Devon Achane NFL Draft Overview
Position: Running Back
Height: 5′-9″
Weight: 185 pounds
School: Texas A&M
2023 NFL Draft: Devon Achane Scouting Report
After spending three seasons with the Texas A&M Aggies, running back Devon Achane has decided to skip his Senior year and declare for the 2023 NFL Draft. This decision comes following a breakout season where he finally became the unquestioned starter. Appearing in 10 games, the running back finished the season with 1,100 rushing yards on 196 attempts to go along with 36 receptions for 196 yards and a combined 11 touchdowns.
Devon Achane originally joined the collegiate football world back in 2020. Serving as a backup to future NFL Draft pick Isaiah Spiller, Achane recorded just 364 rushing yards on 43 carries. His role expanded in 2021, as he recorded 885 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 130 carries to go along with 24 receptions for 261 yards.
Strengths
- Insanely fast – a human blur when given a straightforward runway;
- Quick feet allow him to make impressive cuts – has made more than a few defenders look foolish in space;
- Surprisingly good tackle breaker considering his size – largely due to lateral agility;
- Rarely get knocked backwards – usually falls forward for an extra half yard;
- NFL-caliber vision – follows his blocks and rarely makes an incorrect read;
- Decent hands – not Christian McCaffrey, but he can run a pattern;
- Home-run threat every time he touches the ball – nobody’s catching him with good blocking.
Weaknesses
- Notably undersized for the position – unlikely to survive a three-down workload;
- Not a short-yardage back – struggles against stacked boxes;
- Can’t muscle his way through tackles – if a defender hits him square, he’s going down;
- Collegiate efficiency dropped with added workload;
- Could get his quarterback killed in pass protection – it’s that bad.
NFL Comparison: Raheem Mostert
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 Devon Achane
Devon Achane is a limited player that won’t fit every scheme, but the things he can do, he does exceptionally well. You can’t watch a single play of Achane’s without noticing his game-breaking speed. The Texas A&M is probably the fastest player at his position and has the ability to outrun every defender on the field if the blocking is right. He’s more than just a straight-line threat, as he also has the ability to make defenders miss in the open field thanks to his lightning-quick cuts. He reads his blocks well and has the potential to be a decent pass-catching weapon, especially in the screen game.
However, while he has plenty of strengths, he is not for every team. The running back is woefully undersized and will never be able to handle a three-down workload. As it is, his efficiency dropped as his volume increased, and that is slightly worrisome. This lack of size shows up in short-yardage situations, as he lacks the muscle to power through defenders when he doesn’t have the space to dance around them. Adjusting to NFL-caliber pass protection is hard for any rookie, but it’s going to be a major problem for Achane.
In a perfect world, Achane will land on a team like the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs rarely face stacked boxes, and Andy Reid rarely asks his running backs to stand back in pass protection. Achane’s speed could be lethal in the type of offense where, no matter what, opposing defenses will always be worried about stopping the passing game.
Main Photo: Jerome Mixon – USA Today Sports
