*Walt taking 2014 and 2018 |
Charlie Campbell, Senior Draft Analyst |
Teams Love Receiving Back Potential in 2023 NFL Draft
Updated Oct. 13, 2022By Charlie Campbell. Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell.
Pro teams are drive by passing, so they looking for running backs with receiving potential because they can present mismatch weapons against NFL defenses. Teams would love to have backs who have the receiving ability of players like Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara or D’Andre Swift. Fortunately for teams, scouting sources are high on the receiving back potential in the 2023 NFL Draft.
“There are a lot of good receiving backs,” said an AFC director of player personnel. “[Jahmyr] Gibbs – Alabama – has been compared to Kamara but Gibbs is just like Swift. [Devon] Achane – Texas A&M – is similar to Warrick Dunn. Bijan Robinson makes it look different being a bigger guy, but he is crazy talented and special. Deuce Vaughn – Kansas State – could be day-three guy that is similar to Sproles.”
Entering this season, Gibbs had totaled 60 catches over his previous two years at Georgia Tech. Achane caught 24 passes as a backup in 2021 and is on pace to go way beyond that in 2022. Vaughn had 49 catches last year, while Robinson had 26.
The 2023 NFL Draft looks like it will have a very good class of running backs, so pro teams will have options for players who could be dangerous contributors in the passing game.
