop. Plays full speed, looking for contact with no plan whatsoever. Abysmal vision and regularly misses holes to do his own thing. Gets caught in the backfield constantly because he’s either indecisive or missed the hole. Survived in college because of his power and ability to fight through first contact. In another conference, it would be very hard to trust his pro potential 一 but since it was the SEC and he was productive with this frustrating style since his freshman year, maybe he’ll continue to produce. Coaches will love his aggressive attitude as a runner, but hate his freelancing and tendency to produce negative plays. He should be viewed as a developmental prospect who has early-down running back traits, but a very low floor if the vision can’t improve.
RB11DeWayne McBrideRB UAB5'10"2099.5"------6242461.0Two-year starter with elite production against lesser competition. Looks like the prototypical NFL running back in terms of size. Appears to have decent burst for his size, but it can be tough to evaluate against this level of competition and he did not workout at the combine or pro day. Bounces a significant portion of his runs to the outside 一 something he probably lacks the speed to pull off in the NFL. Virtually no experience in the passing game. If UAB used McBride strictly as a two-down runner in C-USA, it’s tough to expect anything more in the NFL. He could have some value as an early-down ball carrier, but likely needs the support of a quality offensive line and scheme.
RB12Zach EvansRB Ole Miss5'11"20210.25"4.50----6535259.5Former five-star recruit who spent two seasons at TCU before transferring to Ole Miss for one year. Decent speed for his size. Plenty of big plays at Ole Miss, but played in an extremely friendly spread offense that created opportunities against light boxes. Appears to have decent vision, but plays too fast. Tends to floor it into the designed gap as soon as he takes the handoff 一 that’s great if the hole is open, but if it's not he runs down the back of his own linemen, and misses some opportunities to bounce outside. Definitely not a natural pass-catcher, but does have experience in passing game. Injuries are starting to mount: concussion, hip injury, turf toe and hamstring all within last two years. Should be considered a developmental prospect with a starter ceiling, but he needs to develop patience as a runner and would greatly enhance his value if he could be trusted in the pass game.
RB13Keaton MitchellRB East Carolina5'8"1799.25"4.37--38"6230256.0Incredibly explosive runner. Ideal change-of-pace back. Probably lacks the size/strength to handle a full workload. Struggles between the tackles when there aren’t clear running lanes 一 will not fight though any backfield contact. Purely a boom-or-bust runner who produces too many negative plays, but hits a lot of home runs as well. Big-play ability translates to passing game, but he does not look natural as a pass-catcher. Lack of special teams experience is a bit of a concern and may hinder his ability to earn a roster spot. Has a relatively high ceiling as a 1B runner, who could complement a more complete ball carrier. But he must refine his pass-catching to solidify himself into that role 一 most teams don’t want to carry a change-of-pace runner who can’t impact the passing game.
RB14Camerun PeoplesRB Appalachian State6'1"2179.75"4.61--37"5530452.8Powerful downhill runner who can deliver some punishing hits. Purely a between-the-tackles runner, who lacks the speed and agility to challenge defenses on the outside. Lacks much of a burst but nearly impossible to bring down on initial contact. He doesn’t have the same ceiling, but he fits the mold of Derrick Henry-type runner. Can provide value as a short-yardage back and complementary piece to a team willing to build a portion of the offense around his skill set 一 but not every team wants this type of runner in its arsenal.
RB15Mohamed IbrahimRB Minnesota5'8"2039"------55254.552.0Productive between-the-tackles runner. Consistently fights through first contact and is extremely tough to bring down in the backfield. Has the potential to be an early-down ball carrier and an excellent short-yardage back. Spent six years in college and will be 24 years old in September. Missed most of 2021 season with an Achilles injury. Missed time with injuries in four separate seasons. Given his physical running style, the injury history is concerning and sets a low floor.
RB16Eric GrayRB Oklahoma5'9"2079.75"----37.5"5720451.8Only one full year as a starter but saw action throughout his four seasons (two at Tennessee, two at Oklahoma). Well built for a shorter running back 一 can take some hits but won’t break many tackles. Played in a spread offense which allowed him to run into light boxes at a high rate and he may lack the strength/power to handle the more physical nature of the NFL game in high volume. A reliable weapon in the pass game, but lacks the juice in the open field to be the type of weapon you want to create plays for 一 more of just a reliable check-down option. Turns 24 during hiis rookie year. Does everything well and could earn a role as a backup, but probably lacks the strength to carry the load and the athleticism to be a valuable third-down back.
RB17Deuce VaughnRB Kansas State5'5"1799.5"4.56--35.5"5720350.8Productive runner who may lack the tools to translate his game to the next level. Wins by avoiding contact. Size makes it harder for defenders to see him, giving him an edge in finding the hole. Not nearly as explosive as you’d expect for a runner of his size 一 picked up 10 or more yards on just 12% of his carries, among the lowest rates in this class. Can’t fight through contact and produces too many negative plays 一 if you catch him in the backfield, he’s going down. One out of every five carries produced zero or negative yards. Useful weapon in the pass game and will even slide into the slot on occasion. Minimal special teams experience and likely lacks the explosive speed to return kicks or punts. He’s a fun player to watch, but a runner with limited big-play ability and a tendency to produce negative plays in the run game will have a hard time finding a roster spot.
RB18Sean TuckerRB Syracuse5'9"2079.5"------5825150.8Downhill runner who also has home run speed in the open field. Not much agility to his game, and struggles to make defenders miss. Vision is a concern 一 maybe he’s just being patient to a fault, but he’s slow to hit holes and gets caught in the backfield at an inexcusable rate. Not all that powerful for a guy who makes his living between the tackles. Maybe he can add some power to his game once he’s in the league, but if he can’t enhance his ability to fight through contact and cut down on the negative plays, he doesn’t bring much to the table.
RB19Chris Rodriguez Jr.RB Kentucky6'0"2178.625"------5220448.0Physical downhill runner who is built like a bowling ball. Has the potential to be an effective short-yardage back, but likely only as a third-option in the backfield. Lacks the juice to provide much upside as an early-down back and limited athleticism sets a low ceiling as a pass-catcher.
RB20Khalan LabornRB Marshall5'8"2049.625"4.517.0838.5"54252.549.3Spent two seasons at Florida State before being dismissed from the team for a violation of team rules. Stayed at FSU as a student for two years before transferring to Marshall and restarting his football career. Will be a 24-year-old rookie, but obviously has less wear and tear than most his age. Forced to run into a stacked box at an incredible high rate, and remained productive. Fights through contact well and avoids negative plays. Very little experience in the passing game and will need to develop those skills. Age will make teams hesitant to take a chance on him before the late rounds, but his balanced skill set is worth a look.
RB21Kenny McIntoshRB Georgia6'0"2049"4.62----5220347.0Physical downhill runner who was ideal for Georgia’s power run scheme. Decent size, but for a runner with his style he’s on the small side. Played a valuable role in the pass game for Georgia and has reliable hands, but lacks the athletic traits to be someone you want to scheme up touches for 一 he just doesn’t have any juice in the open field. Has some experience returning kicks. Brother RJ McIntosh played DT for Giants. Tough to see how McIntosh will distinguish himself in an NFL running back room 一 he’s not big enough to be a short-yardage back and he lacks the breakaway speed to be used as a change-of-pace weapon.