1. bijan robinson • texas

#11 overall // style comparison: edgerrin james

Grade: 9

RAS: 9.83

Strengths: 👀 ⚖️ 🏎️ 🏋️ 🧤 🧱 🕹️

Man if only he played almost any other position. Running back has been so devalued that the idea of getting a talent like Robinson at the back end of Round 1 isn’t as farfetched as it should be. Still, this is a unique, game-changing back who has little to no weakness to his game. He can bounce outside, use incredible burst and change of direction to plant and cut upfield, reaches top speed very quickly, and is a genuine nightmare in the open field. Behind an OL that was more form than function, Robinson showed uncanny vision, picking his spots with a balance of authority and premonition. He’s got great size, the ability to lower his shoulder and run you over, and he can stop on a dime and matador your ass back to the stone age. Wherever he ends up, someone will get a powerful, relatively inexpensive player who adds dynamism to an NFL offense, even if for only 5-6 years.

2. jahmyr gibbs • alabama

#20 overall // style comparison: alvin kamara

Grade: 8

RAS: 8.04

Strengths: 👀 ⚖️ 🏎️ 🧤 🏈 🕹️

Too many people are getting too wrapped up in Gibbs’ size when deflecting a comparison to Alvin Kamara, but let’s not overthink this… he runs exactly like Kamara. Great patience, a smooth, gliding shiftiness in the open field (reminiscent of Arian Foster, too), excellent hands and the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield or line up out wide to start. He can plant and burst into second gear without wasting a second, and he held up very well despite becoming a focal point of Alabama’s offense. So I’m not worried about his size as a runner or receiver. He’s an ultra-fast, electric player who will add another element to a lucky team’s offense, even if blitz pickup at the next level limits him to fewer snaps early on.

3. tyjae spears • tulane

#41 overall // style comparison: darrell henderson

Grade: 7

RAS: 7.45

Strengths: 👀 ⚖️ 🏋️ 🧤 🏈 🕹️

Spears is closer to the top backs in this class than many will admit. When you want a true three-down guy who has excellent contact balance, ludicrous slipperiness in the second level, and has no problem lowering his shoulder or breaking your ankles, you can wait until Round 2 to grab someone who might very well lead the rookie class in rushing in year one. He’s sudden in his cuts, works through contact, even if it’s early before he reaches top speed, and has more juice as a breakaway threat than most of the backs in this class. He has natural hands as a receiver out of the backfield, and dances his way through traffic even at full sprint. He’s not a world-beater as a pass-blocker, which could limit him early on, and he’s not quite as interchangeable a chess piece as Gibbs or as physically imposing as Bijan, but he can start in the league.

4. zach charbonnet // ucla // grade: 7 // #54 overall

5. devon achane // texas a&m // grade: 6.5 // #61 overall

6. israel abanikanda // pitt // grade: 6 // #76 overall

7. dewayne mcbride // uab // grade: 6 // #86 overall

8. tank bigsby // auburn // grade: 6

9. roschon johnson // texas // grade: 6

10. kenny mcintosh // georgia // grade: 5.5

11. duece vaughn // kansas state // grade: 5.5

12. chase brown // illinois // grade: 5

13. deneric prince // tulsa // grade: 5

14. kendre miller // tcu // grade: 5

15. zach evans // ole miss // grade: 4

16. keaton mitchell // ecu // grade: 4

17. evan hull // northwestern // grade: 4

18. sean tucker // syracuse // grade: 4

19. chris rodriguez // kentucky // grade: 4

20. cam peoples // app state // grade: 4

21. travis dye // usc // grade: 3

22. tiyon evans // louisville // grade: 3