Throughout Texas A&M’s history, running back has been a position of sheer importance throughout the last three decades, but no one has matched the speed, athleticism, and NFL potential like Devon Achane, who recently entered the NFL draft last December.
In three seasons with the Aggies, the college track star rushed for 2,097 yards and 38 touchdowns in his career, and 1,102 yards and 8 touchdowns during the 2022 season. Achane capped off his Aggie career with 215 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns against LSU, not only showing his insane speed and quickness but his durability as a runner that should translate to the pro level very well.
Standing at 5’8 1/2″, and 188 lbs, Achane ran a 4.32 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine last weekend, which was the fastest among the running back group, and ranked third in the entire Combine. Recently, Danny Kelly of The Ringer released his Top 50 players list in the 2023 NFL Draft, where Achane was ranked as the 34th best available prospect, and in his scouting report for Achane, Kelly stated,
Achane is an instant accelerator who can get up to top speed in a blink, giving him the ability to shoot through gaps that would close too quickly for most other running backs. He’s not going to run through a defender’s face, but he uses turbo-charged acceleration to rip through arm tackles and shrug off defenders in space. When he finds a little bit of green, he can access an extra gear few players have and run away from the defense. Achane tallied 35 rushes of 10-plus yards in 2022, per PFF, accumulating 53 missed tackles forced and a total of 705 yards after contact. Achane is a good pass catcher out of the backfield and even got some reps lined up wide and in the slot. He has reliable hands and is a confident catcher of the football, collecting the pass and looking to move upfield in one smooth motion. He’s also a dangerous kick returner.
Kelly briefly described that even though Achane’s speed and explosive play potential could make him a riser in this year’s draft, his small size could hinder his future as an every-down back. As with every prospect during every pre-draft cycle, size at specific positions will always prevent certain teams from taking a risk on a player with a high ceiling, and for Achane, any one of the 32 teams that take a chance on his talents is getting one of the best players the draft has to offer regardless.
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