Devon Achane, RB Texas A&M: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Achane was a four-star recruit from Fort Bend Marshall High School in Missouri City, Texas in the class of 2020

Texas A&M running back Devon Achane is one of the most unique athletes who could enter his name into the 2023 NFL Draft. Achane is one of college football’s most explosive stars, and he runs for Texas A&M’s indoor and outdoor track team. Let’s explore how the Texas native is far more than just a sprinter in pads.

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Devon Achane, RB Texas A&M: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Junior running back from Missouri City, Texas

Background: Achane was a four-star recruit from Fort Bend Marshall High School in Missouri City, Texas in the class of 2020. He was the No. 137 recruit according to 247Sports, and No. 125 for On3.com. He was unranked at the national level for Rivals. ESPN ranked Achane 200th in the nation with an 82 grade out of 100. Achane ran for 2,097 yards on 185 attempts (11.3 yards per carry) and 38 touchdowns in his high school career. He also made 32 receptions for 694 yards and ten touchdowns. Achane left high school with 116 varsity touchdowns. In high school, Achane was the Boys Track & Field 2019-20 Gatorade Player of the Year in Texas. He participated in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay, 4x200m relay, and 4x400m relay. As a junior, Achane posted the fastest 200m in the country (20.46) and won the event at the Class 5A state outdoor meet. He also participated in the 4x100m and 4x200m relay teams that won gold at the state championships and New Balance Nationals Outdoor championships.

Track at Texas A&M: Achane currently participates in indoor and outdoor track and field for Texas A&M. He earned 2020 Men’s Freshman All-SEC (200m) and 2020 Men’s Second-Team All-SEC honors with the track and field team. He recently received Honorable Mention All-American (100m) status from the United States Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). He also received All-American honors for the 100m and 200m in 2021 and was a First-Team All-American on the 4x100m relay team.

2021 Production: 12 games, 130 carries, 910 yards, 9 touchdowns + 24 receptions, 261 yards, 1 touchdown + 9 kick returns, 301 yards, 1 touchdown

2020 Production: 8 games, 43 carries, 364 yards, 4 touchdowns + 5 receptions, 97 yards, 1 touchdown

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: 2020-21 Orange Bowl MVP, collected three awards at the annual team banquet, multiple All-SEC and All-American track selections (see above)

Pros: Averaged over five yards after contact in 2020 and over four yards after contact in 2021, only one fumble in college, has significant experience on three of the four special teams units, offers kick return experience, exists in a state of speed, easy acceleration, instant burst, and smooth speed, has room to add weight,

shows patience as a runner, knows how to use his blocks, above-average stop-start acceleration and agility, quick and bouncy feet, battles for extra yards, runs through arm tackles, looks comfortable catching the ball over his shoulder on wheel routes, looks to find action as a blocker, easily works east to west from gap to gap, shows some elusiveness in the open field, impossible for most linebackers to cover on routes

Cons: Suffered two drops on roughly 30 targets in 2021, minimal snaps in the slot, frame is on the smaller side, struggles to physically handle the full array of duties in pass protection, hard to envision a player with his style as an NFL feature back, vision runs hot and cold, not twitchy, contact balance is average but not special, form in pass protection needs adjusting, needs to expand his route tree considering his upside as a pass catcher, ducks his head into contact while in pass pro, won’t generate much against stacked boxes, lacks the power for short-yardage and goal line packages

Overview: Achane is unofficially listed at 5'9", 185 lbs. He forced more missed tackles (36) as a runner in 2021 than Alabama transfer Jahmyr Gibbs and Clemson’s Will Shipley despite carrying the ball over a dozen fewer times. Achane’s track skills translate to the football field, but he flashes much more agility and versatility than a straight line sprinter. I wouldn’t call him twitchy, but the Texas native shows some elusiveness and works well laterally when bouncing from gap to gap looking for a lane. Achane doesn’t appear to be running that fast until you realize he’s pulling away from everyone. He’s that smooth of a runner. Achane has home run speed that he also flashes as a pass catcher. He needs to diversify his route tree to become a true receiving threat, but the rising junior has a path to the field on third downs. Achane’s frame is the biggest barrier to him becoming a feature running back in the NFL. He’s on the smaller side but flashes the ability to generate yards after contact. Achane’s work in pass protection is subpar and might never be great considering his size. I think his vision is still a work in progress as sometimes he makes incredible cuts while other times he bumps into his own blockers in space.

Overall, Achane has all of the versatility, physical talent, and big play-ability NFL teams look for, minus an ideal frame. He needs to remain heavily involved in the passing game and play for an offense that runs the ball outside at high rates to maximize his value. For the right team, Achane has Day 2 draft value.

Role & Scheme Fit: Potential three-down back who sees 50+ targets per year in an outside zone scheme

Round Projection: Mid Second to Early Third

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 07-19-22