* - How well does his skill set carry over
to the fantasy game? For running backs, a player needs to be a
three-down option as well as a realistic threat for 1,000 rushing
yards and 500 receiving yards to be a candidate for a perfect
grade. Positional scarcity at the pro level is also a part of
the equation.
Positives
Charbonnet works inside the tackles without hesitation and finishes
runs as well as any prospect in this class, thanks in large part
to a powerful lower half. His 215-pound frame does not do him justice,
as he runs angrier than just about any of his peers. Most of his
touches end up testing the manhood of defenders. His game tape is
littered with examples of him running through linebackers/defensive
backs and generating yards after contact (averaged 4.2 yards after
contact per carry in 2022). Charbonnet is resourceful enough (stiff
arm, dead leg, moderate jump-cut, etc.) that he can usually avoid
unnecessary contact at the first level - he is usually patient and
his vision rarely betrays him - and has a great feel when to lower
the boom on players his size or smaller at the second and third
level. While he possesses average timed speed for a running back,
the Michigan transfer can chew up some ground once he has a runway
(usually build-up speed is a product of being a long-strider, which
he is). While he will get tracked down from behind, he has enough
burst and explosiveness to break off medium-sized chunk runs. (To
that end, he ranked fifth in FBS with 26 carries of 15-plus yards
in 2022.) Charbonnet also boasts unusually good hands for a powerful
back, possessing the ability to snag balls thrown outside of his
frame. He is also not afraid to punish defenders as a blocker either.
Negatives
By no means is Charbonnet an average athlete; look no further
than his 37-inch vertical jump for proof of that. However, he is
more of a one-track runner than a player that can stack one move
on top of another in the open field. Although patience is one of
his strengths, the All-Pac-12 selection performer is also occasionally
guilty of trying too hard to utilize upper-body deception rather
than just taking what is there. His 4.52 speed is good for a back
who relies on power, but it also means he is unlikely to turn many
of his medium-sized runs into touchdowns. While Charbonnet certainly
has the hands to be an asset in the passing game, he is not sudden
enough to be considered a mismatch in the passing game for linebackers
or safeties in the NFL. In short, there is a very real chance he
is limited to early-down work if his new team already has a dynamic
passing-down back on the roster. Any running back that runs with
as much power and tries to run through contact as much as he opens
himself up to injury risk. To that end, he missed his team's final
three games last season due to injury and has dealt with minor knee,
calf and biceps injuries throughout his college career.
Bottom Line
Charbonnet may not possess the measurables that make evaluators
drool or the kind of game that excites a fan base, but he is a
strong candidate to be a three-down back in the NFL. He is a tone-setter
and should have little problem carving out a long career based
solely on the fact that he is what many coaches want: a hard worker
that picks up the difficult yards and does a lot of what is expected
from the position well. He should have no problem grabbing and
holding onto his next team's early-down role (as well as short-yardage
and goal-line work), so long as they draft him to start as the
physical component of a committee and not to back up a Derrick Henry- or Nick Chubb-style runner.
The downside to Charbonnet is that his skill-set may have been
worth more to teams 20 years ago than it is today. There always
be a place in the NFL for running backs capable of breaking tackles,
gaining yards after contact and converting short-yardage opportunities,
but the league just does not prioritize the power game as much
anymore as it does backs that create mismatches in the passing
game or possess game-breaking speed. Just because he is not a
"matchup nightmare" does not mean he will not be a good
NFL running back, however. It probably just means he will not
be a great one. If Charbonnet can find a landing spot like James Conner did in Pittsburgh in 2017 and again in Arizona in 2021,
he could that level of success at the next level. However, if
his next team is leaning toward a division of labor at running
back, Charbonnet probably will not be dynamic enough to get his
coaches to reconsider.
Doug Orth has written for FF Today since 2006 and been featured
in USA TODAY's Fantasy Football Preview magazine since 2010. He
is also a high-stakes player who often appears as a guest analyst
on a number of national sports radio shows, such as Sirius XM’s
“Fantasy Drive." Doug is also a member of the Fantasy
Sports Writers Association.
