Out of all the running backs available in the 2023 NFL Draft, there might not be a player faster at the position than Devon Achane. Combine that with an impressive collegiate career at Texas A&M, and where might Achane now be selected in the 2023 NFL Draft?
SEC 2023 NFL Draft Preview: Texas A&M RB Devon Achane
Beginning with a look at his collegiate career, Achane originally came to Texas A&M as a member of the Aggies 2020 recruiting class, rated as a four-star running back out of in-state Fort Bend Marshall High School.
As a freshman in 2020, Achane would appear in six games for the Aggies, rushing for 364 yards and four touchdowns on 43 attempts. Achane would also catch five passes for 97 yards and a touchdown that season, and would return to College Station for the 2021 campaign in what would be a big breakout year as a sophomore.
During the 2021 season, Achane would rush for 910 yards and nine touchdowns on 130 attempts, along with catching 24 passes for 261 yards and another score, as well as leading the SEC with an average of seven YPA. Achane would also become a key factor in the return game for Texas A&M that season, returning nine kickoffs for 301 yards and a touchdown.
As for this past fall, Achane is coming off a junior season in which he rushed for 1,102 yards and eight touchdowns on 196 attempts, while also having 36 receptions for 196 yards and three more scores to be named First Team All-SEC. Once again, Achane was a key factor in the kickoff return game, returning 11 kickoffs for 312 yards and a score.
Across three seasons combined in College Station, Achane would rush for a total of 2,376 yards and 21 touchdowns on 369 attempts, averaging 6.4 YPA during his collegiate career. Achane also had 65 career receptions for 554 yards and five touchdowns, as well as 20 kickoff returns for 613 yards and two more scores, averaging 30.7 yards per return.
Strengths
Undoubtedly the biggest strength for Achane is his speed, as the Texas A&M running back displays truly elite speed for the position. Running a 4.32 40-yard dash at the 2023 NFL Draft Combine, which was the fastest of any running back, Achane was also a track star at Texas A&M who ran a 10.14 100m back in March of 2022, and make no mistake, that elite-speed does translate for the former four-star to the football field from the track.
At 5-foot-9, 185 pounds, Achane is also a solid receiver out of the backfield, as well as one of the top kickoff return options in this entire draft. Simply put, Achane is a near complete player at the running back position, one who has all the tools to make an immediate impact in the NFL from day one.
Question Marks
As for a potential question mark surrounding Achane in the NFL, will the Texas A&M standout be a three-down back at the professional level? Achane certainly has the talent to do so, but his size at 5-foot-9, 185 pounds could be a talking point among teams as to what exact role the Texas A&M running back could play in the NFL.
Potential Draft Range
While you could make an argument the Texas A&M standout is unlikely to go in the first round, Achane is undoubtedly a name to watch for in the second as one of the top projected running backs to come off the board. It is also unlikely that Achane falls past the third round as well, which means Achane will likely be selected at some point on day two.
Draft Prediction
Achane will be selected at some point within the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.