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Post by cardinalsins on Jan 8, 2023 18:39:46 GMT -7
1.) Bijan Robinson: Draft Network (14); PFF (30); Walterfootball (RB 1)
2.) Blake Corum: Draft Network (75); PFF (54); Walterfooball (RB 6)
3.) Jahmyr Gibbs: Draft Network (42); PFF (75); Walterfootball (RB 2)
4.) Zach Charbonnett; PFF (86); Walterfootball (RB 3)
5.) Sean Tucker: Draft Network (126); PFF (85); Walterfootball (RB 11)
6.) Tank Bigsby: Draft Network (83); PFF (80)
PFF has this as one of the deepest classes of RBs for quite some time.
So does Broshmo. Check out his TOP TEN here:
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Post by cardinalsins on Jan 8, 2023 18:41:03 GMT -7
1. BIJAN ROBINSON, TEXAS (JUNIOR | 6-0, 220)
PFF:
2022 Grade: 95.2
Play Style: Offensive Focal Point
Initial Round Projection: 1st
Robinson's talent level is what many NFL offenses build around. Even the biggest running back haters here at PFF recognize the value he brings to the table. I wrote all about exactly why that is earlier this season. The SparkNotes version: He has ideal size, breaks tackles at a rate we’ve never seen and can pass as a wide receiver in a pinch.
Bijan is simply capable of things other running backs in this class can only dream of. The way he sinks out of his cuts is reminiscent of a race car banking around a turn. He finished with 104 broken tackles this season — a PFF college record.
Robinson is a special prospect.
Draft Network:
Background:
Named to First Team All Big-12 (2021)
Doak Walker Award Semifinalist
System:
Scheme tendencies: Inside/outside zone
2022 projected role: Every-down running back used in both the run and pass game
Pros: Bijan Robinson has an excellent build for a running back with a thick, well-proportioned lower half and a well-defined upper body. From the hand-off, Robinson does an excellent job scanning holes from the frontside of the play to the backside of the play to find any available creases. Once he identifies a hole, he does a good job of bursting through it and quickly getting to the second level. On the second level and beyond, Robinson has a wide array of moves that he can use to make defenders miss. Whether it’s a jump-cut, spin move, or straight power, Robinson becomes a very difficult tackle for most defenders. Robinson is also a great athlete and he showcases this in the open field with his ability to flat-out run away from defenders to rip off long runs. Robinson appears to be a complete running back that can be a threat to score and always seems to be one cut away from taking a run the distance.
Cons: Bijan Robinson’s runs are always filled with great potential due to his vision, athleticism, and natural lateral agility. But Robinson, at times, can become unbalanced because he wants to accomplish so much. Robinson can benefit from running with a little bit more patience and tempo on the second level with an understanding that he has the athleticism to make defenders miss. He can become too anxious and wants to get extra yardage to a point where he just leans forward and tries to power through defenders. Robinson can also use some refinement in his pass protection from both a technique and identification standpoint.
Profile:
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Post by cardinalsins on Jan 8, 2023 18:51:40 GMT -7
2. BLAKE CORUM, MICHIGAN (JUNIOR | 5-8, 210)
PFF:
2022 Grade: 95.9
Play Style: Bowling Ball
Initial Round Projection: Early Day 2
I could give you a full scouting report on Corum, but I think his skill set is summed up better with a player comp than any other running back in this class. Corum is darn near a dead ringer for Maurice Jones-Drew. Listed at 5-foot-8 and 210 pounds, Corum is nearly a physical replica of the low-to-the-earth MJD at 5-foot-7, 207 pounds. Both are nearly impossible to bring down alone because of their low centers of gravity combined with defensive tackle-like thighs.
Just ask Big Ten defenders. Corum finished with the third-highest single-season rushing grade we’ve ever given to a college running back (95.8). He broke 73 tackles on 248 carries for 1,461 yards this past season and punched in 18 scores. While Corum's height may limit the routes he’s going to run in the passing game, there aren't really many weaknesses to his profile.
Draft Network:
Background:
2019 Gatorade Player of the Year in Maryland
Selected for the Under Armour All-American Game
Third team All-Big-Ten
System:
Scheme tendencies: Mixture of inside zone and power concepts
2022 projected role: Starting RB
Pros: Blake Corum is a short, stout running back with dual-threat abilities. Corum impacts the game in multiple ways as a runner, receiver, and kick returner. He uses his height to his advantage to hide behind blockers on slower-developing plays before exploding into the second level of the defense. It is difficult to out-leverage him due to his stature and low center of gravity. He possesses loose, oily hips to change direction quickly. Corum presents a big-play threat whenever he touches the football—he had multiple 50-plus-yard runs in 2021. He has an incredible work ethic. For two years in high school, he worked out before school after waking around 3 a.m. His juiced lower body generates the requisite burst to separate from defenders with lateral cuts. He’s a patient and disciplined runner that follows his blocks to daylight. He’s elusive in space and is able to string together sudden cuts/moves.
Cons: Though Blake Corum has a lower center of gravity, he does not run through defenders. He lacks the size to assume the RB1 role for an NFL team. His skill set signals a change-of-pace role. He hasn’t had many opportunities to produce as a receiver (only 24 receptions in 2021). He is not an ideal short-yardage and goal-line back due to his size/frame.
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Post by cardinalsins on Jan 8, 2023 19:04:13 GMT -7
3. JAHMYR GIBBS, ALABAMA (JUNIOR | 5-11, 200)
PFF:
2022 Grade: 80.2
Play Style: Lightning Rod
Initial Round Projection: Early Day 2
Gibbs is another back on the smaller side for a full-time load in the NFL. He’s not too dissimilar size-wise from an Aaron Jones or Dalvin Cook, so it’s far from a death knell to his draft stock. His ideal role, though, is still in a timeshare — similar to what we saw from him at Alabama where he took a majority of the passing-game reps. That’s where Gibbs truly shines. Over the past two seasons, Gibbs has hauled in 78-of-93 targets for 848 yards and five scores with 28 broken tackles after the catch. As important as his dynamism with the ball is his reliability. He’s dropped only two passes on 103 catchable targets in his career.
Draft Network:
Background:
Second Team Freshman All-American (2020)
Transferred to Alabama from Georgia Tech
System:
Scheme tendencies: Inside/outside zone
2022 projected role: Every-down running back used in both the run and pass game
Pros: In his limited opportunities, Jahmyr Gibbs flashed to be a truly dynamic playmaker in all facets of the game: returning kicks, running the football, and catching passes out of the backfield. As a running back, Gibbs shows to have good vision and electric speed to get through holes and blow by defenders. Gibbs’ style is smooth and electric, but he does understand how to lower his pads and power through contact when need be. In the pass game, Gibbs has shown to be a reliable receiver that can be used in multiple ways. He can line up in the slot and run routes and be a mismatch for defenders. He can also come out of the backfield and run traditional routes and truly excels at catching the ball 10-plus yards down the field. Even in a tough situation at Georgia Tech, Gibbs showed to be a complete back and should thrive in this Alabama offense.
Cons: There aren’t many negative traits in Gibbs’ game—he should be used as a versatile offensive weapon and not just a traditional running back. Gibbs has a bit of an upright running style that can leave him susceptible to big hits from defenders. Gibbs has also shown to have high confidence in his ability to get the edges of defenders and will sometimes pass up an opportunity to cut the ball up into the defense. Gibbs knows he has the athleticism to make the big play and, at times, will try to force runs.
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Post by cardinalsins on Jan 8, 2023 19:04:28 GMT -7
4. ZACH CHARBONNET, UCLA (SENIOR | 6-1, 220)
PFF:
2022 Grade: 91.5
Play Style: Bell Cow
Initial Round Projection: Early Day 2
Unlike some others on this list, there’s no physical trait or special skill set to really rave about with Charbonnet. Rather, there’s nothing he can’t do at the running back position. He has ideal size (6-foot-1, 220 points) paired with plus athletic tools and a complete unwillingness to go down on first contact. It’s why he averaged a ridiculous 4.15 yards after contact this season on 194 carries for 1,358 yards. He also showed well in the passing game with 37 catches for 320 yards and 15 broken tackles this season.
Draft Network:
RB, UCLA
Zach Charbonnet is a fourth-year running back who enters the NFL draft with a strong resume. He originally enrolled at Michigan where he played sparingly for two seasons before transferring to UCLA—that’s where he broke out as one of the best running backs in the country.
Charbonnet is a rocked-up back with very good size and strength. He is a downhill runner who displays excellent vision and patience when pressing the line of scrimmage. Charbonnet is at his best when working north/south and he is able to put his foot down and hit the hole with a full head of steam, as he is a powerful runner who is a build-to-speed player in the open field. He has outstanding contact balance and arm tackle-breaking ability as he has such a strong lower body. For a bigger back, Charbonnet has a knack for making defenders miss as he is a patient runner who understands how to set up defenders with calculated and decisive cuts while not losing any of his acceleration. While Charbonnet may not be the type of player you want to flex out in the slot and isolate as a receiver, his hands, and pass-catching ability are more than serviceable and there is no reason he can’t be a three-down back.
Charbonnet has a lot to like as an NFL starter but his upside may be capped as he lacks the breakaway speed at the next level to break long runs and put fear in defensive coordinators. He has a tendency to dance at the line of scrimmage before hitting the hole when things aren’t blocked up perfectly. Additionally, he runs high and he must learn to lower his pads to reduce his strike target for defenders. Overall, Charbonnet is an easy evaluation for the next level as he possesses the necessary run instincts, vision, size, and power to excel as an NFL starter.
Top Reasons to Buy In:
-Size, power, and strength
-Contact balance
-Vision
Top Reasons For Concern:
-Breakaway speed
-Pad level
-Happy feet at line of scrimmage
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Post by cardinalsins on Jan 8, 2023 19:04:44 GMT -7
5.) Sean Tucker:
PFF:
2022 Grade: 77.6
Play Style: North-South Runner
Initial Round Projection: Day 2
You won’t find many players as shredded at 205 pounds as Tucker is. He somehow eats arm tackles for breakfast at that size. It may have something to do with the absurd explosiveness in his lower half. Tucker has reportedly run in the low 4.3s, and his standstill burst makes it easy to believe
While Tucker’s size-speed combination may be the most impressive in the draft class, there aren't too many strengths to write home about outside of that. He’s a linear runner who often lacks the creativity to improvise when the point of attack is jammed up. While Tucker has shown he can handle a heavy workload, with 506 touches over the past two seasons, NFL teams are only going to want to feature him on the ground. Tucker has dropped 10 of his 73 catchable passes in his career. That’s untenable to feature in the passing game outside of screens.
Draft Network:
A running back and cornerback in high school, Sean Tucker was also a champion in the 100 and 200-meter sprints. Tucker continued competing in track and field at Syracuse while also logging consecutive 1,000-yard rushing campaigns in 2021 and 2022. In 2021, Tucker set the single-season school record with 1.496 rushing yards.
Tucker is a quick accelerator with breakaway speed, which enables him to win off-tackle and present a home-run threat to the defense. Tucker’s footwork is quick and nimble; it’s quite impressive how light he is on his feet. He’s fully capable of remaining balanced while stringing together dynamic moves. Tucker does a great job of staying square and is a competitive runner. I appreciate how he works off his blocks and his feet never stop moving through contact. Tucker has been a reliable ball carrier for Syracuse that has claimed a significant workload and delivered high-end production while demonstrating excellent ball security.
When it comes to concerns, Tucker has a lot to prove on passing downs. As a blocker, Tucker struggled in 2021 with processing pressure and blocking technique, and in 2022, his opportunities to help in pass protection diminished significantly. With that said, his receiving production did increase in 2022 but so did his inconsistency with securely catching the football. While there are plenty of moments of strong catches outside of his frame, those moments are marred with body catches and drops. In 2022, Tucker didn’t hit holes with the same level of conviction that we saw in 2021 which contributed to only modest success surviving contact and winning in short-yardage.
There is so much to love about the big-play potential of Tucker, but his snap-to-snap consistency as a ball carrier and passing-down contributor clouds his projection. Tucker has the makeup of an impact weapon in the NFL but development is needed for him to be a lead guy.
Top Reasons to Buy In:
Explosiveness
Competitive toughness
Body control through moves
Top Reasons For Concern:
Hands
Pass protection
Navigating congested areas with confidence
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Post by cardinalsins on Jan 8, 2023 19:05:03 GMT -7
Tank Bigsby:
Draft Network:
RB, Auburn Tigers
Tank Bigsby was a top five-star running back recruit. Along with football, Bigsby lettered in track and field. He was a long jumper and sprinter in the 100-meter, 4×100-meter relay, and 400 meters. These explosive events translated to the football field. He has been an integral part of the Tigers’ rushing attack since his freshman season. Bigsby was named SEC Freshman of the Year and First-Team Freshman All-SEC at running back and all-purpose. He has a nose for the end zone with 25 rushing touchdowns through three seasons.
Watching Bigsby on tape, one of the easiest things I noticed was how often he fell forward to finish runs. He is a tough north/south runner. His feet remain in constant movement. This allows him to maintain balance and drive through arm tackles. Bigsby showcases the vision necessary to find cut-back lanes and exchange gaps. Combined with his patience, Bigsby can give defenses issues when run fitting due to his ability to quickly change paths. I love the lower-body power and explosiveness that he generates with his cuts. Bigsby is a talented vertical and lateral/horizontal cutter in space. He can string together cuts to force multiple missed tackles on a single play. I love his processing on gap running concepts, Bigsby does a good job reading the defensive line leverage to adjust his path accordingly. His track background (11.15 100 meter) shows up once he breaks into the open field—he has the ability to break off 40 and 50-yard runs. I admire Bigsby’s improvement in pass protection—his technique was noticeable on tape.
Bigsby’s lower body remains the target area for incoming defenders. Still, he remains susceptible to being cut or chopped down far too easily for my liking. Defenders do not want to hit him up high and prefer to attack his base. Auburn’s offensive play calling and quarterback limited his pass-catching out of the backfield. Bigsby did not get the opportunities in the passing game to give a clearer projection of his value on third downs.
At times, Bigsby can be a little too patient and turn down open lanes. Continuing to improve his decisiveness will be important for him in the NFL, where running lanes can close quicker.
Bigsby is a talented running back prospect. As a one-cut runner, he has the quick planting skills to work exclusively in zone schemes. That said, he has the vision, footwork, and processing skills to win as a between-the-tackles/gap scheme runner as well. At the moment, a team will find his success on running downs until teams are comfortable with throwing passes to him on third downs. I think an arc for Bigsby is similar to Dalvin Cook or Kenneth Walker III, neither are high-volume receiving backs but are talented runners.
Top Reasons to Buy In:
-Scheme versatility
-Touchdown production
-NFL size/build
Top Reasons For Concern:
-Limited pass-catching experience
-Lacks the third gear/speed
-Consistency
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Post by cardinalsins on Jan 8, 2023 19:05:24 GMT -7
Saved spot
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Post by cardinalsins on Jan 8, 2023 19:05:39 GMT -7
Saved spot
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Post by cardinalsins on Jan 8, 2023 19:05:50 GMT -7
Saved spot
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Post by cardinalsins on Jan 8, 2023 19:06:09 GMT -7
Saved spot
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Post by cardinalsins on Jan 8, 2023 20:10:28 GMT -7
SAVED SPOT
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Post by End Zone on Jan 9, 2023 6:34:23 GMT -7
I watched the Seahawks RB Walker III shred the Rams D yesterday. That was cool. I knew prior to the 2022 Draft that Walker had power and a turbo. He showcased speed and agility multiple times causing Rams defenders to whiff on tackles. The Rams had no answer for Walker on Sunday and he proved his value to the Seahawks by giving 110% all day. The Cardinals might need a good RB in 2023. Conner is fine now but needs stud RB help to carry some of the load.
University of Texas, Mr. Bijan Robinson, my #1 RB. Round 2-3. He has fantastic hands as a RB/WR.
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Post by cardinalsins on Jan 9, 2023 18:00:38 GMT -7
I watched the Seahawks RB Walker III shred the Rams D yesterday. That was cool. I knew prior to the 2022 Draft that Walker had power and a turbo. He showcased speed and agility multiple times causing Rams defenders to whiff on tackles. The Rams had no answer for Walker on Sunday and he proved his value to the Seahawks by giving 110% all day. The Cardinals might need a good RB in 2023. Conner is fine now but needs stud RB help to carry some of the load. University of Texas, Mr. Bijan Robinson, my #1 RB. Round 2-3. He has fantastic hands as a RB/WR. Robinson is an amazing prospect. Fantasy Football nerds are already talking about drafting him in the first round next season. I think this might be mirrored by a real football team this year...he's gonna go first round IMO. I like Corum personally....mostly because of his pro comp: Maurice Jones Drew. MJD, being a Jags fan as well, is still one of my RBs of all time. |
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LD14
Pro Bowler
Posts: 1,464
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Post by LD14 on Jan 9, 2023 18:55:43 GMT -7
Third round pick comes around and we already addressed the interior then Charbonnett is an excellent option to grind the rock with a late 4th quarter lead. I’m a fan
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