Chase Brown

Added to Cincinnati backfield

Published: 2023-04-29

The Bengals selected Brown in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 163rd overall.

Brown (5-foot-10, 209 pounds) took mammoth workloads at Illinois but on that frame probably can't take up a workhorse role for more than a few games at a time at the NFL level. He should still emerge as fantasy-relevant at some point in the next couple years, though, because he clearly possesses above-average athleticism and no worse than an average skill set. That Brown's production at Illinois was mostly driven by volume could be an indication that he lacks upside in terms of skill, but he's adept at passing down functions and can credibly compete for a variety of tasks. Throw in a 4.43-second 40, 40-inch vertical and 127-inch broad jump and Brown's broader prospect profile still tilts toward above average sooner than the contrary. As much as Brown won't be challenging Joe Mixon as the Bengals' starting running back, expect him to do well with whatever opportunities he gets, and he could quickly move past Trayveon Williams and Chris Evans on the depth chart.