Zach Charbonnet NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for UCLA RB

HEIGHT: 6'0"

WEIGHT: 214

HAND: 9 7/8"

ARM: 32"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 4.53

3-CONE: TBD

SHUTTLE: TBD

VERTICAL: 37"

BROAD: 10'2"

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POSITIVES

— Excellent build. Sturdy and capable of handling a full NFL workload.

— Elite balance and coordination. Has a knack for finding equilibrium and staying on his feet.

— Great strength. Can fight through the line of scrimmage and half-hearted tackle attempts with relative ease.

— Good acceleration and speed, especially for his size. Has just enough juice to threaten explosive plays.

— Above-average lateral mobility behind the line of scrimmage.

— Great hands and receiving ability in the underneath area.

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NEGATIVES

— Stiff hips. Can be a problem when needing to make sharp cuts and turns.

— Below-average elusiveness and wiggle at the second level.

— Almost never asked to pass-protect at UCLA. Unclear projection in that area.

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2022 STATISTICS

— 10 GM, 195 ATT, 1,359 YDS (7.0 AVG), 14 TD, 37 REC, 312 YDS

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NOTES

— D.O.B.: Jan. 8, 2001

— 4-star recruit in 2019

— Transferred from Michigan to UCLA prior to 2021 season

— Started nine games at Michigan, 19 games at UCLA

— Knee surgery prior to freshman season in 2019; missed two games in 2022 with undisclosed injury

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OVERALL

Zach Charbonnet is a thick, well-built back with much more to him than strength and power.

That said, Charbonnet's size and strength is the place to start. Fighting through arm tackles, bouncing off defenders and falling forward to gain extra yardage are core tenets of his game. Furthermore, Charbonnet has excellent coordination and balance to maximize that strength. He has a unique skill for being able to contort his body, minimize contact and come to balance when battling through tackling attempts. It's very difficult to bring him down with one guy or on the first attempt.

In terms of finesse and savvy, Charbonnet is a mixed bag. Behind the line of scrimmage, he shows good lateral ability for his size and can comfortably switch lanes. However, he can be too patient and antsy to find that "perfect" lane, resulting in slowing down his feet and losing momentum. He knows how to make himself skinny through tight rushing lanes, though, which is a plus. At the second level, Charbonnet plays to his size in a negative way, showing stiff hips and average explosiveness. He won't make many defenders straight-up miss.

What separates Charbonnet from other big backs are his speed and pass-catching skills. Despite being 220 pounds, he has good acceleration and top speed to win the edge. He can get to the perimeter, turn the corner and be off to the races with enough long speed to be a threat to rip off gains of 20, 30 or 40 yards. That's a rare skill for a big man. Additionally, Charbonnet shows great comfort in catching passes in the short area and picking up reliable yardage. He can't be split out at wide receiver or run many vertical routes, but he will be a major plus as a checkdown and quick game option.

Charbonnet offers almost everything you want from a starting NFL running back. His build, strength and rare balance point to a quality starting running back, and he's got more speed than most other backs his size save for the All-Pro types. Sprinkle in his pass-catching skills and it's not hard to see a real-deal NFL starter.

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GRADE: 7.6 (Potential Impact Player, Round 2)

OVERALL RANK: 38

POSITION RANK: RB3

PRO COMPARISON: Najee Harris

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen