NFL Draft Sleeper Comparison: Running Back

By Chase Petersen

Hello again readers of The Touchdown! I’m back with another article about the prospects you’re sleeping on in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft.

Today, it’s time for some running back discussion. Now, it has been claimed in the past that I hate RBs, which is untrue; I don’t hate them, I hate using high draft capital for them – and this is why this article is so important. I’m going to be discussing Mizzou RB Tyler Badie, and North Carolina RB Ty Chandler:

Tyler Badie, Missouri

Credit: Missouri Athletics

Pros:

  • Proven to be able to handle a huge workload.
  • Explosive in the open field
  • Excellent receiving ability (Including lining up on the OUTSIDE!)
  • Only one year of a big workload, so lots of tread left on the tires
  • Despite his size, he shows up well in pass protection

Cons:

  • Could be considered undersized
  • Most of the huge production only came against lower tiered schools
  • Indecisive at the LOS

In a class of RBs that maybe has a clear first tier, but no clear number one player, I’m honestly surprised more people aren’t singing the praises of Tyler Badie. If Badie was two inches taller, and had 20 more pounds on his frame… He would be RB1 in this class.

He has around 4.45 speed, and runs with a hatred for defenders. While size for him will be a concern, he took on over 300 touches his last year at Missouri, so a heavy-ish workload in the NFL should be just fine for him. With that, his senior year was his only year he logged over 150 touches, so there should be tons of yards left in his legs.

Badie should be considered the best receiving RB threat in the draft this year. While he was used mainly as a screen guy, he showed soft hands and the ability to win in the open field. He even took a large chunk of snaps lined up in the slot, or as the out-wide boundary WR.

To finish up his positives, Badie showed the ability to understand pass protections rather well. He won’t always make a great block, or even look like he knows how to block, but he does always seem to be in the correct place to pick up the unblocked man. Being that he is smaller, and his receiving prowess is what it is, pass protection isn’t going to affect his career much, but him showing that he can understand that part of the game is huge to me. 

Now for his negatives. As I’ve referenced a few times now, Badie is a bit undersized. Listed at 5’8” 195 pounds, that is MY ideal RB size. However, based on Najee Harris and Travis Etienne being the last 1st Round RBs, I don’t think the NFL agrees with me. He doesn’t have the size to be a workhorse RB, but with those slowly leaving the NFL, I don’t think him being a #2 is a bad thing. 

Next, one would look at his production against the likes of Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas A&M and think ‘shouldn’t an NFL RB put up better numbers against these teams’? My argument back to that is, nobody could run on Georgia, Texas A&M has an NFL-calibre Defensive Line (and Mizzou certainly doesn’t have an NFL  calibre O-Line), and Connor Bazelak was too busy throwing picks against Tennessee for Badie to really light it up. Are these excuses for lackluster performances? Maybe, but Badie proved time and time again against other teams that when he’s given space, he can turn it up.

In terms of on-field skills, there’s not much you can knock Badie about. However, he can be a tendency to be a bit indecisive behind the LOS. When there’s an open hole, Badie hits it with reckless abandon; when the hole isn’t open immediately, Badie can dance around, usually resulting in a TFL. Badie isn’t going to overpower guys on the next level, so he’ll need his quick twitch to win, and that starts at the line of scrimmage.

Comparison: JD McKissic

My Grade: 2nd-3rd Round

Current Draft Stock: 3rd-5th Round

Ty Chandler, North Carolina

Credit: Grant Halverson (Getty Images)

Pros:

  • Runs through all arm tackles
  • Patient
  • Good Speed
  • Great Frame

Cons:

  • Not often used in the passing game
  • Never saw a big workload
  • If he does get wrapped up, he will go down

North Carolina RB Ty Chandler has the body to be a 3 down back in the NFL, at 6’0 210, he definitely looks the part. After spending 4 years at Tennessee, he transferred to UNC to replace Javonte Williams and Michael Carter. He did a great job doing so. Over 1,300 scrimmage yards on less than 200 touches, and 14 TDs to go along with them.

To start with the on the field positives, I didn’t see Chandler go down to an arm tackle all season. In order to bring him down, you’re going to have to body him up. Now, on a negative note, if the defender does get him bodied up, the defender is going to win 9 times out of 10. He doesn’t have great play strength, but it’s good enough to be able to pop through the arms of defensive linemen through the LOS.

Another thing I liked about Chandler is he is a patient runner. He does a fantastic job at following his blockers, reading the block, then cutting off of it for a big gain. His speed helps with this tremendously. Probably about a 4.4 flat guy with good lateral quickness, give him a hole, and he can explode through it, and be 20 yards down field in the blink of an eye.

Now as for the rest of his negatives, he wasn’t used in the passing game very much at UNC, and was used in it even less at Tennessee. He did do some work lined up in the slot and outside at Tennessee, though. With the UNC offense being so vertical, I’m not at all surprised he wasn’t targeted much there, but when he was targeted it paid off, with 14.4 yards per reception. Used mainly on wheel routes, he has shown to be able to track a deep ball and receive it with soft hands.

The last negative I’m going to touch on, can be viewed as a positive. He never took on a huge workload, 197 touches being the most he ever got in a season. This can be viewed as a positive because of the nature of the RB position. There’s only so many hits you can take, but we don’t know what that number is for Ty Chandler.

Comparison: Rashaad Penny

My Draft Grade: 4th-6th Round

Current Draft Stock: 5th-UDFA

The Verdict

Both of these RBs have a real chance of playing in the NFL. Badie possesses the receiving ability that Chandler doesn’t, but Chandler possesses the body that Badie doesn’t. With that said, the best sleeper RB in this class is Missouri RB Tyler Badie. As I said earlier, I think if he was bigger, he’d have a case as the best back in this class. Badie has the speed, versatility, receiving ability, and has proven to be able to handle a bigger workload.

2022’s best Sleeper RB: Mizzou RB Tyler Badie.

CHASE PETERSEN

NFL DRaft ANALYST

From just outside Kansas City Missouri, Chase has been obsessed with the NFL Draft for as long as he can remember. An avid Minnesota Vikings and Texas Longhorns fan, connect with Chase on Twitter @SportsTalkCenter

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