NFL Draft Profile: Zach Charbonnet, Running Back, UCLA Bruins
#24
Pos: RB
Ht: 6003
Wt: 214
Hand: 0978
Arm: 3200
Wing: 7558
40: 4.53
DOB: 1/8/2001
Hometown: Camarillo, CA
High School: Oaks Christian
Eligibility: 2023
Zach Charbonnet
UCLA Bruins
One-Liner:
Power rusher who can break tackles and drive piles but lacks athleticism to be a dynamic playmaker.
Evaluation:
Runner with good size and a big upper body. Charbonnet does well to read leverage, recognizing a soft edge on lateral runs and working towards it. He takes advantage of the added time on counter runs to find holes backside. High tacklers bounce off of him as Charbonnet runs hard and will lower the shoulder to run through defenders. An active off-hand and good stiff arm make him difficult to tackle. Charbonnet possesses very good leg drive to drive piles. He maintains a wide base in pass protection and displays the required size to absorb linebackers. An upright runner through the hole, Charbonnet has clunky moments switching hands as a ball carrier and can have it knocked out late. He tends to bounce runs too early. His speed in the open field is below average causing him to get chased down by defenders. Charbonnet displays average cutting ability, needing multiple steps to perform the task. His first step explosiveness is below par and he lacks elusiveness, preventing him from making opponents miss. Charbonnet is not alert as a check-down and drops passes. He merely gets to his spots as a route runner, displaying little dynamism. As a lead blocker, he ducks his head and whiffs. Big back with a strong upper body who displays solid vision to find lanes. Charbonnet breaks tackles with his physicality and can drive piles. A below-average athlete he is not dynamic and will get run down in the open field. Charbonnet projects as a power back who can handle carries at the goal line and in short-yardage situations. His lack of transcendent athletic traits prevents him from becoming a primary back and he will have to find a role on third down by being a blocker.
Grade:
4th Round
Background:
Zach Charbonnet is known very well at UCLA, from the start of his career for the Bruins. Before his career at UCLA, Charbonnet was a major part of the team when he played in all thirteen games for Michigan. So far in his college football career , he was named All Big Ten Team honorable mention, Academic All Big Ten and while at UCLA, in 2021, he was the AP’s Pac 12 Newcomer of the Year. He is majoring in Political Science at UCLA while being the son of Seda and Ben Hall.
