'Why Devon Achane?'
Height & Weight
5'8 -- 188lbs
Ascension grade
Starting caliber rusher
54.36 -- #6 RB
High-end traits (80th percentile & up)
Capabilities as an accelerator
Top-end speed
Low-end traits (30th percentile & down)
Schematic versatility
Stylistic comparison
Raheem Mostert meshed with Phillip Lindsay
Projected role comparison
High-efficiency secondary rusher (Raheem Mostert)
Enjoy watching the fluidity and ease of his stride cadence - this is where you can tell he has the qualities of a classically trained sprinter.
Covers a ton of ground and is efficient in weaving in & out of engagements past the second level.
Like Raheem Mostert he has high-caliber play speed & is a danger to take it to the house on any touch, from anywhere on the field.
He'll be a primary kick returner from day one.
Achane doesn't get much credit for his capabilities as a receiver, however, he does have a broad enough skillset here to make an NFL impact.
Have to know where he is as an outlet option due to how quickly he can create chunk gains.
Should mostly be used on non-timing-based patterns - does show he can adjust to the football down the field, and obviously, his speed is a mismatch for backers.
His capabilities as an accelerator combined with his physicality as a ball carrier make him a surprisingly tough assignment for a sub 190lb back.
Enjoy watching him re-direct defenders and create space for himself when he gets to the second level.
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Can stumble when contact is in-direct - not a broad toolbox, but enough to create yardage post-contact.
Again, brings a 'fight' for a smaller back which is why I think he is viable as a between the tackles option at the next level.
Drops pad level well, and makes the defender earn it.
Has a tendency to burrow in singular engagements, which means a defender has to match Achane's depth - difficult to do with how quickly he gets up to speed.
Achane's best quality as a rusher is how decisive & direct he is.
Can chain his jump cuts together with ease and covers impressive ground in doing so. Fits zone-blocking schemes well because of this.
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Not going to break anyone down in open space laterally, but will get north & south to let his capabilities as an accelerator take over.
Simple, but effective as a lateral mover.
Achane is a smarter player than often given credit for. He's not just a track athlete, playing football. He is a legitimate running back prospect with upper-tier movement capabilities in terms of efficiency.
Unlikely to be a twenty-carry-per-game guy, but with his skillset, he can be a highly effective option.
Expectations & range of outcomes
Early on in his career, I anticipate a minor offensive role for Achane, with more opportunity as a primary kick returner. His lack of size may scare teams away from giving him significant touches, however if he gets into a scheme that deploys a variety of wide zone runs, we could see that role grow with efficiency.
Ultimately, Achane is likely to be a better real-life asset than one who contributes in fantasy - his ceiling is a Raheem Mostert-caliber rusher with inconsistency in terms of usage as a pass catcher. With Achane unlikely to see low red-zone looks, he will be dependent on sound offensive scheme and line play.