Zach Charbonnet 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Background: 

• Four-star recruit in 2019 and ranked as the No. 3 RB in the country

• Attended Michigan, where he played two seasons as a freshman and sophomore before transferring to UCLA
• Named second-team All-Pac-12 in 2021 and was named Newcomer of the Year 

System:

• Scheme tendencies: Spread
• 2022 projected role: Starting RB with value on all three downs 

Pros: Zach Charbonnet is a productive running back who possesses very good size and strength. He is a north-south runner who runs with good vision and patience when pressing the hole. He flashes excellent contact balance and runs through arm tackles with ease. A physical runner, Charbonnet excels in short-yardage and goal-line situations. Charbonnet offers good lateral agility and shows an ability to press the LOS and quickly cut laterally and hit an open hole or make defenders miss. Charbonnet excels in the passing game, showing an ability to catch the ball cleanly and be a weapon as a leak-out back and in the screen game. Additionally, he shows a good ability in pass protection with good eyes to locate pressure and good overall technique and ability to anchor. 

Cons: Zach Charbonnet lacks top-end athleticism for the position. He has just-above-average straight-line speed and rarely breaks long runs and can get caught from behind in the open field. He lacks creativity as a runner and doesn’t possess the wiggle and change of direction to get himself out of trouble consistently. In the open field, there are times when Charbonnet runs a bit out of control and lacks a plan to make defenders miss in the second level.

Zach Charbonnet NFL Draft Scouting Report by Brentley Weissman