Kenny McIntosh, RB Georgia: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

McIntosh was a four-star recruit from University School in Davie, Fla. in the class of 2019

In 2022, Kenny McIntosh became the first running back in Georgia Bulldogs history to produce 800 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in a single season. The Senior Bowl participant projects as a top 100 selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.

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Kenny McIntosh, RB Georgia: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Senior running back from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Background: McIntosh was a four-star recruit from University School in Davie, Fla. in the class of 2019. He was the No. 187 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 115 for Rivals, and No. 194 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 223rd in the nation with an 89 grade out of 100. McIntosh committed to Georgia over offers from Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, Cincinnati, Florida, Kentucky, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, and other Power Five programs. As a high school senior, he totaled 199 carries for 1,345 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns and 12 receptions for 164 yards and a touchdown. As a junior, McIntosh amassed 1,261 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. He recorded 1,214 yards of offense as a sophomore. McIntosh earned two First-Team Miami Herald All-Broward Class 5A-Independent selections. He made MaxPreps’ 2015 First-Team Freshman All-American Team as a defensive back. According to MaxPreps, McIntosh finished his high school career with 4,254 rushing yards, 941 receiving yards, and 52 offensive touchdowns. His older brothers played college football as well. Deon McIntosh played running back at Notre Dame and Washington State while R.J. McIntosh played on the defensive line at Miami before being selected in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Giants.

Injuries & Off-Field: Sustained an elbow injury in spring of 2021, played through a thigh contusion in 2022, suffered a hyperextended elbow at the Senior Bowl

Awards: Played in 49 games at Georgia

Pros: Experience as a kick returner, special teams experience on the kick return, kick coverage, punt return, and punt coverage units, some experience lining up in the slot, rarely dropped passes in college, excellent hands to make catches outside his frame, comfortable catching passes downfield, ball tracking, matchup nightmare as a pass catcher out of the backfield, burst to reach the second and third level with ease, smooth top speed, appears to have a loose lower body, strings together multiple moves, shows agility and shiftiness in the open field, smooth change of direction skills, creative with the ball in his hands, nightmare to tackle in the open field, measures space to defenders and sets them up with moves, stiff arm, steps through arm tackles, flashes of identifying and picking up rushers in pass pro, took limited hits in college

Cons: Two fumbles in 2021 and 2022, outruns his blockers, doesn’t have the speed to finish potential home run plays, burst isn’t elite, stop-start acceleration isn’t elite, falls a step short of being twitchy, leaves some meat on the bone with cutback opportunities, runs high, contact balance is good but not great, limited upside running between the tackles, not going to break many tackles with power, play strength is uninspiring, often brought down by first contact, stopped in the backfield, not consistent in pass pro

Overview: McIntosh took official measurements at the NFL Combine. He’s 5117 and weighs 204 lbs. He has nine-inch hands and 30 4/8-inch arms. McIntosh had a 76 5/8-inch wingspan at the Senior Bowl. In 2022, he became the first player in Georgia Bulldogs history with 800 rushing and 500 receiving yards. McIntosh gained experience at Georgia working as a kick returner and special teams member on the kick return, kick coverage, punt return, and punt coverage units. He has some experience lining up in the slot. McIntosh is an elite pass catcher out of the backfield. He rarely drops passes and has excellent hands to make catches outside his frame. The Florida native is comfortable catching passes downfield and displays ideal ball tracking. He’s a matchup nightmare as a pass catcher out of the backfield, especially for linebackers. McIntosh’s burst lets him reach the second and third levels of the defense with ease. He showcases a smooth top speed and appears to have a loose lower body. McIntosh strings together multiple moves, showcasing his agility and shiftiness. The senior has smooth change of direction skills and is creative with the ball in his hands. He excels at measuring space between him and defenders to set them up with jukes, cuts, and spins. McIntosh isn’t a large back, but he uses a stiff arm effectively and has enough strength to step through arm tackles. There were reps at Georgia where he correctly identified and stonewalled rushers in pass protection. McIntosh took limited hits in college, which should extend his NFL shelf life. There’s plenty of room for the former four-star recruit to improve. He fumbled twice in 2021 and 2022 and doesn’t show enough patience at times, outrunning his blockers. McIntosh doesn’t have the speed to finish potential home run plays, and his burst and stop-start acceleration aren’t elite. McIntosh falls a step short of being twitchy. He leaves meat on the bone with cutback opportunities. The Georgia product runs high, leading to him being chopped down at the legs. His contact balance is good but not great. There’s limited upside in deploying McIntosh as a between-the-tackles runner. He doesn’t have the play strength to break tackles with power and is often brought down by first contact, especially when it’s in the backfield. He is highly inconsistent in pass protection.

Overall, McIntosh is one of the best pass catching backs in the 2023 NFL Draft, and he possesses a mix of above-average athletic traits. He’s a creative runner with special teams versatility. However, McIntosh doesn’t have many elite physical traits and projects as a scheme-specific fit at the next level.

Role & Scheme Fit: Pass catching RB2 in an outside zone scheme

Round Projection: Mid Third to Early Fourth

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 03-09-23