NFL Draft: Super Six Packers Prospects at Running Back
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers enter the 2023 NFL Draft with no need whatsoever at running back.
At least an immediate need. However, this could be the final season for Aaron Jones (potential cap casualty) and AJ Dillon (free agent). There isn’t an exciting young runner waiting in the wings, so the Packers might need to groom next year’s No. 2 – or even No. 1 – by picking him this year.
Here are our top six running back prospects, with the list to be expanded closer to the draft.
Note No. 1: Two testing numbers stand out – and it’s not the 40-yard dash or Relative Athletic Score. Rather, in the 17 drafts conducted by Ted Thompson and then Brian Gutekunst, the shortest running back selected was Jones at 5-foot-9 1/8. Other than former seventh-round pick Devante Mays, every Packers running back had hands of larger than 9 inches. Thus, some touted prospects, such as Texas A&M’s Devon Achane (5-foot-8 1/2; 8 1/2 hands) will not be found here.
Note No. 2: The analytical stats are from Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions.
Bijan Robinson, Texas
Bijan Robinson (Photo by USA Today Sports Images)
Measureables: 5-foot-11, 215 pounds, 9 3/4 hands. 4.46 40, DNP shuttle, 9.83 RAS.
Stats and accolades: In three seasons, Robinson carried 539 times or 3,410 yards (6.3 average) and caught 60 passes for 805 yards (13.4 average) and scored 41 total touchdowns. In 12 games in 2022, he rushed for 1,580 yards (6.1 average) and added 19 receptions for 314 yards (16.5 average), giving him 1,894 total yards and 20 total touchdowns. Robinson won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back, was a first-team All-American and the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. He enters the NFL with 599 touches.
Analytical stats: Per 100 touches, he broke 16 tackles, forced 16 missed tackles and had 0.7 fumbles. The 32 broken/missed tackles rank among the best in the class. He ran into a heavy box 17 percent of the time. Of 50 running backs in the draft class who had 93 carries, he ranked fifth with 4.71 yards after contact per carry. In the passing game, he ranked fourth with 1.52 yards per pass route. He had zero drops.
Does he fit?: Oh, yes, he fits. Robinson is the total package. He can go the distance, he can catch, he can break tackles. That 13.4-yard average in the passing game is obscene. Robinson is the best offensive player in the draft and one of the best running back prospects in years.
“I can do all three for your offense, whether it's a unique player at receiver or in the slot and, obviously, at running back,” he said at the Scouting Combine. “Just creating mismatches for defenders all over the field and being able to create space for yourself and the offense and opening up the offense.”
NFL Draft Bible says: Robinson boasts stellar linear and lateral burst with angle-beating long speed. He precedes sudden, sharp cuts with salesmanship to force defensive backs into awkward positions. He can and does string cuts together. What’s more, Robinson has the power and leg drive to run through tackles and even carry defenders with him.
Personal touch: He’s been compared to Saquon Barkley and Reggie Bush. “Every time I touch the ball, I want it to be exciting for people,” Robinson said. “I want it to be a wild play. When Reggie Bush played at USC, I felt like every time he touched the ball, people were out of their seats and ready to see what he could do.”
Robinson is excellent on the field and tries to be excellent off the field, as well. As he told Sports360AZ: “It was very important. I believe that God put me here for a reason, and he blessed with that talent on the field, but it’s really to have the opportunities to go to communities, homeless communities, to go see kids with less fortunate things at their schools, at their high schools, and for me to share myself with them and just be a part of a community where they do watch sports and they do have their favorite athlete, and for me to be a guy who’s just a friend.”
Robinson took advantage of NIL money with Bijan Mustardson, a gourmet mustard. “It’s like a touchdown in your mouth,” the label reads. “I’ve been excited about this idea since the first time I saw it,” Robinson said. “I mean, who does this? [It’s] hilarious. And delicious.”
Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama
Jahmyr Gibbs (Photo by USA Today Sports Images)
Measureables: 5-foot-9 1/8, 199 pounds, 9 1/4 hands. 4.36 40, DNP shuttle, 8.04 RAS.
Stats and accolades: In three seasons – 2020 and 2021 at Georgia Tech and 2022 at Alabama – Gibbs carried 383 times for 2,132 yards (5.6 average) and added 103 receptions for 1,212 yards (11.8 average) and scored 23 total touchdowns. With the Crimson Tide, he carried 151 times for 926 yards (6.1 average) and caught 44 passes for 444 yards (10.1 average), giving him 1,370 total yards and 10 total touchdowns to earn some All-American accolades as an all-purpose player. Gibbs, who led the Crimson Tide in rushing yards and receptions, enters the NFL with 486 touches.
Analytical stats: Per 100 touches, he broke 11 tackles, forced 17 missed tackles and had zero fumbles. He ran into a heavy box 5 percent of the time. Of 50 running backs in the draft class who had 93 carries, he ranked 18th with 3.39 yards after contact per carry. In the passing game, he ranked third with 1.83 yards per pass route. He had one drop. No back was split out wide more than Gibbs.
Does he fit?: Gibbs has a bit of Aaron Jones in him – an electric runner with the ability to run routes as a receiver. “That’s what the NFL likes so I try to do my best to model my game after Christian McCaffrey or Aaron Jones,” Gibbs said before the season. “Players like that who catch out of the backfield.”
Not that the Packers need him for the role but he had a career average of 23.9 yards per kickoff return with one touchdown.
“Throughout my life I played both positions, both running back and receiver, so it was pretty natural coming out the backfield running a couple of routes,” he said at the Scouting Combine. “I pretty much can run most of the routes out of the route trees.”
The Packers generally don’t draft running backs with small hands, and he might lack the power to be a true No. 1.
NFL Draft Bible says: Fluid body with ample mass for the position. Occupies athleticism scarcely seen. Plus-ability in quickness, balance, acceleration, agility, and speed. Seldom if ever taken down by the first defender. Plays chess with tacklers, leaving them guessing his next move.
Personal touch: Gibbs was raised in Dalton, Ga., by his grandmother since he turned 13. “I’m so proud of the man he’s become,” Angela Willis told The Dalton Daily Citizen. “Jah came from a broken home, so I always wanted him to be around good people and to know that every home isn’t a broken home. Family is about more than blood or race, it’s about who loves you and supports you.”
Give Gibbs an inch, he’ll take it a mile. “As soon as Jahmyr hits the second level, I just know he gone,” linebacker Dallas Turners said after Gibbs’ 206-yard day vs. Arkansas. “As soon as he gets that little crease, all that little space he needs, I just know he’s going to hit the hole as hard as he can and he’s going to take it all the way just like he does.”
Zach Charbonnet, UCLA
Zach Charbonnet (Photo by USA Today Sports Images)
Measureables: 6-foot 3/8, 214 pounds, 9 7/8 hands. 4.53 40, 4.46 shuttle, 8.73 RAS.
Stats and accolades: With two seasons at Michigan and two more at UCLA, Charbonnet carried 566 times for 3,346 yards (5.9 average) and 39 touchdowns and added 75 receptions for 589 yards (7.9 average). He saved his best for last with 195 carries for 1,359 yards (7.0 average) and 37 receptions for 321 yards (8.7 average), giving him 1,680 total yards and 14 scores. Playing in 10 games, he led the nation in all-purpose yards per game and was fourth nationally in yards per carry to earn All-American status as an all-purpose player. He enters the NFL with 641 touches.
Analytical stats: Per 100 touches, he broke 14 tackles, forced 12 missed tackles and had 0.9 fumbles. He ran into a heavy box 12 percent of the time. Of 50 running backs in the draft class who had 93 carries, he ranked seventh with 4.15 yards after contact per carry. In the passing game, he ranked fifth with 1.31 yards per pass route. He had two drops.
Does he fit?: With size, athleticism, the requisite big hands and an all-around skill-set, Charbonnet has a chance to be a three-down back. Now, he won’t be a dynamic three-down back but he do everything at a winning level. Think Jamaal Williams rather than Aaron Jones.
Sports Info Solutions says: Charbonnet projects to be a solid starting-level running back at the next level, with an emphasis as an early-down contributor. He shows the ability to play in both zone and gap-run schemes. He can contribute in a limited capacity as a pass catcher, but he will need to improve as a pass protector to be a true three-down back in the league.
Personal touch: Charbonnet didn’t start playing football until seventh grade. “As soon as I touched the field, I fell in love with the sport,” he told The Los Angeles Times. The story mentioned some of the influences from his mother, Seda, who is part Cambodian, part Chinese. Such as: “The school takes care of academics. Parents take care of character” and “Respect is earned. That’s called being a role model.”
Bruins coach Chip Kelly loved the growth he saw in 2022. “There’s so many good athletes, so much speed in the NFL, you don’t have time to dance in a hole,” he told The Orange County Register. “When he makes a cut, he makes it decisively, and can really get the ball going forward all the time. That’s what you want in the NFL.”
Quiet by nature, Kelly said his teammates called Charbonett a “cyborg” as he blossomed under former NFL running back DeShaun Foster. “That was one of my main points coming into this offseason was working on my leadership skills and just working on my vocal skills too,” Charbonnet said. “I have to take on that role, especially this year, and trying to lead those running backs.”
Tyjae Spears, Tulane
Tyjae Spears (Photo by USA Today Sports Images)
Measureables: 5-foot-9 5/8, 201 pounds, 10 hands. 4.54 40, 4.32 shuttle, 7.47 RAS.
Stats and accolades: In four seasons, Spears rushed 427 times for 2,910 yards (6.8 average) and 31 touchdowns and caught 48 passes for 564 yards (11.8 average) and three scores. He had a fantastic senior campaign with 229 carries for 1,581 yards (6.9 average) and 19 touchdowns and 22 receptions for 256 yards (11.6 average), giving him 1,837 total yards and 21 total touchdowns. He was the American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2022 and closed his career by rushing for 205 yards and four touchdowns vs. USC. He enters the NFL with 475 touches.
Analytical stats: Per 100 touches, he broke 13 tackles, forced 14 missed tackles and had 0.8 fumbles. He ran into a heavy box 17 percent of the time. Of 50 running backs in the draft class who had 93 carries, he ranked second with 4.55 yards after contact per carry. In the passing game, he ranked sixth with 1.24 yards per pass route. He had two drops. He was No. 2 in pass-protecting snaps per game.
Does he fit?: Spears isn’t a big man but he’s got a knack for turning nothing into something. Once he gets into the open field, he’s trouble. “I’m not the biggest guy, man, so I’ve got to make a lot of dudes miss,” Spears said at the Scouting Combine. “You don’t want that wear and tear on your body, so you got to manipulate your body through space.”
Spears has big hands – a key for the Packers – but will be a work in progress as a receiver.
NFL Draft Bible says: Spears is at his best when he is in a zone-blocking scheme, where he is able to use his patience behind the line of scrimmage to set up his explosive running in the open field. Spears has great top speed that allows him to break a lot of plays into big gains.
Personal touch: Spears started playing football when he was 9 or 10. It ultimately led to him being the first member of his family to graduate from college.
“I was always good at it,” Spears told Saints Wire. “I stood out like I’m standing out now. It came naturally because I didn’t have anybody guiding me and pushing me to play. It’s something that I got signed up for and was natural to me. My vision, me just playing football. I had older brothers, but nobody taught me how to play football. Once I played running back, it was no question from that day on.”
Spears is from Ponchatoula, La., – the Strawberry Capital of the World – and one of nine children in the family. Tulane coach Willie Fritz waited for Spears to finally pass his ACT; then, he practically had to beg Spears to turn pro after his banner 2022 season.
“I always tell myself ‘Remember your why,’” Spears told USA Today. “Not everyone gets the types of shots I’ve been blessed to get… your ‘why’ is all the motivation you need in life. You don’t need anything else, no one else to push you — your ‘why’ is all you need.
“And people like my father, my mother, people who have sacrificed a lot for me, but also seeing people fall victim to the same thing in the streets or generations of people who haven’t really left Ponchatoula because of whatever their circumstances are. I figure I have a shot, I have a better swing at this than a lot of people. I’m stepping up to the plate and I’m trying to knock it out of the park.”
Roschon Johnson, Texas
Roschon Johnson (Photo by USA Today Sports Images)
Measureables: 6-foot 3/8, 225 pounds, 9 5/8 hands. 4.58 40, DNP shuttle, 8.70 RAS.
Stats and accolades: In four seasons, Johnson carried 392 times for 2,190 yards (5.6 average) and caught 56 passes for 420 yards (7.5 average) and three scores. With Bijan Robinson carrying the load in 2022, Johnson carried 93 times for 554 yards (6.0 average) and caught 14 passes for 128 yards (9.1 average), giving him 682 total yards and six total scores. Even as the backup, he was honorable-mention all-Big 12. He enters the NFL with 448 touches, with his career high of 147 coming in 2019.
Analytical stats: Per 100 touches, he broke 22 tackles, forced 13 missed tackles and had 0.9 fumbles (the first of his career). The 35 broken/missed tackles per 100 touches ranks No. 1 in the class. He ran into a heavy box 17 percent of the time. Of 50 running backs in the draft class who had 93 carries, he ranked fourth with 4.28 yards after contact per carry. In the passing game, he ranked 10th with 1.16 yards per pass route. He had two drops.
Does he fit?: The Packers love their big running backs and Johnson is one of the few big guys in this draft class. He’s hard to bring down, an adequate receiver and a good pass protector. He’s sort of like Green Bay’s AJ Dillon, who has been a productive second-round pick but not quite the star that was envisioned. Dillon wasn’t much of a receiver at Boston College but turned into a reliable threat for Green Bay.
“He has a chance to be a second- or third-round pick,” Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy told The Buffalo News. “He’s a 220-pound back, he can play all three downs, he can pass protect. He can catch the ball out of the backfield. He’s got do-it-all ability as a back. He’s an accomplished special teams player.”
NFL Draft Bible says: Johnson is a powerful back who showcases blocking skills, contact balance, footwork, patience, and upside as a pass catcher, but he lacks the dynamic agility, burst, elusiveness, and lateral movement to warrant a top 64 draft selection.
Personal touch: Johnson started his Texas career as a quarterback but moved to running back after injuries struck in 2019. He was selfless then and selfless again in 2022, when he returned to Texas rather than transfer to escape the shadow of star Bijan Robinson.
“I’m the type of person they’d be happy to welcome into their organization. That goes for both an on-field and off-field standpoint,” he told The Draft Network before the Senior Bowl.
“I’m going to show what type of dog I am on the field. I didn’t necessarily start throughout the majority of my career at Texas, but I’m fully capable of filling that type of role at the next level. I feel like I can showcase my talents at the Senior Bowl. I can run the ball, catch the ball, and play in pass protection. I can play in every zone scheme.”
He was the “alpha” on the Longhorns, the coaches said.
“Roschon is the best teammate I've ever had,” Robinson said at the Combine. “He brings out so much in a player and the team just how he goes about being a leader. Not just his teammates but everybody in the community. Roschon is a god. He's the other great running back in this class, and I don't think people should overlook the talent he has and the skillset that he brings. I think he's just as good as anybody. His toughness and heart make him stand out over everybody."
Eric Gray, Oklahoma
Eric Gray (Photo by USA Today Sports Images)
Measureables: 5-foot-9 1/2, 207 pounds, 9 3/4 hands. 4.63 40, 4.18 shuttle, 4.73 RAS.
Stats and accolades: In four seasons split between Tennessee and Oklahoma, Gray carried 549 times for 3,089 yards (5.6 average) and 99 receptions for 827 yards (8.4 average) and five more touchdowns. He saved his best for last with 213 carries for 1,366 yards (6.4 average) and 11 touchdowns plus 33 receptions for 229 yards (6.9 average), giving him 1,595 total yards and the 11 scores en route to second-team all-conference. He enters the NFL with 648 touches.
Analytical stats: Per 100 touches, he broke five tackles, forced 19 missed tackles and had 0.4 fumbles. The 19 forced missed tackles led the class. He ran into a heavy box 6 percent of the time. Of 50 running backs in the draft class who had 93 carries, he ranked 17th with 3.43 yards after contact per carry. In the passing game, he ranked 13th with 1.03 yards per pass route. He had zero drops. Only Georgia’s Kenny McIntosh, who had 42 receptions and led the class with 2.21 yards per pass route, had more catches without a drop.
Does he fit?: Gray is one of the better three-down prospects in the draft class. He’s not explosively athletic, so maybe he’ll never be the lead man in a tandem, but he’s got excellent hands and is tough to handle in the open field.
“It sets me apart from the other guys,” Gray said. “Being able to catch that ball out of the backfield. You see where the game is going nowadays, you have to be able to catch out of the backfield to play this position.”
NFL Draft Bible says: Gray possesses scheme diversity on his resume, displaying the patience and cutback prowess needed for zone schemes and the quick decision making, plus ability to get skinny between the tackles for gap/power schemes. He’s valuable in the passing game too, a hands catcher at heart and with the ball in his hands his athletic ability shines through with YAC.
Personal touch: Gray transferred from his home-state school, Tennessee, to Oklahoma, where he joined DeMarco Murray, the Sooners’ running backs coach and former NFL star, in hopes that he, too, could get to the NFL. “It’s going to mean a lot,” he said at pro day. “I said I'm not gonna cry, but we'll see. My family, my mom and dad are going to cry for sure. So, I'm going to let them have it but it's going to mean a lot.”
Gray had a great year in a rare down season for the Sooners.
“For me it’s more so for the younger guys just to experience this, just trying to instill in them that this is not normal,” Gray said. “This is not forever. The tale of a man is when he’s down. What character do you have when you’re down? What are you going to do when you’re down?
“Trying to instill in the young guys to keep going, don’t give up. There’s two games left in this regular season, don’t give up. Keep fighting. Keep straining each and every week and it will get better.”
His father, Eric, played running back at Tennessee State from 1985 through 1987 and was his running backs coach in high school, where he rushed for about 5,400 yards and scored 83 touchdowns during his final two seasons. An uncle, Maurice Hall, played running back at Ohio State from 2001 through 2004.
“I think winning those battles is something I was born with,” Gray told Rivals. “My dad getting me cutting on cones when I was younger. Being able to just simulate in practice, seeing someone in the hole and practicing knowing my moves, watching film, it slows the game down where you know the defender.”
