Zach Charbonnet NFL Draft Overview
Position: Running Back
Height: 6′-1″
Weight: 220 pounds
School: UCLA
2023 NFL Draft: Zach Charbonnet Scouting Report
After four years in the collegiate ranks, UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet is ready for the 2023 NFL Draft. Charbonnet is coming off a phenomenal season in the Pac-12, recording 1,359 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on 195 carries to go along with 37 receptions for 321 yards.
Zach Charbonnet originally began his college football journey with Michigan. Earning the starting job as a true freshman, the running back finished his inaugural campaign with 726 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. However, after losing the starting position, he transferred to UCLA for 2021. Given a full workload, Charbonnet recorded 1,137 yards and 13 touchdowns on 203 carries.
Strengths
- Ferocious downhill runner – dangerous with a head of steam;
- Big, strong, physical player that sheds tackles like nothing;
- Strength translates well to short-yardage and red zone work;
- Good at everything a running back needs to be good at;
- Reliable hands make him a valuable checkdown option;
- 70th percentile college dominator with 93rd percentile target share.
Weaknesses
- Lacks elite breakaway speed;
- Good at everything, but not great at anything;
- Late declare – historically speaking, not a good thing for a running back;
- Per PFF, already has 640 career touches – workload could be an issue;
- Wasn’t good enough to beat out Hassan Haskins at Michigan;
- Not a developed route runner – strictly a checkdown guy in the passing game.
NFL Comparison: Damien Harris
Teams With Need At Position: Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles
Projection: Round 3
Bottom Line on Zach Charbonnet
Zach Charbonnet is one of the more intriguing running backs in a class loaded to the brim with talent. While he’s clearly not on the same level as Bijan Robinson (nobody is), he’s probably a top-five back in this class and has the potential to be as good as any of the non-Robinson runners.
Right off the bat, his insane strength and physicality are going to translate well to the NFL stage, as he already has the muscle required to handle an NFL workload and dish out just as much pain as he receives. Big, bruising guys like this tend to cede passing-down work, but Charbonnet is a natural fit for pass-catching duties. The UCLA product caught more passes than just about anyone else at his position over the past two seasons, and that skill has never been more valuable in today’s NFL.
However, there are some chinks in Charbonnet’s armor. While he can do everything at an adequate level, he doesn’t do anything at an elite level. Yes, he can break tackles and run hard up the middle, but he lacks the deep speed to turn those runs into massive gains. Yes, he has good hands, but he lacks the route-running prowess to be anything more than just a checkdown option. Perhaps he can learn how to be a better route runner, but it’s highly unlikely he learns how to get faster.
Additionally, his analytical profile is something of a mixed bag. While his production is second only to Robinson, the fact that he’s already a Senior is a cause for concern. It’s not impossible for late-declare running backs to succeed at the NFL level, but it is less common. On top of that, Charbonnet has handled a lot of touches throughout his college career, so he might not have as much juice in his tank as some of the other players at his position.
Main Photo: Gary A. Vasquez – USA Today Sports
