Summary

Chase Brown was selected in Round 5 (#163 Overall) in the 2023 NFL Draft out of University of Illinois. After beginning his college career at Western Michigan, Brown transferred to Illinois and emerged as one of the most productive running backs in college football. In 2022, he led the nation with 1,883 rushing yards, added 27 receptions for 240 yards, and scored 13 total touchdowns, earning First-Team All-Big Ten honors and finishing as a Doak Walker Award finalist. Since entering the NFL, Brown has carved out a role as an explosive rotational running back, contributing as a runner, receiver, and special teams player. Through the 2024 season, he has produced 700+ rushing yards, 300+ receiving yards, and multiple touchdowns, flashing big-play ability when given space. Brown is widely regarded as a high-character, hard-working, and team-first professional, praised for his toughness, effort, and willingness to contribute in any role while continuing to develop his all-around game.

Strengths

• Explosiveness: Sudden accelerator who can turn creases into chunk gains. Home-run threat once he reaches the second level with strong breakaway percentage.

• Vision on Zone Runs: Reads cutback lanes effectively and operates as a decisive downhill runner with one-cut ability. Runs hard and finishes with urgency.

• Receiving Ability: Functional hands and effective on screens and checkdowns.

• Competitive Toughness: Speed and effort translate well to coverage units. Continues to improve technique and role versatility.

Weaknesses

• Between-the-Tackles Power: Not a consistent pile-mover in short-yardage situations and can be brought down on first contact by physical defenders when attacking A gaps.

• Pass Protection: Willing but inconsistent technique limits third-down trust. Best suited for a committee rather than feature-back workload.

• Patience Behind Line: Occasionally outruns blocking and misses developing lanes.

• Ball Security: Needs continued emphasis maintaining control through traffic.

Outlook

Brown is best suited for zone-based, space-oriented offenses that emphasize speed, decisiveness, and explosive runs. He thrives when able to press the edge, read leverage, and explode through lanes rather than grind between the tackles. Pairing Brown with a more physical, pass-protection–reliable back maximizes his effectiveness and keeps him fresh for high-impact touches. Despite being the Bengals’ starter for the past few seasons, Brown best projects as a high-upside RB2 or change-of-pace back with legitimate big-play ability and is subject to being supplanted. While his frame and power profile limit bell-cow potential, his speed, explosiveness, and improving receiving skill give him a clear role in modern NFL backfields. With continued growth in pass protection and contact balance, Brown can evolve into a dynamic complementary weapon capable of swinging games with efficiency and explosiveness.