Rachaad White 2022 NFL Draft Overview
Position: Running back
Height: 6’ ½”
Weight: 210 pounds
School: Arizona State
Rachaad White 2022 NFL Draft Profile
The 2022 NFL Draft running back class may not contain the fiery first-round prospects of last year, but there will be an impressive group of rushers entering the NFL in the spring. Arizona State’s Rachaad White is one of the best pass-catching running backs in the 2022 class. He has flown under the radar, with some analysts considering him one of the best-kept secrets of the Draft.
The Senior Bowl recognized his talent and people are starting to realize he is something special. However, his journey thus far has been one full of twists and turns. As an unranked high school prospect, he started to impress the right people during his time at the University of Nebraska and Mount San Antonio Community College. He soon had offers from UCLA and Tennessee, but Arizona State swooped in. His journey to the NFL is almost complete.
Strengths
- Remarkably elusive in the open field;
- Great ability to make guys linebackers miss in space;
- Impressive east-west speed with the ability to beat defenders to the corner on outside runs;
- Reliable hands and can serve as a checkdown option in passing situations;
- Has the build to potentially handle a three-down workload;
- NFL-caliber athlete – 80th percentile 40-yard dash, speed score, and burst score.
Weaknesses
- Not a between the tackles runner – tends to look to avoid contact, rather than knock guys over;
- Bounces out of interior runs too willingly – needs to learn to run north-south;
- Slow to process blocks and only attacks holes if it’s wide open;
- Only one year of elite production as a 23-year old Senior;
- A willing pass blocker, but not a very good one.
Teams With Need at the Position: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, Atlanta Falcons
NFL comparison: Laurence Maroney
Projection: 4th Round
Bottom line on Rachaad White
The value of the average NFL running back has plummeted in the past decade, and you need to be something special to justify early draft capital in today’s NFL. Rachaad White is a solid prospect, but he is not a special one. While he has the build to handle a three-down workload, his actual film suggests that this will probably never happen.
In order to be a true early-down runner, you need to be able to run the ball between the tackles and pick up those hard-to-gain yards. White doesn’t do this with enough consistency, as he either doesn’t trust his block or simply tries to dodge the entire defensive line, instead of just plowing ahead and picking up what’s there. Additionally, while his hands are solid, he’ll have a tough time carving out a consistent third-down role with his current pass-blocking skills.
While that may sound overly negative, there is still a role for a player like White at the NFL level. He is one of the best running back prospects in this class when it comes to making guys miss in the open field, and he has the athleticism and talent to make NFL linebackers look like fools. Additionally, his above-average speed shows up on outside runs, as he usually beats the defense to the corner.
Ultimately, White is a perfect running back for a committee role. While he doesn’t excel at any one thing, he can do a little bit of everything at a satisfactory level and is the exact type of player that can fill in at a moment’s notice should something happen to the starter.
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