HEIGHT: 5'8.5"

WEIGHT: 188

HAND: 8 1/2"

ARM: 29"

WINGSPAN: TBD

40-YARD DASH: 4.32

3-CONE: TBD

SHUTTLE: TBD

VERTICAL: 33"

BROAD: TBD

POSITIVES

— Elite track-star level acceleration and speed.

— Snappy, controlled footwork as well as great explosiveness. Shifty in tight spaces.

— Very good flexibility and change-of-direction skills. Can change his path and maintain most of his speed.

— Great vision and pacing as a runner. Excels at setting up blocks between the tackles; chooses the right times to bounce.

— Above-average pass protector. Good eyes and quick reaction time.

— Very good receiving skills. Tracks the ball well, even in the air, and flashes tough hands in traffic.

— Great kick-return ability.

NEGATIVES

— Undersized. Highly unlikely to handle a full NFL workload as a lead back.

— Below-average play strength. Regularly gets stopped in his tracks when taken head-on as a runner.

— Cannot move piles or fight for extra yards. Will struggle as a short-yardage and goal-line back in the NFL.

2022 STATISTICS

— 10 GM, 196 ATT, 1,102 YDS (5.6 AVG), 8 TD, 36 REC, 196 YDS, 3 TD

NOTES

— DOB: October 13, 2001

— 4-star recruit in the 2020 class

— Started 10 games in 2022; split playing time with Isaiah Spiller in 2021

— Missed two games in 2022 with an undisclosed injury that was speculated to be an ankle issue

— 2022 First-team All-SEC RB and All-Purpose player

OVERALL

Devon Achane does not have the size nor strength to be a bell-cow back, but he has every other trait you could ask for.

Achane has everything when it comes to movement skills, but his calling card is his speed. On film, there may not be a faster player in the class at any position. Achane plays with legit track speed in the open field and can hit his top gear at a moment's notice. When Achane gets a runway, he will outrun everyone else on the field without fail. Additionally, Achane is a very explosive runner. He plays with quick, controlled steps and explodes off the ground when he makes his cuts. When combined with impressive flexibility and bend, Achane has all the tools to dominate in space.

Between the tackles is where Achane's skill set is tough to parse. On the one hand, Achane is an exceptionally smart runner. His vision is patient, yet decisive, and he understands very well how to use the leverage of run fits against opposing defenders in order to set up his blocks. Along with his short, explosive steps, Achane navigates traffic between the tackles very well.

However, Achane simply doesn't have the size to take 20 carries a game. He rocks a light, 185-pound frame, which is naturally going to lend to faster wear and tear than bigger, more durable backs. Moreover, Achane doesn't play with good strength. His ability to contort his body serves him well as far as minimizing contact, but any time Achane gets taken on clean, he gets stood up or taken down on the spot. He struggles to push piles or fight for yards, which will hurt him, especially in short yardage and at the goal line.

Achane does offset some of his inability to carry a full rushing workload with his third-down ability. Achane is a reliable receiver. Though small, Achane actually does fairly well to catch the ball in some traffic and has shown flashes of being able to go up and get the ball. On top of that, Achane is a sharp pass protector. Bigger blitzers can be a problem, but Achane has great eyes, discipline, and effort as a pass protector.

Achane is the ultimate change-of-pace and third-down back. It's hard to imagine he can be a true lead back in the traditional sense because of his size and strength issues, but he has elite athletic ability, a smart running style and a complete profile as a third-down back. Achane can fit into any run scheme or offense, he just needs to be paired with a bigger back to complement him and take off some of the workload as a runner.

GRADE: 7.6 (Potential Impact Player, Round 2)

OVERALL RANK: 40

POSITION RANK: RB4

PRO COMPARISON: Jahvid Best

Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen