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The Minnesota Vikings have drafted McBride with the 222nd pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He joins a backfield consisting of Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison so likely will just be a depth piece.
The reigning Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year, UAB’s DeWayne McBride looks the part of an NFL running back. He’s a 5’ 10”, 208-pound bruiser with the power to pound his way between the tackles.
Last season with the Blazers, McBride picked up 1,702 rushing yards with 19 touchdowns, making for an impressive 7.3 yards per carry in just 11 games. He had at least 120 yards in all but one game last year. That was a huge jump up from a solid sophomore year in 2021 that saw him accumulate 1,366 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.
DeWayne McBride: Scouting Report
McBride’s patience behind the line of scrimmage really stands out; he waits for blocks to develop and finds his lane, accelerating through the gap to move the chains. As you might expect, he’s a tough runner, even violent, powering his way through defenders to make his gains. A downhill runner, he’s tough to tackle once he’s got some momentum behind him. Though he’s not going to break off chunk plays regularly, his power helps him add yardage to his runs at the second level.
McBride doesn’t have much experience as a receiver. He caught just five passes over his last two seasons with the Blazers. With five fumbles last season, and four the year before that, his hands could give some teams pause. To get on the field consistently in the NFL, he’ll also need to work on his pass blocking.
Mock Draft landing spots
CBS has McBride heading to the Bears in the fifth round, and The Athletic mocks him to the Saints in the fourth round.
Fantasy football implications
It could be tough for McBride to get much work as a rookie. Even in an ideal situation, he’ll likely come off the field on third downs, making him part of a committee. Where he could excel, as far as fantasy football is concerned, is by becoming a goal-line threat, the guy teams lean on to punch it in inside the five.
The Saints may need that guy with Alvin Kamara’s off-the-field issues. They signed Jamaal Williams from the Lions, who will be their No. 1 guy if Kamara faces suspension. But Williams had some injury trouble last season, and McBride could work into the depth chart there. However, as a later-round pick, I wouldn’t bet the house that he’ll make an early splash on the stat lines.
The Bears grabbed breakout star D’Onta Foreman from the Panthers this offseason, and he will be their RB1. With Khalil Herbert a solid option behind him, and the state of the Bears’ offensive line, I again would not expect McBride to be a fantasy starter.