The Indianapolis Colts are going into the 2023 NFL draft with a solid backfield led by one of the league’s best in Jonathan Taylor.
This position may not even be on the list of needs for the team going into the draft, but this is a class that boasts a lot of depth even if there are question marks with a good portion of the prospects.
There is no reason the Colts need to spend earlier than a Day 3 pick on a running back if they really wanted to draft one. Even then, it might behoove them to wait until the fifth round. The room is solid with Taylor, Zack Moss and Deon Jackson, and they can probably scoop up some intriguing talent after the draft.
As we break down the prospects by round, think of the “rounds” as tiers and when I believe the team should begin to consider drafting them.
Be sure to check out Jeff Risdon’s running back big board over at Draft Wire as well. We also created big boards at the following positions:
Without further ado, we continue our big board series with a look at the running backs in the 2023 draft class:
Round 1
The Colts should not use a first-round pick on a running back regardless of whether they trade back from the No. 4 overall pick.
Round 2
1. Bijan Robinson, Texas
Robinson is worthy of a first-round pick and that’s where he will go. But the Colts won’t and shouldn’t consider him in the first round. It would be a luxury pick in the second round in the extremely slight chance he falls but even then, there are more impactful players to consider in the second round.
Round 3
2. Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama
An electric player, Gibbs is an elite receiving prospect with size concerns (5-10, 199). He may never lead a backfield, but he has plenty of juice in the passing game and as a runner on zone concepts.
3. Zach Charbonnet, UCLA
The senior prospect is one of the bigger backs in the class and while he’s not a burner, he moves well. He also catches passes and profiles as a three-down back. It would be a waste pick for the Colts unless they have no plans to re-sign Jonathan Taylor (they do.)
Round 4
4. Tyjae Spears, Tulane
You may notice these are all a round below the projections, and that’s because the Colts don’t need a running back. However, adding a talent like Spears on Day 3 isn’t the worst idea. He’s not a burner or overly physical, but he shows a lot of burst and the ability to play on all three downs.
5. Tank Bigsby, Auburn
The Auburn product isn’t exceptional in one area of the game, but he’s a well-rounded back who can play on all three downs. He can catch the ball naturally and has enough explosiveness to be a solid weapon in a zone scheme.
6. Israel Abanikanda, Pittsburgh
I’m probably higher than the consensus on Izzy, but I love his game. He’s a one-cut runner with extreme explosiveness and would thrive in a zone-blocking system. He’s not the most experienced pass catcher or route runner, but he’s not poor in those areas by any means. He has a great size/speed profile, and he won’t be 21 years old until the middle of his rookie season.
Round 5
7. Devon Achane, Texas A&M
I’m definitely lower than the consensus on Achane, who is a good running back with elite track speed. But he’s 188 pounds, which means at best he’ll be a change-of-pace back. If that’s how the Colts want to use him and use a mid-Day 3 pick on him, then it could work because of his speed. But I’m not spending up for him.
8. Kendre Miller, TCU
We haven’t gotten to see Miller workout because of a knee injury he suffered late in the 2022 season, but his tape shows a back with good agility, acceleration and contact balance.
9. Roschon Johnson, Texas
He may go higher than mid-Day 3, but Johnson is better than his production shows. He was the backup to Bijan Robinson, which is certainly going to limit his snaps. But Johnson has NFL size and pass protection abilities while being a mainstay on special teams.
10. Evan Hull, Northwestern
A great size/speed prospect, Hull also can catch the ball out of the backfield and is one of the best receivers in this draft class. He’d be a great backup to Jonathan Taylor if the Colts wanted to use a Day 3 pick on a back.
11. Sean Tucker, Syracuse
Uber productive with decent size and explosiveness, Tucker could thrive as an Austin Ekeler type of player who makes an impact through the passing game. He’s best suited for a zone-blocking scheme where he can fully utilize his skills as a one-cut back.
Round 6
12. Chris Rodriguez, Kentucky
This is more due to the fact that area scout Mike Lacy ran the positional drills for Rodriguez at Kentucky’s pro day. He projects more as a two-down thumper who could be effective in short-yardage situations, but there would be no reason to play him over Taylor.
13. DeWayne McBride, UAB
While he will offer close to nothing in the passing game, McBride is a smooth runner with great vision and excellent contact balance. He offers NFL-ready size and could be a nice early-down addition in a zone-blocking scheme.
14. Eric Gray, Oklahoma
A solid pass-catcher with good size for the position, Gray might even be a bit underrated at this point. He won’t win with speed, but he flashes explosiveness and a steady receiving profile.
Round 7
15. Tiyon Evans, Louisville
At 5-foot-9 and 225 pounds, Evans has good speed with a 4.52 in the 40-yard dash. He has solid contact balance and explosiveness, but he’s not going to offer much in terms of a receiver or pass protector early in his career.
16. Zach Evans, Ole Miss
Evans certainly has his truthers, and you can see why with his explosiveness, burst and balance. But he has a lot of volatility to his game, and there are injury concerns as well as the fact that he never took the lion’s share of work at TCU or Ole Miss. But he does have some juice and could be an interesting change-of-pace back with upside.
17. Deneric Prince, Tulsa
He’s a good athlete with size, speed and explosiveness, but he didn’t show much as a receiver in college and was used very little on special teams, which is big for Day 3 picks and back-end roster talent for the Colts.
