2023 NFL Draft Rookie Running Back Rankings: Pre-Combine

Here I am going to go over my top 5 running backs going into the draft and how I expect them to perform.

The NFL Combine is an annual event where potential draft picks showcase their skills and athleticism to NFL teams. It is an exciting event where we get a sneak peak into the overall talent of this years rookie class. While it's primarily a way for teams to evaluate players for the draft, it also has a significant impact on fantasy football, especially in dynasty leagues.

Dynasty leagues are fantasy football leagues where owners keep players on their team from season to season, making the draft and player evaluation process critical. The NFL Combine provides valuable information about a player's physical abilities, including speed, agility, and strength, which can help fantasy owners determine a player's potential upside in the NFL.

One position that is particularly important to evaluate during the NFL Combine is running back. Running backs are often the cornerstone of a dynasty team, and finding the right player can make a huge difference in fantasy success. Here are the top 5 running backs of the upcoming draft class, along with their fantasy football outlook going into the combine:

5 - Zach Charbonnet

Charbonnet is sure to be one of the most well rounded back in this years draft class. There’s nothing he can’t do at the running back position. He has great size at 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, he is a physical runner who will rarely be brought down on first contact, and has showcased above average overall athleticism during his time in UCLA. He proved this to be true last season when he averaged an absurd 4.15 yards after contact this season 1,358 yards on 194 carries and 15 broken tackles. He also showed that he is a threat in the passing game with 37 catches for 320 yards. I expect him to be a 2nd or 3rd round pick in this years draft unless he puts up some ridiculous combine numbers later this week.

4 - Blake Corum

Blake Corum is a bowling ball of a runner. Short and stout, he’s tough to bring down, due to his ridiculous strength. At 5-foot-8 and 210 pounds, Corum is nostalgically reminds me of one of Jacksonville’s great running backs, Maurice Jones-Drew. They both use their low center of gravity are are nearly impossible to bring down. Corum broke 73 tackles on 248 carries for 1,461 yards in Michigan last season with 18 touchdowns. I expect Corum to put up some ridiculous strength numbers at the combine. He will be a fantasy asset on any team next season. I would expect he gets his name called early in the 2nd round on draft day.

3 - Sean Tucker

Tucker is likely to be one of the most exciting guys to watch at the combine this week. His straight line speed and explosiveness is off the charts. There are reports that he has ran his 40 yard dash in the low 4.3’s in practice multiple times. Tucker’s combination of size (5-foot-10, 210 pounds) and speed is likely to be the best that we see in this draft class. Tucker has some of the highest upside we will see in this years draft, but he comes with some risk. He hasn’t shown many examples during his time in Syracuse of using his lightning speed to get creative and elusive when jammed up at the line. He also dropped 10 balls last season, which is quite high at the running back position. If this limits his ability in the passing game, that really hurts his fantasy upside. Tucker has the potential to be a star, but he may come with some risk of a potential bust.

2 - Jahmyr Gibbs

The knock Gibbs will here throughout the enitre draft process is that his size may be a bit too small to handle a full NLF workload. In reality, his size (5-foot-11, 200 pounds) is not far off from some of the other top running backs in the NFL today; Aaron Jones, Austin Ekeler, Dalvin Cook, and Alvin Kamara are all similar in size so I don’t think it will hurt his draft stock too much. Gibbs is almost a loock to be a fantasy stud for his passing game abilities alone. He is electric with the ball after the catch. During his career in Alabama, Gibbs caught 78-of-93 targets for 848 yards and five touchdowns, including 28 broken tackles after the catch. He is dynamic and reliable with the ball in his hands, dropping only 2 passes throughout his Alabama career. Gibbs could be the next Alvin Kamara. I expect him to be a 2nd round pick as well.

1 - Bijan Robinson

Robinson has ideal size(6-foot, 220 pounds), breaks tackles at a rate we’ve never seen; 104 broken tackles last season in Texas, and can run routes like other top receivers in the NFL. NFL teams only dream of building there teams around a guy like Robinson. There is a reasonable chance that Robinson could be a top 3 running back for the 2023 fantasy season, if he can find the right team. Robinson is a no-brainer top pick for this list and will likely be a 1st round pick in the years draft. He is going to be an exciting player to watch at the combine this week as well.

The NFL Combine will provide valuable information about each of these running backs, including their speed, agility, and strength. Fantasy owners should pay close attention to their performance and use that information to adjust their rankings and draft strategies.

Please drop any comments or questions below. Or if you have a suggestion for a future article let me know and I will do my best to happen in the weeks to come. Thanks for reading and don’t forget to subscribe to get each of these articles right to your inbox for free!