Future star? UCLA RB Zach Charbonnet would work well with Cowboys
The Cowboys being in need of a running back is no secret. Ezekiel Elliott was the face of the franchise for the last seven seasons. They lost a brand ambassador and a key cog in the offense. Although his total touches were down to 234 in 2022, Elliott still led the club in that department. There’s a ton to replace and no reason to believe Dallas has faith in Tony Pollard absorbing a huge piece of that work without concern for the ramifications to his elite efficiency.
Looking over the landscape, and it appears one of the best candidates for the job is UCLA’s Zach Charbonnet. and it’s because his film has a familiar feel to it.
A 2022 highlight reel video planted the seed in less than two minutes; his style resembles DeMarco Murray.
Plugging Charbonnet and Murray into the Relative Athletic Score comparison tool… boom. Next, the pro comparison made by Player Profiler was… DeMarco Murray. Searches for mentions of Charbonnet among Cowboys outlets turned up Law Nation’s breakdown where he compares Charbonnet to, that’s right, Murray.
Murray was an immediate contributor to Dallas’ offense in 2011 with 5.5 yards a carry and 7 yards a reception, and as part of a carry share with a speedy, shifty Felix Jones. If Dallas got that kind of production out of Charbonnet by pairing him with Tony Pollard, he’d make an excellent Day 2 selection.
MockDraftable Spider Graph and NFL comps
Charbonnet is a close match for this class’ top prospect Bijan Robinson of Texas, and also has similarities to Todd Gurley.
Relative Athletic Score Comp
The short shuttle time is horrible, but everything else indicates Charbonnet has the tools to shine in the league.
Youtube highlight reels
Player Profiler
Dane Brugler's The Beast evaluation: RB3
SUMMARY: A two-year starter at UCLA, Charbonnet was an ideal fit for head coach Chip Kelly’s diverse run offense (pins, pulls, counters, etc.) and was mentored by Bruins running back coach DeShaun Foster (former second-round pick out of UCLA who spent seven seasons in the NFL). The Michigan transfer was consistently productive in his two seasons with the Bruins, leading the FBS in all-purpose yards per game (168.0) and the Pac-12 in rushing (1,359) in 2022. Charbonnet reads the field and his blockers exceptionally well and consistently picks up positive yardage with his ability to absorb contact. He is an average burst runner and can be tracked down from behind, but while he won’t hit many home runs, he will pile up the doubles (22.6 percent of his carries resulted in a 10-plus-yard gain in 2022). Overall, Charbonnet is not a dynamic start-stop athlete to quickly change rush lanes or escape trouble, but he has extraordinary vision with reliable pass-catching and blocking skills and impeccable football character. He projects as a low-end NFL starter.
GRADE: 2nd-3rd Round (No. 61 overall)
The Draft Network Evaluation: RB3
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.
