Now that Super Bowl is in the books, it is officially 2023 NFL Draft season! The 2022 season is old news, and teams start looking toward the future and the next draft class. Last season rookie running backs Dameon Pierce, Kenneth Walker II, Breece Hall, and, of course, Isiah Pacheco all made their mark on the season. Here we will look at the 2023 NFL Draft RBs who can do the same.

This year, there is a relatively deep RB class, and two relatively familiar faces could even come off the board in the first round. Those two players are Texas’ Bijan Robinson and Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs. After that, there are a handful of backs who should go on day two but still, make an immediate impact for their pro teams in 2022.

The question is, in what order should teams draft these RBs? A lot will change between now and April 27, especially with the NFL Combine kicking off on February 28. Before we get the official heights, weights, and 40 times, let’s take a look at the 2023 draft RB power rankings.

5. Zach Charbonnet, UCLA

UCLA Bruins back Zach Charbonnet isn’t going to jump off the screen with splash plays like a few of the players higher on this running back power rankings power rankings list, but if you are looking for a back to pound the ball into the defense 20-plus times a game, Charbonnet is your guy.

At 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, Charbonnet is a workhorse who ran for over 1,100 yards in each of his two seasons out West after transferring from Michigan. He has decent catching skills as well, but his best fit at the next level will be with a run-first and play-action team that need an every-down back.

4. Tank Bigsby, Auburn

While the name suggests a bruiser, Auburn Tigers RB Tank Bigsby is more of a precision sports car than a tank. The 6-foot, 213-pound runner has a lot of shake-and-bake to his game, which is how he ran for over 900 yards last season behind one of the worst offensive lines in the SEC.

Bigsby has all the physical tools to be one of the best 2023 NFL Draft RBs. Where he is most lacking is in the passing game. His hands aren’t the best, although they’ve improved over time. In his Auburn career, he went from catching 11 to 21 to 30 balls in his three seasons on campus.

3. Sean Tucker, Syracuse

At 5-foot-10, 210 pounds, Syracuse Orange RB Sean Tucker brings to mind some of the mighty might running backs of the past, such as Maurice Jones-Drew. Despite his small size, Tucker is a guy who you can give the ball to a lot and let him pound it at the defensive line.

Tucker also brings (rumored) 4.3 40-yard dash speed, which if we see that at the combine, it will shoot him up draft boards. Unlike Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson, though, Tucker isn’t great at catching the ball. If he can prove on that — where he had 10 career drops — he could become an every-down NFL back.

2. Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama

While Alabama Crimson Tide runner Jahmyr Gibbs isn’t the bell cow back that some of the others on this list are, he has the tools to be an elite change of pace and 3rd-down RB. Like most Alabama backs, Gibbs doesn’t have a ton of tread worn off his tires, even after transferring from Georgia Tech. And with his speed and elusiveness, he can be a game-breaker, which is why he is near the top of this 2023 NFL draft RB power rankings.

Jahmyr Gibbs is also an elite pass catcher. With new-style NFL offenses, Gibbs’ versatility will be a major selling point, and the right offensive coordinator could even use him with another tailback or lined up at WR. Those possibilities are what make him so valuable in the 2023 NFL Draft, and No. 2 in the NFL draft running back power rankings.

1. Bijan Robinson, Texas

With apologies to Jahmyr Gibbs and company, there is a clear-cut No. 1 player atop this 2023 NFL draft running back power rankings, and that’s Texas RB, Bijan Robinson. At 6 foot, 222 pounds, Robinson has the size, speed, and elusiveness combination to be dominant at the NFL level. Frankly, there hasn’t been an RB prospect this good coming out of college since Saquon Barkley back in 2018.

Running backs don’t get the love in the NFL draft that they used to, but ask the New York Giants if they were glad to have Barkley this year or the San Francisco 49ers if they were happy trading for Christian McCaffrey. Bijan Robinson is that type of player, and if a good team gets him in the back half of the first round thanks to positional value, look out for him in 2023.