'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
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Low-end traits (30th percentile & down)
Schematic versatility
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Stylistic comparison
Raheem Mostert meshed with Phillip Lindsay
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.