Expert Analysis

4/5/23

8 min read

RB Athletic Archetype Guide: Los Angeles Chargers

By Nic Bodiford

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Welcome to The 33rd Team’s Athletic Archetypes series. In these pieces, NFL and fantasy football analyst Nic Bodiford will break down the preferred, position-specific athletic profiles utilized by NFL general managers. The purpose of the series is to help identify team-specific 2023 NFL Draft targets at the running back position.

NFL Combine data will be used whenever possible. Pro day data will be used in a supplementary capacity if and when a player chooses not to participate in an NFL Combine drill or in the event that the NFL Combine data is not available. Pro day data is marked using an asterisk except for arm length and hand length, which is always collected at pro days.

NFL Draft Scout is the primary data source with Relative Athletic Score used as the preferred backup.

Other Archetypes: ARZ | ATL | BUF | CAR | CHI | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | KC | LAR | LV | MIN | NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | SF | SEA | TB | WAS

Chargers’ RB Archetype

Tom Telesco (2013-present)

Sample size: 17

• Telesco spent his formative NFL years working with the Buffalo Bills (1991) and Carolina Panthers (1995-1997) before finding his footing as an Indianapolis Colts area scout in 1998. 
• In 2000, Teleseco was promoted to pro-scout before ascending to director of pro-scouting two years later. 
• Telesco became director of player personnel in 2006. 
• He tackled a one-year stint as vice president of football operations in 2012 before the Los Angeles Chargers stole him for their vacant general manager position in 2013, and he’s held the role ever since.

The table below reflects Telesco’s preferred athletic archetype for the running back position from 2013 to the present day.

General Sample Information

• Telesco’s running back criteria is extremely simple. He prefers running backs to have a dual-threat skill set, above-average agility, decent jumping ability and, if the player is undersized, above-average strength is preferable. 
• Among the 17 running backs in Telesco’s sample, 15 demonstrated proficient pass-catching ability prior to joining the team. 
• The run-centric Troymaine Pope was added as a long-term depth piece around the time Austin Ekeler began playing Melvin Gordon out of a contract extension in 2018. Gordon wasn't re-signed after the 2019 season. The similarly run-centric Larry Rountree was drafted in the 2021 NFL Draft’s sixth round as a bruising complement to the receiving-savvy Ekeler.
• Rountree had sample-worst marks in the 40-yard dash (4.70 seconds), 10-yard split (1.73 seconds), short shuttle (4.47 seconds), broad jump (9-foot) and vertical jump (30 inches).
• Isaiah Spiller jumped 30 inches at the combine but increased his jump to 33 inches at Texas A&M’s pro day, muddying the sample.
• Among the four vertical-jump participants to join the team since 2020, just one high jumped better than 31 inches (1.46 relative athletic score (RAS), excluding Spiller’s less-reliable pro day data.
• Height, weight, hand size and body mass index (BMI) are completely irrelevant to Telesco.
• The three-cone drill is paramount; 13 running backs ran it in 7.10 seconds (5.75 RAS) or less, and eight ran sub-7.00 (7.45 RAS).
• Seven running backs weighing less than 210 pounds participated in the bench press. Four participants produced 20 or more reps. Justin Jackson produced just 13 reps (1.79 RAS), but his sample-best three-cone time of 6.81 seconds (9.57 RAS) likely offset concerns. 
• Ten of 17 running backs in Telesco’s sample were rookies, and nine of the rookies were either added on Day 3 or added as undrafted free agents.
• Gordon was drafted in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

Ekeler Requests Trade

• Ekeler is unhappy with his contract and requested permission to seek a trade on March 13, which the team granted on March 14. 
• As long as Ekeler is on the roster, Telesco will likely abstain from drafting running backs on Days 1 and 2. 
• Things could change during the draft if they move Ekeler during Day 1 or 2.

Expiring Contracts

• Both Rountree and Joshua Kelley are in the final year of their contracts, and neither man has performed well as a pro.
• Spiller flopped as a rookie last year.
• Expect the team to target a thumping complement to either Ekeler or an incoming rookie passing-game specialist.

Physical Traits Chargers Will Target

• Dual-threat skill set
• Arm length: At least 30.0 inches
• 40-yard dash: Ideally sub-4.60 seconds (5.51 RAS)
• 10-yard split: Ideally sub-1.60 (6.35 RAS)
• Short shuttle: Ideally sub-4.30 seconds (5.82 RAS)
• Three-cone drill: Ideally sub-7.00 seconds, slower than 7.10 seconds is very unlikely
• Bench press: Ideally 20 or more repetitions — if sub-210 pounds — but there is wiggle room

Potential 2023 NFL Draft Targets - Day 1 Prospects

Prospects with strong threshold correlation are marked with an asterisk.

• Bijan Robinson, Texas: 31.125-inch arms, 4.46-second 40-yard dash, 1.54-second 10-yard split and an exceptional dual-threat skill set (scouting report).
• Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama: 30.5-inch arms, 4.36-second 40-yard dash and a 1.52-second 10-yard split. He is generally regarded as the class’ premiere pure pass-catching back. If Telesco brings Gibbs in for a workout, monitor the news for word of a three-cone drill. The 33rd Team’s Josh Larky and Ryan Reynolds recently characterized Gibbs as a potential “one-for-one replacement for Ekeler” in the event Ekeler is traded (scouting report).

Day 2 Prospects

• *Zach Charbonnet, UCLA: 32-inch arms, 4.53-second 40-yard dash, 1.54-second 10-yard split and 18 bench-press reps. Charbonnet is an excellent, big-boded dual threat. His 7.16-second three-cone time is acceptable (scouting report).
• Zach Evans, Mississippi: 31.625-inch arms, 4.50-second 40-yard dash, 1.58-second 10-yard split, 4.26-second short shuttle and a 7.08-second three-cone drill. He is a capable pass catcher (scouting report).
• Devon Achane, Texas A&M: 4.32-second 40-yard dash, 1.51-second 10-yard split, 4.30-second short shuttle and a 7.05-second three-cone drill. Achane is a capable pass catcher. The strength of his overall profile should negate concern over his 29-inch arms (scouting report).

Day 3 Prospects

• *Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State: 4.56-second 40-yard dash, 1.59-second 10-yard split, 4.22-second short shuttle and a 7.10-second three-cone drill. Vaughn shockingly produced 17 bench-press repetitions despite standing 5-foot-5, 179 pounds. His 29-inch arms are long for his size. (scouting report)
• *Evan Hull, Northwestern: 30.625-inch arms, 4.47-second 40-yard dash, 1.53-second 10-yard split, 6.90-second three-cone drill, 21 bench-press reps and proven pass-catching ability.  Telesco drafted Justin Jackson out of Northwest in 2018. (scouting report)
• Deneric Prince, Utah: 31.125-inch arms, 4.41-second 40-yard dash, 1.53-second 10-yard split, 4.33-second short shuttle, 6.97-second three-cone drill and 18 bench-press repetitions. Prince is a one-dimensional bruiser (6-foot and 216 pounds) with effective straight-line speed. (scouting report)

The tables below show the raw data used for this running back sample.

• At Texas A&M’s pro day, Spiller improved his vertical jump to 33 inches.
• At Arizona State’s pro day, Kalen Ballage improved his short shuttle to 4.20 seconds and his vertical jump to 37 inches.

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Nic Bodiford

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Nic Bodiford contributes to The 33rd Team's fantasy football department and works elsewhere as an analyst and editor in written, video and audio mediums. These works can be found at Pro Football Focus, 4for4, Nerdball and Fake Teams. Nic moonlights at Legendary Upside by editing Pat Kerrane's weekly article, The Walkthrough.