Fantasy Football: Rookie RB Pre-Draft Ranks

Fantasy Football: Rookie RB Pre-Draft Ranks counting the top 25 players from this class entering the 2023 NFL Draft.

These Rookie RB Pre-Draft Ranks are a combination of my running back Film Grades, as well as a couple of key production marks. First, I want to view each player’s production over the course of their respective collegiate careers. So I calculated their average scrimmage yards per season. This not only demonstrated who the productive rushers were, but also gave a fair comparison in order to incorporate the pass-catching aspect of football. Getting those 3rd down running backs can be keep in point-per-reception (PPR) leagues. Therefore, I included each back’s best reception mark in a single-season. Specifically, I am looking for 20 catches in one season. That threshold has done well with predicting NFL success as a pass-catching option.

Below is a table ranking my Top 25 running backs from the 2023 NFL Draft class. Each player also has my film grade, their average scrimmage yards per season, as well as their single-season best mark for receptions.

Top 25 Rookie Running Backs

The Top Three

Right off the bat, we see the impact of my film grades. My top three in terms of eye test remained the same after I accounted of player production in my rankings. Bijan Robinson is solidified as the best RB prospect in the class. Not only did he get the best film for the 2023 group, but he also produced the 2nd most scrimmage yards per season among my top 25 player ranked. In three of the four film categories that I use to evaluate running backs, Robinson was ranked top 3 in the class.

Almost as impressive in the film grade consistency was Kendre Miller. He finished top 5 among this 2023 class in three of the four categories (footwork, fluidity, and balance). Miller was middle of the pack in terms of burst score, but his other traits were enough to give him the 2nd highest film grade in this RB class.

However, Devon Achane passed Miller in the ranking once I incorporated college production. What really stood out is a potential red flag on Mille’s mark. In the NCAA, Miller never produced more than 16 receptions in a single-season. While not a deal-breaker, it means Miller has never hit the 20 catch threshold needed to give confidence in a pass-catching role in the NFL. Achane, meanwhile, is one of the more accomplished pass-catching backs in this class.

Complicated Kenny

Arguably the most difficult player to rank on this list is Kenny McIntosh. He was ranked 9th in my film grades, demonstrating excellent footwork and fluidity in college. However, with only one season with a massive workload in college, his average scrimmage yards-per-season is the 2nd lowest among the Top 25 ranked rookie running backs.

Context is important, and McIntosh did go to a college RB factory. So it can be excused that he didn’t see the ball very much until his final season. Ultimately, I kept McIntosh inside my top 12 for this 2023 class. However, draft capital will eventually become very important for most players, but especially him.

Biggest Riser

Once I incorporated college production into my rankings, Deuce Vaughn was the biggest riser. He was placed at RB 23 in my film grades, but moved up seven spots to RB 16 now. The major factor for that was the undeniable production profile. He led this entire RB class with an average of 1,628 scrimmage yards per season. Once we get the athletic testing numbers, players like Vaughn may undergo even more rankings changes.

Thank you for reading Fantasy Football: Rookie RB Pre-Draft Ranks. Be sure to check out all of the great NFL Draft content available on Full Press Coverage. That includes the next version of my 2023 running back rankings which will include the relative athletic scores.