NFL Draft Preview 2023: UCLA Football Running Back Zach Charbonnet
In this story:
The NFL Draft is taking place in Kansas City next week, and a handful of Bruins are set to hear their names called.
UCLA football has 15 former players in the pool of potential future pros, which is one more than the team sent to Las Vegas last year. Only six Bruins were drafted from coach Chip Kelly's first three teams in Westwood, but six wound up getting drafted in 2022 alone.
This year's draft class could be just as UCLA-heavy, with even more prospects who made waves in blue and gold now on the board in 2023.
All Bruins is breaking down scouting reports, stats and predictions for the biggest names who could go the highest, starting with running back Zach Charbonnet.
Stats
2019 (Michigan): 13 GP, 149 attempts, 726 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns, 8 receptions, 30 receiving yards (All-Big Ten Third Team)
2020 (Michigan): 5 GP, 19 attempts, 124 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdowns, 6 receptions, 41 receiving yards
2021 (UCLA): 12 GP, 203 attempts, 1,137 rushing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns, 24 receptions, 197 receiving yards (All-Pac-12 Second Team)
2022 (UCLA): 10 GP, 195 attempts, 1,359 rushing yards, 14 rushing touchdowns, 37 receptions, 321 receiving yards (All-American Second Team, All-Pac-12 First Team, Doak Walker Award Semifinalist)
Measurements
Height: 6 feet
Weight: 214 pounds
Arms: 32 inches
Hands: 9 7/8 inches
40-Yard Dash: 4.53 seconds
10-Yard Split: 1.54 seconds
Bench Press: 18 reps
Vertical Jump: 37 inches
Broad Jump: 10-foot-2
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
What The Experts Are Saying
Dane Brugler, The Athletic: "Overall, Charbonnet is not a dynamic start-stop athlete to quickly change rush lanes or escape trouble, but he has extraordinary vision with reliable pass-catching and blocking skills and impeccable football character. He projects as a low-end NFL starter."
Lance Zierlien, NFL.com: "Upright runner with outstanding body composition and consecutive seasons of impressive production for the Bruins. Charbonnet is a bit of a long-strider with slightly below average foot quickness. He is much more effective when allowed to open up and build downhill momentum. He can slip tackles in the open field but lacks the first-level wiggle to get too cute. He’s inconsistent in processing defensive fronts quickly but can be a hammer into and through contact when he has a clear point of entry. Charbonnet is a talented third-down option as both a blocker and pass-catcher. He could be viewed as a Day 2 value with three-down potential."
James Fragoza, Pro Football Network: "Charbonnet was easily in my top five at the position last cycle, so it was surprising that he returned. Yet, I won’t fault a player for achieving their goals and earning a college degree, which appears to have been his plan since leaving high school. And while Charbonnet is competing with a far more talented class, he’s still a top-five back. He is one of the safest RBs a team can select, with an easily translatable skill set."
Natalie Miller, USA Today: "Zach Charbonnet is a reliable three down back with immediate starting potential. He can be trusted in all phases of the game and particularly excels in pass blocking and short yardage situations. While his burst and straight line speed isn’t quite what you would want in a full time back, he tends to make up for it with a tough and punishing run style that can churn upwards quickly. While he doesn’t have the ceiling you look for in an early investment at running back, there is going to be teams that see his value in all phases of the game and make a move early to get him in their backfield."
Rankings
The Athletic: RB 3, No. 61 overall
Sports Illustrated: RB 3, No. 71 overall
CBS Sports: RB 6, No. 102 overall
Sporting News: RB 5, No. 80 overall
Prediction
With his one-cut ability, physicality and downhill running style, Charbonnet has traits that should help him adjust to the pros relatively quickly. Charbonnet may have the physical profile of a more traditional, old-fashioned NFL back, but his underrated receiving skills should help boost his stock to counter any of those built-in biases.
UCLA has churned out a handful of NFL running backs under coach Chip Kelly – Joshua Kelley, Demetric Felton and Brittain Brown chief among them – and Charbonnet is undoubtedly the best of the bunch. Even without elite-level agility and dynamism, Charbonnet has more than enough potential to carve out a role as a long-term starting back.
Charbonnet, after not playing at any of the senior showcases, had a solid showing at the NFL Scouting Combine. While he was in Indianapolis, Charbonnet met with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Charbonnet has had official visits with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears and Las Vegas Raiders, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, in addition to a private workout with the San Francisco 49ers.
The Cowboys stand out as an interesting fit right off the bat, considering the team just cut longtime workhorse Ezekiel Elliot earlier this offseason. While Tony Pollard got the franchise tag from Dallas, he suffered a broken fibula in January, so the Cowboys could be in the market for an immediate contributor in the first half of the draft.
On the other hand, a rebuilding Buccaneers squad could be seriously interested as well. Leonard Fournette only has one real year left on his contract, and Tampa Bay could get his replacement in-house early if they were to draft Charbonnet.
Charbonnet should hear his name called on day two regardless, and any team that adds him will likely slide him into the top half of their backfield rotation.
Zach Charbonnet: Dallas Cowboys, No. 58 overall (Round 2)
Follow Connon on Twitter at @SamConnon
Follow All Bruins on Twitter at @FN_AllBruins
Like All Bruins on Facebook at @FN.AllBruins
Subscribe to All Bruins on YouTube
Read more UCLA stories: UCLA Bruins on Sports Illustrated
Read more UCLA football stories: UCLA Football on Sports Illustrated
