Zach Charbonnet NFL Draft Scouting Report

RB, UCLA

Zach Charbonnet is a fourth-year running back who enters the NFL draft with a strong resume. He originally enrolled at Michigan where he played sparingly for two seasons before transferring to UCLA—that’s where he broke out as one of the best running backs in the country. 

Charbonnet is a rocked-up back with very good size and strength. He is a downhill runner who displays excellent vision and patience when pressing the line of scrimmage. Charbonnet is at his best when working north/south and he is able to put his foot down and hit the hole with a full head of steam, as he is a powerful runner who is a build-to-speed player in the open field. He has outstanding contact balance and arm tackle-breaking ability as he has such a strong lower body. For a bigger back, Charbonnet has a knack for making defenders miss as he is a patient runner who understands how to set up defenders with calculated and decisive cuts while not losing any of his acceleration. While Charbonnet may not be the type of player you want to flex out in the slot and isolate as a receiver, his hands, and pass-catching ability are more than serviceable and there is no reason he can’t be a three-down back. 

Charbonnet has a lot to like as an NFL starter but his upside may be capped as he lacks the breakaway speed at the next level to break long runs and put fear in defensive coordinators. He has a tendency to dance at the line of scrimmage before hitting the hole when things aren’t blocked up perfectly. Additionally, he runs high and he must learn to lower his pads to reduce his strike target for defenders. Overall, Charbonnet is an easy evaluation for the next level as he possesses the necessary run instincts, vision, size, and power to excel as an NFL starter. 

Top Reasons to Buy In:

• Size, power, and strength
• Contact balance
• Vision

Top Reasons For Concern:

• Breakaway speed
• Pad level
• Happy feet at line of scrimmage

Size (NFL Combine):

Height: 6′ 0”

Weight: 214 lbs

Arm Length: 32”

Hand Size: 9 7/8”

Athletic Testing (NFL Combine):

40-yard Dash: 4.53s

Vertical Jump: 37”

Broad Jump: 10 ‘ 2”

Three-Cone: 0.00s

Bench Reps: 18 reps 

Ideal Role: Starting RB

Scheme Fit: Zone-based run scheme

Prospect Comparison: Elijah Mitchell

TDN Consensus Grade: 80/100 (Second-Round Value)

• Weissman Grade: 80/100

Written By: Brentley Weissman

Exposures: Oregon (2022) Washington (2022), Utah (2022)

Zach Charbonnet NFL Draft Scouting Report. Add him to your big board here.