Tyjae Spears NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Tulane RB

HEIGHT: 5'10"

WEIGHT: 201

HAND: 10"

ARM: 30 3/4"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: N/A

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICAL: 39"

BROAD: 10'5"

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POSITIVES

— Very good acceleration and speed. Can threaten the perimeter and rip off explosive runs.

— Great short-area explosiveness.

— Good balance and ability to mitigate contact. Have to make clean, strong tackles to bring him down consistently.

— Tough, energetic runner. Always fighting for extra yards.

— Good vision and decisiveness as a runner.

— Good third-down back. Receiving and pass protection skills are both up to par.

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NEGATIVES

— Tough runner, but size often inhibits his ability to actually push the pile.

— Not an exceptionally small player, but his build may limit his ability to carry a full NFL workload.

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NOTES

— D.O.B.: June 15, 2001

— 3-star recruit in 2019

— Suffered a season-ending ACL injury in 2020

— 2022 first-team All-AAC

— 2022 AAC Offensive Player of the Year

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2022 STATISTICS

— 14 G, 229 ATT, 1,581 YDS (6.9 AVG), 19 TD; 22 REC, 256 YDS, 2 TD

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OVERALL

Tyjae Spears is an explosive, energetic runner whose average build and troubling injury history may be all that holds him back from being a star in the NFL.

Spears wins primarily with burst and speed. He plays with wicked explosion. In tight spaces, Spears can cut effortlessly side-to-side, both behind the line of scrimmage and when maneuvering the second level. He similarly shows dangerous acceleration and speed in the open field, especially once he gets to shift gears and fly past the last level of the defense. Spears has all the traits of a runner who can create explosive plays.

On top of that, Spears is a reliable runner. His vision is mostly good, and he is a very decisive runner. He rarely holds himself up behind the line of scrimmage.

Furthermore, Spears plays with impressive balance and a great understanding for how to mitigate contact from tacklers. He contorts his body well to limit how hard and cleanly he is being hit, which helps him stay balanced and eke out extra yards. When combined with his adequate pass-catching skills and fiery pass protection attitude, Spears has a lot to like when it comes to his floor as a prospect.

With that being said, size and durability are concerns for Spears. While 201 pounds isn't tiny, it's a little under the desired threshold for a true lead back. There are exceptions, such as Austin Ekeler, but not many. Spears is more likely to split time than be a full-time guy.

Additionally, Spears suffered a torn ACL back in 2020. Those kinds of injuries always leave concerns about a player's long-term sustainability and possibility of reinjury.

Spears has all of the needed athletic traits and skills to be a good NFL player. His blend of burst, speed, relentlessness and third-down chops give him plenty of avenues to be useful. Unfortunately, Spears' average build and injury history could hurt his ability to be a lead back, both right away and over the course of his NFL career.

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GRADE: 7.1 (High-Level Backup/Potential Starter - 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 79

POSITION RANK: RB6

PRO COMPARISON: Michael Carter

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen