After months of buildup, NFL Draft weekend always goes by in a blink of an eye. The 2023 prospects finally have professional homes.

While it’s easy to evaluate the draft in a vacuum, it’s important to remember that with every pick comes a chain reaction on their respective team. In this series, we’ll look at those domino effects and discuss the players most affected by their team’s incoming rookie running backs.

• NFL Draft Domino Effects: Tight End
• NFL Draft Grades for Every Team
• Thor’s Draft Grades (AFC | NFC)
• NFL Draft Day 1 Winners & Losers (Day 2 | Day 3)
• Fitz’s Round 1 NFL Draft Picks: Dynasty Rookie Draft Outlook (Day 2 | Day 3)
• Latest Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft

NFL Draft Domino Effects: Running Backs (2023 Fantasy Football)

Bijan Robinson lands in Atlanta

Robinson might be the biggest non-QB domino in the 2023 class. A highly-touted prospect, Robinson landed in a pretty good spot in Atlanta. Falcons head coach Arthur Smith hasn’t been afraid to ride a feature running back (just look at Derrick Henry‘s 2019-20 usage and stats). And Robinson’s pass-catching abilities means he could be on the field a ton in Atlanta. Robinson will also run behind a quality offensive line that ranked fifth in adjusted line yards and sixth in second-level yards.

Robinson’s domino effect: The first domino to fall is Tyler Allgeier, who managed to run for 1,000 yards in his rookie season. He’ll likely be nothing more but a backup and handcuff for fantasy purposes. Robinson’s presence could elevate this entire offense, which could signify better things to come for Drake London and Kyle Pitts. But perhaps the biggest domino on the Falcons’ offense is QB Desmond Ridder. Even average QB play could turn Atlanta’s offense into one of the league’s most pleasant surprises.

Jahmyr Gibbs picked by Detroit

The Lions made one of the most shocking picks of the first round in taking Gibbs 12th overall, only four picks after Bijan Robinson. Gibbs’ stock was rising heading into the draft because of a skillset that drew many comparisons to Alvin Kamara. But I don’t think anyone saw him going as high as 12th.

Gibbs’ domino effect: The biggest domino has already fallen, as the Lions shipped D’Andre Swift and his redundant skillset to Philadelphia for a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2023 seventh-rounder. With Swift out of town, Gibbs will likely slot in as the third down back at the very least behind veteran David Montgomery. It will be fascinating to see how the workload split evolves between Monty and Gibbs as the season transpires. And we’ll see if Gibbs can adequately replace Swift in the passing game. Despite his durability concerns, Swift did catch 156 passes in his three years with Detroit. If Gibbs really is the next version of Kamara, this Detroit offense could be even more lethal in 2023.

Zach Charbonnet joins Seattle

I was curious to see where Charbonnet wound up in the draft. Needless to say, I wasn’t thrilled with his landing spot. Charbonnet joins a Seattle backfield headlined by Kenneth Walker and will likely compete for the primary backup role against DeeJay Dallas.

Charbonnet’s domino effect: This is a trickier one to assess. My guess is Charbonnet will quickly surpass Dallas as Walker’s primary backup, rendering Dallas useless in fantasy leagues. The question will be how much Charbonnet factors into the backfield. Given how well Walker played as a rookie, I’m hoping this doesn’t skew toward a committee approach. And if it doesn’t, it’s hard to view Charbonnet as anything more than an upside handcuff. The dominos did not fall in our favor as fantasy managers here.

Kendre Miller drafted by New Orleans

The TCU product might have a hard time etching out playing time as a rookie on a crowded depth chart featuring Kamara and the ultimate vulture, Jamaal Williams. Miller projects as a straight-line, early-down runner who lacks top-end speed or pass-catching ability.

Miller’s domino effect: I don’t suspect Miller will carry much of a domino effect in New Orleans. He enters the pros as the No. 3 back on the roster and will likely just play a depth role in 2023. If one of the top two runners goes down, Miller could enter the conversation as an emergency flex option. But his fantasy relevancy is rather low right now.

Tyjae Spears goes to Tennessee

Spears becomes the third running back drafted by the Titans in the last four years to serve as Derrick Henry’s understudy. But neither Hassan Haskins nor Darrynton Evans succeeded in the role. Spears is a good, not special, talent who offers a nice blend of power and elusiveness. With Henry entering his 30s next year, the Titans could give Spears some extended run as a rookie.

Spears’ domino effect: Like the other tailbacks drafted before him, Spears’ impact likely won’t be much in 2023. Henry is still the guy in Tennessee. And Spears will still have to compete with Haskins for the primary backup duties.

Devon Achane joins crowded Miami backfield

Achane joins a jumbled Miami backfield that tends to take a flavor-of-the-week approach. But there’s no doubt Achane possesses the most potential in the group. Achane has blazing speed and a fearless style that’s really impressive when you consider he’s only 5-foot-8 and 188 pounds.

Achane’s domino effect: Achane’s arrival likely renders Myles Gaskin useless (finally). And it will be interesting to see whether he pushes incumbents Jeff Wilson and Raheem Mostert for starting duties. And those two don’t have a great health track record, to begin with. The problem is Achane’s stature makes him hard to trust to withstand 10-to-15 touches per game. Would it stun me if Achane emerged as a surprise RB2 this season? No. But his range of outcomes is as wide as a semi-truck.

Tank Bigsby lands in Jacksonville

Jaguars GM Trent Baalke pretty much always takes a running back in the NFL Draft, and this year it was the Auburn product, Bigsby. However, Bigsby has the skillset that could pair well as a complementary piece to Travis Etienne. Bigsby is more of an upright, between-the-tackles runner who doesn’t offer much value as a pass catcher.

Bigsby’s domino effect: Bigsby’s domino effect will likely be determined in training camp as he competes with Ja’Mycal Hasty and the newly-acquired D’Earnest Johnson for the RB2 role. If Bigsby wins that job, he could serve as a pesky early-down and goal line back for the Jaguars, who can spell Etienne on occasion.

Chicago adds Roschon Johnson to the mix

Believe it or not, Texas had another running back drafted, not named Bijan Robinson. While Johnson is far from dynamic, he’s a dependable power back who plays smart and will earn the love of any coaching staff.

Johnson’s domino effect: Johnson seems more apt for a special teams and pass-blocking role in the NFL. However, he’ll have an opportunity to compete for touches in a backfield that features power back, D’Onta Foreman and Khalil Herbert.

Jets add tailback depth in Israel Abanikanda

The Jets may have gotten a steal in the fifth round with Abanikanda, who rushed for 20 touchdowns at Pitt last season. Abanikanda fits New York’s zone running scheme and brings an exciting blend of explosiveness and elusiveness to the Jets’ backfield.

Abanikanda’s domino effect: Breece Hall is the man in the Jets backfield. But Hall could start the year slowly as he rehabs from a torn ACL. Abanikanda could have a significant domino effect right away and is capable of beating out Michael Carter and Zonovan Knight for the RB2 duties.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio