Bengals draft running back Chase Brown in fifth round of NFL Draft
Continuing on their Day 3 question for offensive skill players, the Cincinnati Bengals finally added a running back in Illinois' Chase Brown with the 163rd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. A fifth-year college player, Brown played four years for the Fighting Illini after transferring from Western Michigan following his true freshman year. Fun […]
Continuing on their Day 3 question for offensive skill players, the Cincinnati Bengals finally added a running back in Illinois' Chase Brown with the 163rd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
A fifth-year college player, Brown played four years for the Fighting Illini after transferring from Western Michigan following his true freshman year. Fun fact: Brown originally went to WMU because he wanted to be a pilot after football and was in their aviation program.
Brown started low on the depth chart in Illinois' backfield and slowly worked his way up to becoming a starter. He finished his career as one of the most productive running backs in all of college football last season, becoming a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation's best running back.
There's a ton to like about Brown, who's one of the better all-around backs in this class. He's got an ideal running style as he carries the ball with a low center of gravity, which increases his overall balance with the ball in his hands. He forced 147 missed tackles in the three years he started for Illinois. He's also an experienced receiver and pass protector, hauling in 58 career receptions and 258 pass-blocking snaps.
In 2022, the team decided to run its entire offense on his back. Brown carried the ball 328 times in 12 games, which is just absolutely absurd. He racked up 676 career carries at both Western Michigan and Illinois, which is a reason why he lasted so long in the draft.
Here are some notes on Brown from Dane Brugler's NFL Draft guide:
Quickly taps into his top gear to create explosive runs. … Ranked number two in the FBS with 40 runs of 10+ yards in 2022 … Made clear improvements as a route runner and blocker. … Runs the time and patience to allow blocks to engage before accelerating through the whole.
As a raw athlete, Brown is highly regarded. He ran an impressive 4.43 40-yard dash and posted a 40" vertical jump. Those numbers back up the way he's able to stay on his feet and rip off long runs.
"One of my favorite guys to meet with throughout the whole process," Bengals running backs coach Justin Hill said of Brown. "He's an all-around great football player. You have a conversation with him, you know he's about his business."
Brown's insane workload in college may limit how long he could last as a full-time starter in the NFL, but the Bengals shouldn't need him to get anywhere near his usage from Illinois. He'll compete with Trayveon Williams for playing time alongside Joe Mixon, and may lead his own backfield duo in Cincinnati after this season.
