Dynasty Rookie Draft Profile: Devon Achane (2023 Fantasy Football)

To help you prepare for your dynasty rookie and startup drafts, Derek Brown is putting together a dynasty rookie outlook for each and every fantasy-relevant 2023 NFL Draft prospect. We are combining DBro’s fantasy outlook with the NFL Draft profile of Matthew Jones. Here’s our dynasty rookie draft profile for Devon Achane.

Expert Consensus 2023 Dynasty Superflex Rookie Draft Rankings: Top-50

Dynasty Rookie Draft Profile: Devon Achane

Devon Achane Dynasty Rookie Draft Outlook

Devon Achane’s compact build allows him to be slippery in close quarters. He sets up his blocks well as a patient runner with the bend to destroy pursuit angles. I’m curious how well he tests in short area agility drills. I was expecting more lateral agility in his game with jump cuts and jitterbug action, but he’s more downhill than I anticipated. Achane’s size shows up in a few different areas. His smaller frame isn’t as big of a problem in the second level or with a head of steam built up, but when he is contacted in the backfield, he can be wrapped up easier. He can shed arm tackles when weaving through traffic, but he also goes down on too many shoestring tackles, especially early in runs. He has the lower-half strength to engage pass rushers at times when blocking, but he doesn’t anchor well, and on many snaps, he gets blown out of his cleats.

Achane’s acceleration and big play ability are evident immediately. His usage at Texas A&M was head-scratching. Over his final two collegiate seasons, he was utilized on “A” gap runs on 29.4% of his carries, with 5.0 yards per carry and 3.29 yards after contact per attempt. While Achane displays good vision on interior runs and he runs hard, this will never be his calling card because of his size. That’s not how any team should utilize him and expect him to be an interior pile pusher. He saw 29.1% of his carries on the edge over the last two years, which results in eye-popping numbers. He had 7.5 yards per carry and 4.6 yards after contact per attempt.

An NFL team that prioritizes using him on outside zone and stretch runs more will reap the benefits of his game-breaking speed. Achane is also a pass-game weapon. His explosiveness in space is on display here. In 2021, he saw an 18% snap rate in the slot or out wide. That number dropped to 6.7% in 2022. His yards per route run saw a huge hit dropping from 1.85 to 0.66. Achane could see his pass game usage increase in the NFL with a creative play caller. He has good ball tracking with some nifty over-the-shoulder catches on film. He has the speed and route chops to pull away from linebackers in coverage and after the catch.

– Derek Brown

Devon Achane 2023 NFL Draft Outlook

Achane is an undersized back with impressive vision, quickness, agility, and speed. He can run the ball between the tackles as well as he can run it outside, and offers additional value as a dangerous return specialist. He projects as an efficient change-of-pace back in a running back committee but didn’t do a ton of different things as a receiver and struggles in blitz pickup. It’s possible teams seeking third-down backs will look for more versatile options. Achane could come off the board on the second day.

– Matthew Jones

Check out the full 2023 NFL Draft profile for Devon Achane here