NFL Draft: Top 16 Running Back Prospects for Packers
GREEN BAY, Wis. – In the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, even with Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams leading a strong two-headed running game, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst used a second-round pick on AJ Dillon.
The Packers are in a similar spot entering the 2023 NFL Draft. With Jones and Dillon atop the depth chart, there is no immediate need for a running back. But that doesn’t mean the need doesn’t exist. Next offseason, Jones could be a cap casualty and Dillon could be lost in free agency.
With considerable immediate needs at receiver and tight end to grow a new passing game with Jordan Love, those positions presumably would be higher on Gutekunst’s to-do list. There also are significant immediate holes on the defensive line, with only three players under contract, and at safety, with Adrian Amos unsigned.
Nonetheless, expect Gutekunst to add a talented ball-carrier to the mix.
Here’s our list of the top running backs in the NFL Draft. Using the Packers’ draft history as a guide, we excluded some backs, such as Texas A&M’s Devon Achane, a Day 2 prospect who seemingly lacks the size (5-foot-8 1/2) and hands (8 1/2 hands). Note: Analytical stats are from Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions.
1. Bijan Robinson, Texas
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.
Bijan Robinson (USA Today Sports Images)
How 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.”
2. Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama
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.
How he fits: 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.”
3. Zach Charbonnet, UCLA
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.
Zach Charbonnet (USA Today Sports Images)
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.
How he fits: 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.”
4. Tyjae Spears, Tulane
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.
How he fits: 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.”
5. Roschon Johnson, Texas
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.
How he fits: 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."
6. Eric Gray, Oklahoma
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.
Eric Gray (USA Today Sports Images)
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.
How he fits: 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.”
7. Chase Brown, Illinois
Measureables: 5-foot-9 1/2, 209 pounds, 10 hands. 4.43 40, DNP shuttle, 9.79 RAS.
Stats and accolades: In five college seasons, including 2018 at Western Michigan, Brown carried 676 times for 3,558 yards (5.3 average) and 18 touchdowns and added 58 receptions for 521 yards (9.0 average) and three more scores. He had a huge final season with 328 carries for 1,643 yards (5.0 average) and 10 touchdowns and 27 receptions for 240 yards (8.9 average) and three more scores, giving him 1,883 total yards and 13 total touchdowns. He enters the NFL with 734 touches.
Analytical stats: Per 100 touches, he broke 10 tackles, forced 10 missed tackles and had 1.1 fumbles. He ran into a heavy box 14 percent of the time. Of 50 running backs in the draft class who had 93 carries, he ranked 30th with 0.84 yards after contact per carry. In the passing game, he ranked 13th with 1.03 yards per pass route. He had one drop. He was No. 1 in pass-protecting snaps per game.
How he fits: Brown is an outside-zone running back capable of playing on all three downs. He’s got home run speed and a carry-the-load mind-set. He’s a leader, as well. He had a lot of touches in college, though, frequently getting the rock 30 times a game, especially in the big games. Plus, he had a draft-class-high five fumbles.
“He can run right by you, he can run right through you and he can make you miss, that's a very unusual combo,” Illini coach Bielema told ESPN. “But the third-down value he brings is just very, very uncommon. ... When you have a running back who can run it and protect, that's going to bring good value.”
Sports Info Solutions says: Brown projects as a backup running back who fits best in an outside zone running scheme. He has gotten significantly better over the last couple of seasons with his pass protection and receiving ability. He is not a difference maker on 3rd down, but can be counted on to hold his own in pass protection and as a receiver.
Personal touch: Brown’s twin brother, Sydney, is one of the top safety prospects in the draft.
The twins are Canadians who moved to Florida to chase their football dreams. In Florida, they lived with Tom and Michelle Cross. Tom was a pilot. Chase spent his first collegiate season at Western Michigan with the intention of playing football and going to flight school.
“He would fly to the Bahamas one day, fly back,” Chase told Sports Illustrated. “I thought that seemed cool. I wanted that. He seemed happy, and I just saw myself doing that. I would have hung up the helmet and continued that dream that I had. Any school could have offered me at that point, but I was just so invested in following that dream and that goal.”
After one year apart, they were reunited at Illinois.
"How many people could say they played college ball with their brother?" Chase said in the ESPN story. "We're going to be able to look back on these four, five years of our lives and be like, 'Remember this game? Remember when this happened?'"
8. Sean Tucker, Syracuse
Measureables: 5-foot-9 1/4, 207 pounds, 9 1/2 hands. DNP testing.
Stats and accolades: In three seasons, Tucker carried the ball 589 times for 3,182 yards (5.4 average) and added 64 receptions for 622 yards (9.7 average) and four scores. He was an All-American in 2021 with a school-record 1,496 rushing yards. During his final season, he carried 206 times for 1,060 yards (5.1 average) and 11 touchdowns and had a career-high 36 receptions, which he turned into 254 yards (7.1 average) and two scores for totals of 1,314 yards and 13 scores. He enters the NFL with 653 touches.
Analytical stats: Per 100 touches, he had a total of 22.5 broken or forced missed tackles and 0.5 fumbles. Of 50 running backs in the draft class who had 93 carries, he ranked 31st with 2.79 yards after contact per carry. In the passing game, he ranked 20th with 0.88 yards per pass route. His five drops were one off the worst mark of the class but he had only one fumble.
Sean Tucker (USA Today Sports Images)
How he fits: Tucker is a quality zone-scheme runner who has a chance to be a three-down contributor with additional work as a protector and better concentration as a receiver. With the ball in his hands, he’s got breakaway speed and the power to turn nothing into something.
“He’s also a good receiver, and that’s important,” former NFL running back Robert Smith said for The 33rd Team. “There is a lot of value in the NFL if you’re not a top-tier guy but you can do multiple things well. You may start your career as a third-down back, and it’s vital to be able to catch the ball, and Tucker does that extremely well, as his 36 receptions in 2022 attest.”
Personal touch: Tucker, a Maryland native, was merely the 58th-ranked running back in his recruiting class.
“In the evaluation we saw speed, we saw balance, maybe a different star rating than some other people thought he was,” Syracuse coach Dino Babers said. “But the thing that you can’t measure is his heart and his character and his work ethic, and we try to measure those things. We hit all A’s with him on those. So, whatever he was in Maryland, he’s more than that right now.”
Tucker is a man of few words. “My dad instilled that in me at a young age, staying focused and staying true to myself,” he said. His father, Steve, instilled the tireless work ethic.
“We’d take advantage of going into the gym as long as the door was open or we could find someone with the key,” Steve Tucker told The News House. “There were a lot of times where we closed the gym. Locked the door, turned the lights out and left.”
Tucker didn’t test at the Combine or go through workouts at pro day due to an unexplained “medical exclusion.”
9. Tank Bigsby, Auburn
Measureables: 5-foot-11 5/8, 210 pounds, 9 1/2 hands. 4.56 40, DNP shuttle, 8.32 RAS.
Stats and accolades: In three seasons, Bigsby carried 540 times for 2,903 yards (5.4 average) and added 62 receptions for 448 yards (7.2 average). In 2022, he ran 179 times for 970 yards (5.4 average) and 10 touchdowns and caught 30 passes for 180 yards (6.0 average), giving him 1,150 total yards and 10 total touchdowns. He enters the NFL with 602 touches.
Analytical stats: Per 100 touches, he produced 34.3 broken or forced missed tackles, No. 2 in the class, and had 0.6 fumbles. Of 50 running backs in the draft class who had 93 carries, he ranked sixth with 4.16 yards after contact per carry. In the passing game, he ranked 22nd with 0.85 yards per pass route. He had three drops.
How he fits: Bigsby might never develop into a true three-down back but he’s rugged enough to handle the early-down duties and at least step in for blocking assignments. In a one-cut scheme, his ability to get downhill and run like a, well, tank, should make him an option.
NFL Draft Bible says: An eruptive athlete that carries the ball with forcefulness, Bigsby won’t enthuse you with versatility, but his role as a lead back is unquestionable. Contact balance extraordinaire, thanks in large part to consistent pad level. Uses remarkable acceleration to hit the second level of the defense.
Personal touch: Bigsby’s real name is Cartavious. Tank, though, fits – and has for most of his life. “They just said he was like a tank,” his mother, Shaquanna Bigsby, told AL.com. “Just when he was young, he would just run over stuff — just run everything over.”
Or, as he put it during an interview with Georgia Public Broadcasting: “When I was younger, I played rec ball and my mom told me that I run the ball like a tank. I used to just hit people with my head, so she gave me the nickname Tank and I’ve been called that ever since.”
His running backs coach at Auburn was former Auburn and NFL star Cadillac Williams. “We had a lot in common about our lives, our background,” Bigsby told CBS Sports. “What we’ve been through. Growing up, our moms struggling from a household just with your mom. Dad (is) not there. My dad is in prison right now. Just having the background about our families, just had that connection, so it was kind of big when we first met.”
10. Zach Evans, Mississippi
Measureables: 5-foot-11 1/8, 202 pounds, 10 1/4 hands. 4.50 40, 4.26 shuttle, 7.86 RAS.
Stats and accolades: In three seasons, Evans carried 290 times for 1,999 yards (6.9 average) and 18 touchdowns and added 30 catches for 325 yards (10.8 average) and two more scores. After two seasons at TCU, he went to Ole Miss for 2022 and set career highs with 144 rushes, 936 yards, nine rushing touchdowns and 12 receptions. His 2022 totals were 1,055 total yards and 10 total touchdowns. He enters the NFL with 320 touches.
Analytical stats: Per 100 touches, he had a total of 25 broken or forced missed tackles and had 2.1 fumbles. Of 50 running backs in the draft class who had 93 carries, he ranked 15th with 3.56 yards after contact per carry. In the passing game, he ranked 17th with 0.94 yards per pass route. He had two drops.
How he fits: Evans is a strong runner but doesn’t have much three-down ability with so-so receiving skills and troubles in pass protection. Wrote The 33rd Team: “Zach Evans is a smooth, gliding runner that has good feet to match. He has a bit of a straight-line athlete. He has good speed to pull away but needs some room to do so. Was hoping for a bit more grit when watching him on film and wanted a better finisher.” Evans could be great. Or he could bust.
Said Evans to Click2Houston.com before his pro day: “I feel like the NFL is getting a dog, someone who shows up and puts in the work. They’ll get the best from me. I’m hoping to show everybody what I got.”
Personal touch: Evans led his Houston high school to a pair of state championships, rushing for almost 5,000 yards and 76 touchdowns in the process. He was the No. 1-ranked running back in the cycle – he got his first scholarship offer from LSU while a freshman.
“I want to say looking back at it I do feel like it came fast,” Evans told Click2Houston.com. “It’s something you think about since you were a kid. Now, it’s in your face. It’s about trusting preparation I had at North Shore and trusting my training and keeping God first.”
Football, for much of his life, was not his thing. “It wasn’t football for Zachary,” his brother told 247 Sports back when Evans was being compared to Texas high school legend Adrian Peterson. “It’s really still not. He’s really good at it, but football is just not him. He don’t watch football. He don’t talk about football. None of that. I won’t say it’s not something he doesn’t want to do, because of course he wants to do it. But he just wasn’t attracted to it. It just didn’t catch his attention.”
11. Kendre Miller, TCU
Measureables: 5-foot-11 1/8, 215 pounds, 9 3/8 hands. DNP testing (knee).
Stats and accolades: In three seasons, Miller carried the ball 361 times for 2,410 yards (6.7 average) and caught 29 passes for 229 yards (7.9 average). In 2022, he had career highs of 224 rushes for 1,399 yards (6.2 average) and added 16 receptions for 116 yards (7.3 average), giving him 1,515 total yards and 17 total scores. He enters the NFL with 390 touches.
Analytical stats: Per 100 touches, he broke 18 tackles, forced 12 missed tackles and had 0.8 fumbles. He ran into a heavy box 13 percent of the time. Of 50 running backs in the draft class who had 93 carries, he ranked 12th with 3.64 yards after contact per carry. In the passing game, he ranked 34th with 0.61 yards per pass route. He had two drops.
How he fits: Miller has a nice blend of power, fight and elusiveness – a 20-yard gain in 12 games in 2022 – but hasn’t offered much in the passing game. So, he’ll have to prove he can catch the football and cut back on the fumbles.
“I’m very confident in what I’ve shown on film. I’m very explosive and fast,” he told Big Blue View. “The speed is there, even though I can’t run. I feel very confident in what I’ve done.” On his limited passing-game impact, he said, “Really the only thing that’s hurting me and I kind of hate that it turned out that way [is] we didn’t use running backs in the passing game in our system. Really was hoping to get to show that at the Combine that I’m very comfortable catching the ball.”
Personal touch: As a quarterback at Mount Enterprise (Texas) High School, he rushed for 2,508 yards and 34 touchdowns as a senior. He had committed to UTSA to play linebacker.
“The new running back coach came to one of my basketball games and told me they wanted to get me up for a visit and I told him I was good and I’m kind of tired of the recruiting process,” Miller said before the playoff victory vs. Michigan. “He told me just to come on the visit and I ended up here.”
Miller replaced Zach Evans in the lineup after Evans transferred to Ole Miss.
“You don’t really know about running backs until you start tackling those guys,” TCU coach Sonny Dykes said. “You always have running backs that look good in practice at times; they may be fast and elusive, and you don’t really tackle them that often,” he said. “You have to get guys in the games and see how difficult it is to tackle them and how well they finish runs.”
Miller finished with the most rushing yards by a TCU player since the legendary LaDainian Tomlinson topped 2,000 yards in 2000.
“I love watching his film,” Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt said. “The coaching staff at TCU loved his work ethic, and he was a team-first guy. Everything about him screamed, he’s gonna be a really good player at the next level, and yet he hasn’t gotten the hype I thought he was going to get, and the reason for that is he doesn't have that burst … that eye-opening home run ability.”
12. Evan Hull, Northwestern
Evan Hull (USA Today Sports Images)
Measureables: 5-foot-10 1/8, 209 pounds, 9 1/4 hands. 4.47 40, 4.38 shuttle, 9.34 RAS.
Stats and accolades: In four seasons, Hull rushed 488 times for 2,417 yards (5.0 average) and 18 touchdowns and added 94 receptions for 851 yards (9.1 average) and four more scores. As a senior, he carried 221 times for 913 yards (career-worst 4.1 average) and five touchdowns but had a career-high 55 receptions for 546 yards (9.9 average), giving him 1,459 total yards and seven touchdowns. He enters the NFL with 582 touches.
Analytical stats: Per 100 touches, he recorded 23 broken or forced-missed tackles and had 0.9 fumbles. He ran into a heavy box 22 percent of the time. Of 50 running backs in the draft class who had 93 carries, he ranked 32nd with 2.74 yards after contact per carry. In the passing game, he ranked second with 1.85 yards per pass route. He had three drops.
How he fits: NFL Draft Bible called him a “dense ball of muscle with lower body thickness … and jitterbug feet.” While he might not have the power or burst to be a No. 1, he has three-down ability with his ability to split out, catch the ball and pass protect. He’d be an excellent fit as a complementary back.
Personal touch: Hull was a man for all seasons, a record-setting running back in high school who qualified for the state track meet in the 100-meter dash and almost qualified for state in wrestling.
“My love for football outweighs that of track or wrestling, but I continue to do those sports because I know I take different skills from each to add to my game as a football player,” Hull told his hometown Press and News. “That’s why I joined them; to make me a better football player. Whether it’s having better acceleration or running form from track or having better balance and strength from wrestling. I’ve taken a lot of intangibles from both sports as well. Track has helped me with visualizing success and setting goals. Wrestling has kept me mentally tough and that aggressiveness that I need for wrestling is something that translates for football as well, even track a little.”
Hull emerged as a key leader on a team that finished a woeful 1-11.
“I always talk about bringing that same energy, and that was a huge challenge of having a season like we did,” Hull said at the Scouting Combine. “Just because however many losses you’ve had, coming back to that fully padded practice the next week, you’ve got to still bring that same energy, that same intent, focus and juice that you’ve had since Game 1. If you have any chance of winning, you need to do that. That would be the biggest thing — encouraging my teammates — and I think that’s one place I was able to step up in a leadership position.”
With speed and hands, he’d be an enticing add for the Packers, who brought him in for a predraft visit.
13. DeWayne McBride, Alabama-Birmingham
Measureables: 5-foot-10 1/2, 215 pounds, 9 1/2 hands. DNP testing (hamstring).
Stats and accolades: In three seasons, McBride rushed 484 times for 3,523 yards (7.4 average) and 36 touchdowns but caught only five passes for 29 yards. In 2022, he rumbled 233 times for 1,713 yards (7.4 average) and 19 touchdowns to earn Conference-USA Offensive Player of the Year honors. He enters the NFL with 489 touches.
Analytical stats: Of 50 running backs in the draft class who had 93 carries, he ranked first with 4.60 yards after contact per carry. McBride ranked third in the group 76 broken and missed tackles. Per 100 touches, he had 32.6 broken or forced missed tackles (great) but 2.1 fumbles (bad). McBride and Illinois’ Chase Brown had a draft class-high five fumbles. In the passing game, he ranked 49th with 0.14 yards per pass route. He had zero drops.
How he fits: McBride is a rough-and-tumble runner, playing like a man closer to 225 pounds. His style fits the Green Bay mold of a power back able to churn out additional yards. But can he catch? He had a personal pro day on Friday; the Packers did not attend.
“Come on, now, I can catch, it just wasn’t in the offense,” McBride said at UAB’s pro day.
Personal touch: McBride had a challenging childhood. “Growing up, my people didn’t have a lot,” McBride told 1819 News. He bounced around a bit, living with various family members and attending three high schools. “My dad had [about 20] kids. He used to tell us stories all the time how he had all these offers. I just wanted to be different. He had kids in high school. I don’t have kids. I’m the first to make it out. I just wanted to be different than him in that way. He played running back. I used to rock 32 because he had that number and I wanted to represent him.”
McBride “wants to be great,” coach Bill Clark said before McBride took over as the starter in 2021. “Obviously, if you watched him last year, you saw how explosive he was and how he finishes runs. High expectations for him and that’s what we’ve heard this whole offseason. He’s got high expectations for himself. I think he’s been working really hard on pass protection and catching the ball out of the backfield.”
14. Deneric Prince, Tulsa
Measureables: 5-11 3/4, 216 pounds, 9 1/4 hands. 4.41 40, 4.33 shuttle, 9.58 RAS.
Stats and accolades: Prince spent his first two seasons at Texas A&M before transferring to Tulsa for his final three years. Seven of his 12 career starts came in 2022, when he rushed for 729 yards (5.8 average) and five touchdowns and caught nine passes. That production was limited to eight games; he was academically ineligible for the first four games. He rushed for 231 yards with an 84-yard touchdown vs. Temple.
Analytical stats: Per 100 touches, he broke or forced 26 missed tackles and had 1.5 fumbles. Of 50 running backs in the draft class who had 93 carries, he ranked 20th with 3.37 yards after contact per carry. In limited chances in the passing game, he ranked 25th with 0.81 yards per pass route. He had zero drops.
How he fits: Prince never was the sum of his parts in college but those individual parts – evident with his Relative Athletic Score – are pretty exciting. He’s got some home-run ability as a runner but will need a year to prove he can catch and pass protect at an NFL level.
“I feel like I did a good job catching a ball out of the backfield,” he said at pro day. “I just wanted to showcase to the scouts that I could catch out of the backfield, that I could run routes and just catch the ball.”
Personal touch: Prince started playing football when he was 3, and his favorite movie is The Longest Yard. Pro day was an important event for Prince to show he can be an all-around back after a disappointing college career.
“As a ball player, they’re getting an every-down back who can do short yardage, catch out of the backfield and break long runs,” Prince told Click2Houston.com. “I feel like I can do everything in the backfield. I’m a hard worker. I try to lead by the way I work. I’m not really that vocal. I just try to be myself.”
15. Lew Nichols III, Central Michigan
Lew Nichols III (USA Today Sports Images)
Measureables: 5-10, 220 pounds, 9 hands. DNP testing (hamstring)
Stats and accolades: Nichols was the MAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2021, when he led the nation with 1,848 rushing yards and 2,186 total yards, as he added 40 receptions for 338 yards. His encore was a dud. Due in part to a toe injury, he was limited to 616 rushing yards. His average went from 5.4 to 3.5 and his reception count dipped to 21.
Analytical stats: Of 50 running backs in the draft class who had 93 carries, Nichols ranked 45th with 2.39 yards after contact per carry, 30th with 0.65 yards per pass route and next to last with 23 broken/missed tackles. Only three players had more drops than Nichols’ five. Contrast that to 2021, when he averaged 2.79 yards after contact, broke 67 tackles, averaged 1.12 yards per route and had three drops. It’s noteworthy that his loaded-box rate went from 15 percent in 2021 to 27 percent in 2022 and that two CMU linemen were drafted.
How he fits: Nichols is a big man who, at times, has flashed high-quality hands. Consider him a poor man’s AJ Dillon. The Packers brought him in for a predraft visit for obvious reasons.
“My patience, vision, first three steps are explosive, good feet, and soft hands,” he told NFL Draft Diamonds. “My ability to make plays carry after carry. As well as being a natural runner who sets up and reads blocks well. Someone who breaks tackles with a variety of moves including jumps cuts, stiff arms or running through defenders and has a nose for the end zone.”
Personal touch: Nichols has been called “The Humble Beast.” You can get it on a T-shirt.
After his massive 2021, most or all of the SEC tried to poach Nichols from CMU but he did not consider leaving.
"Just being grateful for every opportunity you get when you go out there," Nichols said at MAC Media Days. "Every carry, everything you put on film, just be proud of it. When you turn on that film after the game, you want to be proud of what you put on. And you want to be a reason to say why your team won the game."
16. Keaton Mitchell, East Carolina
Measureables: 5-7 7/8, 179 pounds, 9 1/4 hands. 4.37 40, 4.36 shuttle, 6.18 RAS.
Stats and accolades: Mitchell rushed for 3,027 yards, caught 60 passes and scored 28 touchdowns during his three seasons. He was first-team all-AAC each of his final two years, with 1,132 yards (6.5 average) and 22 catches in 2021 and 1,452 yards (7.2 average) and 27 catches in 2022.
Analytical stats: Per 100 touches, he broke 18 tackles, forced 12 missed tackles and did not fumble. He ran into a heavy box just 10 percent of the time. Of 50 running backs in the draft class who had 93 carries, he ranked 14th with 3.60 yards after contact per carry. In the passing game, he ranked 13th with 1.07 yards per pass route but had four drops.
How he fits: Mitchell would be a reject on Green Bay’s board under most circumstances because he’s just so small. But, he had a predraft visit so there’s some interest. Perhaps it was just undrafted recruiting.
“You can’t coach speed, you can’t teach speed,” he told The Draft Network recently. “Good things happen for me naturally due to my speed. Pairing my vision with speed is what makes the difference for me on the field. I have crazy speed (laughs). Speed is definitely my X-factor. … If I get drafted by a team that runs zone-based concepts, I think that would be a great fit for me.”
Personal touch: Mitchell is the second-shortest back among the draftable players behind only Kansas State’s Deuce Vaughn, who’s 5-foot-5.
“I’ve been the smallest person on the field ever since I started playing football,” he said in The Draft Network interview. “It’s natural to me. I know how to maneuver and play with the bigger guys. I’m never shocked when I’m playing against somebody bigger than me. I expect it at this point. I respond by proving the doubters wrong. I let my play speak for itself. I didn’t have any big collegiate offers due to my size. I came into college with the mindset that I had to prove everybody wrong. It’s going to be no different at the next level.”
His father, Anthony Mitchell, won a Super Bowl as a safety with the Baltimore Ravens. “My dad always told me to keep that chip on my shoulder, don’t ever lose that chip,” Mitchell told 247 Sports.
