Dallas Cowboys draft 2023: RB Devon Achane scouting report

We continue with our 2023 NFL Draft draft prospect review of players that could interest the Dallas Cowboys. Today we look at a running back Devon Achane from Texas A&M Aggies.

Previous prospect reviews:

DT Bryan Bresee
CB Kelee Ringo
LB Andre Carter II
CB Joey Porter Jr
WR Jalin Hyatt
OG O’Cyrus Torrence
RB Bijan Robinson
C John Michael Schmitz

Devon Achane was rated a 4-star recruit by 247 Sports out of high school. He scored 110 total touchdowns and went for 6,827 total yards from scrimmage whilst playing in high school. As such, he was highly recruited, getting offers from 20 Power 5 schools. Achane decided to play at Texas A&M where he played his entire collegiate career.

In his first year in 2020, Achane played in six games for the Aggies. He ran for 364 yards on 43 attempts with an unbelievable average of 8.5 yards per carry. He added four rushing touchdowns with no fumbles and also had 97 receiving yards with one receiving touchdown.

In his sophomore year, Achane got more playing time getting on the field in all 12 games. He had 130 attempts going for 910 yards with an average of 7.0 YPC. He did fumble the ball once, but scored nine times on the ground for the Aggies. As a receiver, Achane made 24 receptions for 261 yards and one receiving touchdown.

In 2022, Achane played 10 games. He was electric as a runner getting 1,102 yards on 196 carries. He again had a fumble but scored eight times on the ground and averaged 5.6 YPC. He also had 196 receiving yards with three receiving touchdowns. Adding to his college stat line, Achane made 20 kick returns in his sophomore and junior season. He averaged 30.2 yards per attempt and scored twice.

Devon Achane
Texas A&M Aggies
Junior
4-star high school recruit
Height- 5”8
Weight- 188

NFL Combine:

10-Yard Split- 1.51s
40-Yard Split- 4.32s
Vert- 33

Awards:

2022 All-SEC First-Team

Scorecard:

Overall- 85.2/100
Ball Carrying- 92/100
Contact Balance- 72/100
Receiving- 76/100
Blocking- 51/100
Speed- 99/100
Strength- 70/100
Acceleration- 96/100
Agility- 93/100

THE GOOD

• A huge offensive playmaker.
• Extremely agile and gets up and down his gears very efficiently.
• Rapid speed and elite level burst. Left fast defenders behind. Could qualify as an Olympic sprinter and run track in college (100m and 200m)
• Incredible vision both out the backfield and in open space.
• Has good patience to wait for running lanes to open.
• For his size, it’s surprising to see his willingness to run into lanes on the inside in the A and B gaps.
• In open space he is almost impossible to catch with his speed but also his incredible agility. Will stop, cut and accelerate around would-be tacklers with perfect efficiency.
• Reliable as a receiver.
• Offers kick return options on special teams.

THE BAD

• In the NFL he won’t be an all three-down running back.
• His height and weight limits his snap count and usage. Adding weight to his frame would take away what makes Achane special.
• Only a change-of-pace back at the next level.
• Lacks the power and strength to drive though tackles. Easy to bring down when hands get on him.
• Due to his running style, he runs outside the tackles a lot making him one-dimensional and easy to read.
• Struggles to win on short yardage situations.
• Has bad strength and technique as a blocker.
• Rarely slows down pass rushers when he’s willing to do so.
• A body catcher, needs to refine his catching skills.
• Limited route options as a receiver. Developing his receiving skills will be the most important underlying point for him to remain integral on a roster during his NFL career.

THE FIT

Devon Achane is one of the fastest and most explosive prospects in this year's draft. His junior season proved what he can do when given a lot of snaps on offense, very nearly getting 1,300 yards from scrimmage. His ability to play special teams will entice most teams when evaluating him. His un-coachable issue being his size is his biggest downfall. If Achane was bigger and more powerful we would be talking about him as a top-ten talent. Hopefully his development as a receiver will help carve his role as a scat-back and if unlocked will be one the best in the league as a complementary back.

Late second-round value.

(All scout consensus ranking: 62)

COWBOYS COMPARISON
Julius Jones