Welcome to our Steelers Draft Profiles. What we’ve done is create lists of top prospects with our take on their abilities based on what we’ve seen of them. Once published, we will continue to update these very articles on a regular basis as new information comes in about the players. In today’s article, we feature Running Backs.
Bijan Robinson – JR. – Texas – 6’0″ 220lbs
Doak Walker Award winner… Tremendous vision/sees everything in front of him… Sets up his blocks well… Really good balance especially when being bounced around in a scrum… Has the moves to get around linebackers and the power to plow over DBs… Well above-average blitz pick-up skills make him an immediate three-down running back… High football I.Q… Very reliable as a receiver and can take the short throw and turn it into big yardage… Seems to be the prototype for what NFL teams are looking for in running backs right now… There is a little bit of injury concern with him…
Key Combine Numbers
40-yard Dash: 4.46
10-yard Split: 1.52
Vertical: 37″
Jahmyr Gibbs – JR. – Alabama – 5’11” 200lbs
Transfer from Georgia Tech who came to Tuscaloosa and started immediately… A truly diverse back who runs the ball and catches the ball equally well… Has the ability to make something out of nothing in a damn hurry… Really good vision… A true slasher in style… Runs very good routes out of the backfield… There are going to be some concerns about size but I feel they are unwarranted/Gibbs is a weapon…
Key Combine Stats:
40-yard Dash: 4.36
10-yard Split: 1.52
Vertical: 33.5″
Kenny McIntosh – SR. – Georgia – 6’1″ 212lbs
Struggled to get touches early in his career at UGA with so many great players in front of him… Patient, decisive runner… Sets up his blocks well and cuts precisely off of them… Able to move all over the formation and run routes from literally anywhere… One of the better receivers in the RB class… Biggest issue in my mind is can he be “the guy?’… Hasn’t been asked to truly carry the load… What about pass protection/limited opportunities in this area…
Key Combine Stats:
40-yard Dash: 4.62
10-yard Split: 1.54
Tank Bigsby – JR. – Auburn – 6’0″ 210lbs
Track and Field guy who excelled in the long jump and sprints… Much tougher runner than you’d expect from a former track guy… Finishes his runs with aggressiveness and seldom gets caught going East and West… Patient runner who uses that track speed to explode for big gains… Really not sure about his pass catching skills as Auburn didn’t use him in that manner often… Pass blocking can be improved…
Key Combine Stats:
40-yard Dash: 4.56
10-yard Split: 1.54
Bench (225lbs): 21 reps
Zach Charbonnet – SR. – UCLA – 6’1″ 218lbs
Had a nice career going at Michigan before falling behind Blake Corum… Classic downhill runner with tremendous strength… Pretty good elusiveness for a powerful runner… Solid hands as a receiver but likely won’t be used in that capacity a lot… Has a little bit of that “Le’Veon Bell style” to him at the line of scrimmage which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t… Lacks breakaway speed…
Key Combine Stats:
40-yard Dash: 4.53
10-yard Split: 1.54
Bench (225lbs): 17
Devon Achane – JR. – Texas A&M – 5’9″ 185lbs
Speed, speed and more speed and he can change directions on a dime… Nightmare matchup for LBs and Safeties in coverage… Elite Kick Return skills… Handles the ball well/few issues there… Size is obviously a concern… Not afraid of contact but he isn’t going to win many head-to-head competitions with straight-on tacklers… Pass blocking is below average… Teams will need to find ways to utilize him without jeopardizing other areas…
Key Combine Stats:
40-yard Dash: 4.32
10-yard Split: 1.51
Tyjae Spears – JR. – Tulane – 5’11” 190lbs
Good vision and balance… Had two successful seasons after ACL injury in 2020… Accelerates quickly and has superb top-end speed… Should be able to play in any number of offensive schemes… Very uncertain of what he will provide as a pass catcher and blocker… Likely a third down type of guy in the NFL but should be given an opportunity to prove himself…
Key Combine Stats:
Bench (225lbs): 18 reps
Broad Jump: 10.5′
Mohamed Ibrahim – SR. – Minnesota – 5’10” 212lbs
Interesting case here in my opinion… Probably would have been a higher prospect had he come out sooner… Several different injuries have dropped him back a bit despite being productive for the Gophers… Very hard runner with good instincts largely built from experience… Low to the ground runner… Very little to go on in terms of pass receiving abilities… Will be 25 years old when his rookie season begins…
Deuce Vaughn – JR. – Kansas State – 5’6″ 172lbs
Incredibly productive runner in the Big 12 for a guy so small… Slick change of direction… Small size allows him to disappear behind the line… Dangerous weapon as a pass catcher… Can be utilized all over the formation… Incredibly willing pass protector but he just can’t hold up due to his size limitations… His production can’t be dismissed but how can he be used in the NFL…
Key Combine Stats:
Bench (225lbs): 17 reps
Broad Jump: 9’8″
Zach Evans – JR. – Ole Miss – 6’0″ 215lbs
Former TCU player who emerged as the starter for the Rebels when he arrived… More a ‘backfield-by-committee’ approach under Lane Kiffin so his touches were limited… Patient runner who blends some power with some agility… Finishes his runs with authority… Big play ability who will likely be a real find for whomever drafts him… Pass receiving and pass protection are question marks…
Chase Brown – JR. – Illinois – 5’11” 198lbs
A former Western Michigan recruit, Brown rushed for over 1,600 yards in 2022… Has solid instincts as a runner… Has ‘track’ speed to break away from defenders… Very capable receiver out of the backfield… Does a nice job of setting up screens… Not a guy who will move the pile in short yardage situations… Can get East and West a little too often… Seems to be willing in pass protection but needs work…
Key Combine Stats:
40-yard Dash: 4.43
10-yard Split: 1.53
Vertical: 40″
Others to keep an eye on… Israel Abanikanda PITT, Sean Tucker Syracuse, Roschon Johnson Texas, Eric Gray Oklahoma, Travis Dye, USC
