2023 NFL Draft: Day 2 RBs Who Will Force Teams to Consider Passing on Bijan Robinson
Today's NFL is set up to be a passing league, but the importance of the running the football hasn't disappeared. Investments in what's viewed as a devalued position are still common, particularly among the league's best squads.
Among professional football's final four last season, the Kansas City Chiefs drafted two of their ball-carriers, including a 2020 first-rounder in Clyde Edwards-Helaire. The Eagles' top rusher, Miles Sanders, was a second-round selection. The same can be said of Joe Mixon with the Cincinnati Bengals. The San Francisco 49ers drafted three running backs in the last two draft classes, and two of those occurred in the third round.
The incoming class is loaded with talent, and eventual starters will be found throughout all seven rounds, starting with Texas' Bijan Robinson, who is graded as a top-five overall prospect by Bleacher Report's Scouting Department. But that price might be too rich for some squads. The same could be said for Alabama's Jahmyr Gibbs, who also carries a first-round grade.
Organizations should look at how their respective boards are stacked and see where the best value lies. The best option may be addressing a premium position in the opening frame followed by a running back addition in the second or third round. Five running back prospects carry Day 2 grades courtesy of B/R's Scouting Report, with a bonus underclassman thrown into the mix.
As tantalizing as Robinson is, the following backs will create positive impacts for whichever teams take them later.
Devon Achane, Texas A&M
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The name of today's game is creating or preventing chunk plays. Because it's traditionally easier to do so in the passing game, aerial attacks began to dominate. The approach is starting to oscillate slightly.
Defenses have adjusted. The league's best are often predicted on confusing quarterbacks based on pre-snap looks and dropping more into space.
As those units got smaller and more athletic to offset passing attacks, offenses provided their own counterpunch by running more man-gap principles, thus becoming more efficient in the run game. The San Francisco 49ers built an entire scheme on chunk plays created courtesy of their ground attack.
Texas A&M's Devon Achane brings instant offense because of the speed he provides.
The first-team All-SEC performer is a track athlete who also excels on the gridiron. Prior to last season, the dual-sport standout posted top-10 program performances in the indoor 60-meter dash (6.63 seconds), outdoor 200-meter dash (20.20) and outdoor 100-meter dash (10.14). He's been named a first-team All-American in the 4x100-meter relay and second-team in 100-meter and 200-meter events.
"On film, there may not be a faster player in the class at any position," B/R scout Derrik Klassen wrote. "Achane plays with legit track speed in the open field and can hit his top gear at a moment's notice. When Achane gets a runway, he will outrun everyone else on the field without fail. Additionally, Achane is a very explosive runner. He plays with quick, controlled steps and explodes off the ground when he makes his cuts. When combined with impressive flexibility and bend, Achane has all the tools to dominate in space."
Achane's stature (5'9", 185 lbs) will be a point of contention, but the back's big-play ability is without equal.
Zach Charbonnet, UCLA
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When a running back prospect is described as a slashing runner, they're the ball-carriers who see the hole, make decisive cuts, and slice and dice defenses. UCLA's Zach Charbonnet fits the description better than anyone in this year's class.
For two seasons (after transferring from the Michigan Wolverines), Charbonnet served as the Pac-12's best back and one of the top runners in the nation. During his time on the Bruins roster, Charbonnet carried the ball 398 times for 2,496 yards and 27 touchdowns. For those who don't want to do the math, he averaged 6.3 yards per carry, including an impressive 7.0 yards per tote last season.
The 6'1", 220-pound ball-carrier is a more traditional back, based on previous NFL standards. He can serve as a workhorse with the power to run through arm tackles and play through contact. Charbonnet can also be an every-down option.
As a receiver, the FWAA first-team All-American caught 61 total passes in 2021 and 2022. He'll never be mistaken for a player as natural in the open field as, say, Bijan Robinson. But Charbonnet can be a solid check-down option with the willingness to stick his nose into the fray during pass protection.
While some stiffness and an upright running style knock Charbonnet slightly, he does a good job of shifting his weight and making short-area cuts for a bigger back. He'll finish his runs too.
Sean Tucker, Syracuse
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Certain running backs have a style where they seemingly glide about the field. Syracuse's Sean Tucker fits the bill.
Tucker excelled in the Orange's zone-heavy scheme with the patience to wait for an opening, the decisiveness to make the proper cuts and the combination of burst and power to maximize touches.
Over the last two seasons, the 5'10", 210-pound Tucker carried the ball 452 times for 2,556 yards and 23 touchdowns. He did so despite minimal help.
Syracuse's offense finished 94th and 76th during the 2021 and 2022 campaigns, respectively. Aside from left tackle Matthew Bergeron, very little NFL talent was found around the running back. Last season, Oronde Gadsden II provided 969 receiving yards. Beyond him, no target on the roster managed more than 500 receiving yards in either of those campaigns.
Defenses knew they had to stop Tucker, and most still struggled to do so.
As perfect of a fit as the 2021 All-American is for zone schemes, he's not a natural receiver out of the backfield despite his 56 catches over the last two years. According to Pro Football Focus' Michael Renner, Tucker dropped 10 of 73 catchable passes during his collegiate career.
The run game dominated the Orange offense, and Tucker can improve with his route running and lapses in concentration. As he enters the league, he can be a home run hitter in some ground games with room to improve as part of a running back group.
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Roschon Johnson, Texas
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Bijan Robinson won't be the only Texas Longhorns running back to hear his name called.
Roschon Johnson didn't receive the same attention while sharing a backfield with Robinson, and his game is vastly different from that of his former teammate, but the qualities the 6'2", 222-pound runner brings to a squad are invaluable.
"When you're tired on Fridays or you don't want to go to practice some days, he's always the guy to lift you up," Robinson said in November, per Cole Thompson of Longhorns Country. "Ro has been such a huge part for me in my growing stages. He's always been a leader for me and the whole team as well as a brother to me."
Prior to Robinson's arrival in Austin, Johnson entered the Longhorns program as a 4-star recruit who converted from quarterback to running back before the 2019 campaign and then ran for 649 yards and seven touchdowns.
As part of a shared backfield, Johnson never again produced that much, though he proved a steady presence with 1,541 rushing yards and 18 total touchdowns over the following three seasons.
Toughness and power separate Johnson from his classmates and portend a promising professional career.
The former quarterback isn't shy about contact. B/R's Derrik Klassen identified Johnson as this year's most powerful runner. As for his toughness, he broke a hand during the first practice at this year's Senior Bowl and finished the entire session. Doctors kept him out of the rest of the week's festivities.
Johnson played alongside an exceptional talent. He's more than capable of stepping into the spotlight himself.
Tyjae Spears, Tulane
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Few prospects saw their draft stock increase as much as Tulane's Tyjae Spears over the last three months.
Tulane has been an ascending program under Willie Fritz. Still, it's not considered a pipeline program. No former member of the team heard his name called during last year's draft, and eight total prospects from the program have been selected over the last seven classes. Spears knew he had an uphill battle when he arrived at this year's Senior Bowl.
"I wanted to show them I can play with a different type of competition. ... Coming from Tulane, that is the big question. Can I play against the bigger-sized schools and all that? I hope I'm proving it to them and just take it one day at a time," Spears told Fan Nation's Bo Marchionte.
Spears thrilled onlookers with his combination of lateral agility and acceleration. The performance built upon what occurred during the regular season.
The running back's resume came into focus during the final eight games of the 2022 campaign. Spears ran for at least 121 yards in each of those contests. Against the ranked Cincinnati Bearcats, UCF Golden Knights and USC Trojans to round out the season, the 5'10", 204-pound runner accumulated a whopping 585 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
Scouts got a late look at the talented runner because he still had remaining eligibility. Now, he's considered one of the class' most explosive backfield options.
Kendre Miller, TCU
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TCU's Kendre Miller appears as a bonus based on the resume he built during the 2022 campaign. However, a Grade 3 MCL sprain prevented him from participating in the national championship game against Georgia and could affect his status for the NFL combine.
"Still just doing physical therapy," Miller told Big Blue View's Ed Valentine this week. "It was a bit worse than what it was presented on TV. I'm a whole lot better since the game. I'm getting there, but not really sure what I'm going to be able to do at pro day and combine."
Prior to said injury, Miller served as the driving force behind the Horned Frogs' top-10 scoring offense. He scored at least one touchdown in every game until the one where he got hurt. The first-team All-Big 12 performer finished his final season on campus with 1,399 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns.
The underclassman is a bigger back at 220 pounds who plays with power and brings shiftiness to make defenders miss in small areas. According to Pro Football Focus' Michael Renner, Miller broke 109 tackles during his collegiate career, and he didn't even become the full-time starter until last season.
The last point is important because Miller benefited from one of the nation's best offensive lines in 2022 and provided little in the passing game. He's only 20 years old with significant room to improve overall.
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