NFL Player News

The Chiefs selected Pacheco in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 251st overall.

Pacheco might be a mere seventh-round pick, but don't count him out. He was one of the most athletic running backs at the combine, boasting a 4.37-second 40 at a sturdy 5-foot-10, 216 pounds, and he runs with a noticeable motor on tape. His production at Rutgers was quite bad, but it's worth considering an exemption in his case given how dysfunctional the offensive line and quarterbacks were on that team. The odds are not in Pacheco's favor as a seventh-round pick and he's well behind Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Ronald Jones, but just keep an eye on him.

The Raiders selected Brown in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 250th overall.

Brown becomes the second running back selected by the Raiders less than 24 hours after declining Josh Jacobs' fifth-year option, joining Zamir White. After starting out at Duke, Brown transferred to UCLA, where he appeared in 17 games over two seasons. He was largely overtaken by Zach Charbonnet in 2021 but Brown still produced 615 yards and seven touchdowns at a 6.0 YPC clip. Brown wasn't heavily used as a pass catcher but was efficient when targeted, snaring 18 of 19 targets for 129 yards in 2021. He ran a 4.66 in the 40-yard dash at his pro day, so athleticism is below baseline for an NFL running back and it will be an uphill battle for him to crack the roster despite being drafted.

The Bears selected Ebner in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 203rd overall.

James Cook didn't do anything at Georgia that Ebner failed to do at Baylor -- both are pass-catching specialist running backs -- and Ebner even has better size-adjusted speed with a 4.43-second 40 at 5-foot-11, 206 pounds (Cook was credited with a 4.42 at 199 pounds), yet Ebner goes here four rounds later. Ebner is a natural pass catcher to the point that he can actually line up at wide receiver rather than just catch passes out of the backfield, and the Bears are notably short on proven pass catchers. Ebner is no doubt a long shot to provide fantasy value -- he needs to worry about making the team first -- but there is a chance that the Bears need him to catch a surprisingly high number of passes early in his career.

The Cardinals selected Ingram in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 201st overall.

Ingram appeared to be on the fast track to stardom after strong freshman and sophomore seasons at Texas, but Bijan Robinson -- an elite prospect in his own right -- ended up boxing out Ingram in 2020. As a transfer at USC, Ingram was clearly the team's best running back in 2021 with 156 carries for 911 yards (5.8 YPC) and five touchdowns while adding 22 catches (25 targets) for 156 yards. While Ingram has never handled a workhorse role in college, he may have that capability, as he measured in at 6-foot, 221 pounds at the combine and ran a 4.53 40-yard dash. He has a good chance to settle in as the No. 2 running back behind James Conner right away, with Eno Benjamin representing his stiffest competition at the moment.

The Ravens selected Badie in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 196th overall.

Badie was excellent in his lone year as a starter at Missouri, tallying 1,604 rushing yards and 330 receiving yards across 54 receptions. The latter is important because at 5-foot-8, 197 pounds, the 22-year-old likely operates as a change-of-pace or receiving back at the NFL level. The senior will likely compete with Justice Hill for the aforementioned role, one that saw the 2019 fourth-round pick accumulate 64 total touches and 295 total yards last season with the Ravens.

The Patriots selected Harris in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 183rd overall.

If his health cooperates, Harris will be a steal for the Patriots. He's a 220-pound back out of South Carolina, where as a true sophomore he ran for 1,138 yards and 15 touchdowns in just 10 games while averaging 6.2 yards per carry. He suffered a back injury that slowed him in 2021, when he ran for just 669 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games (4.4 YPC), but the 2020 version of Harris is a no-doubt NFL running back and he can get back there with a little luck. Unfortunately for him, the Patriots' running back depth chart is at least four deep ahead of him with Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson, James White and fourth-round 2022 pick Pierre Strong already present.

The Vikings selected Chandler in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 169th overall.

Chandler was the No. 5 running back coming out of high school in 2017, and he enjoyed four productive seasons at Tennessee, leading the team in rushing in 2018 and 2019. He took his game to the next level in his final year of eligibility, as he transferred to North Carolina and rushed 182 times for 1,092 yards (6.0 YPC) and caught 15 passes (17 targets) for 216 yards and a touchdown. Chandler doesn't create a ton of yards on his own, but he ran a 4.38 40-yard dash and has the tools to succeed in the right situation. Unfortunately, he'll need to wait his turn in Minnesota, as superstar Dalvin Cook is the clear lead back while backups Alexander Mattison and Kene Nwangwu have both showed promise.

The Rams selected Williams in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 164th overall.

The redshirt sophomore was electric over the past two seasons at Notre Dame compiling 2,127 rushing yards and 672 receiving yards to go along with 31 total touchdowns, but a stunningly slow 4.66 40-yard dash and a similarly slow 40 at Williams' pro day cemented his fall down draft boards. The Rams have a number of quality backs in Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson and even 2021 preseason standout Xavier Jones, but none of the aforementioned names really represent accomplished pass catchers. While Williams' speed likely hinders his chances at emerging as a quality three-down back, he should be poised to operate as the team's top pass catcher out of the backfield, a role that has plenty of value in the Rams' vaunted offense.

The Browns selected Ford in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 156th overall.

It's unclear how Ford will carve out playing time after joining a Browns running-back room filled to the brim with talent, but the redshirt junior was a star for Cincinnati last season, tallying 1,319 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns en route to first-team All-AAC honors. The 22-year-old really has solid lateral agility and a good burst through the hole when he sees it, but Ford isn't exactly a tackle breaker and lacks vision near the line of scrimmage. At the very least, Ford should be a solid special teams player and could emerge as a quality backup in spot starts, similar to teammate D'Ernest Johnson.

The Jaguars selected Conner in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 154th overall.

This could spell trouble for Ryquell Armstead in the Jacksonville backfield with Conner entering the fold from Ole Miss. Conner is a dense, powerful runner at 5-foot-10 and 222 pounds. Ole Miss employed a deep committee in the backfield last season but Conner was the hammer in short-yardage situations as he punched in 13 touchdowns on 130 carries. He lacks top-end athleticism but has the frame and leg drive to be useful in similar situations to what he was utilized in while at Mississippi.