Draft Crush: Ty Chandler, RB, North Carolina

[Dante84]

I watched the Shrine game last night, and this dude popped off the screen for me. Watched some more stuff today, and I am really high on this guy.

+ He has great acceleration and bursts through the line when he picks his spot
+ He takes sharp angles and because of this, is really ellusive
+ He doesn't often go down on first contact, and is does not slow down as he meets contact.

I like his fit for us because he has some break-away ability that we don't currently have, and I think he could be a real weapon.

TDN has him as the 11th RB on their big board. Here is their breakdown:

Spoiler!

Vision: Chandler has solid vision and finds daylight at a good rate. He finds open creases between his blockers and slips through. His eyes and feet are paired together. His body and mind are on the same page. He displays the ability to identify cut-back lanes prior to bending the run in that direction.

Footwork: Chandler is an effortless and sudden cutter. He is able to press a gap forcing the defender to commit before using his jump-cut to a vacated area. He does not panic in tight spaces. He maintains the lightness and quietness of his feet as he prepares his next maneuver.

Contact Balance: He boasts a compact frame and upper-body strength to fight through arm tackles. Chandler absorbs upper contact and continues forward. He uses a straight arm to subdue incoming defenders. He could benefit from improving his lower-body balance and power.

Durability: Chandler has not missed much time throughout his college career. Toward the end of the 2020 season with Tennessee, he left a game with an undisclosed injury. He does not have a ton of wear on his tires.

Explosiveness: Chandler displays a good burst through the defense into the open field. Once he breaks contain, his gears shift to separate from the defense on big gains. When he plants his foot into the ground, he generates enough power to catapult him into daylight.

Versatility: Chandler brings three-down versatility to an offense. His ability to pick up free rushers in pass protection is a coveted trait. He has pass-catching potential. Also, he adds special teams value as a kick and punt returner.

Elusiveness: Chandler has shown the capability to make defenders miss in the open field. His go-to is a smooth two-step to break defenders down. His spatial awareness allows him to evade incoming defenders in their pursuit of the ball.

Ball Security: Chandler does a good job protecting the football overall. Throughout his career, his fumbles of the football are few and far between. He properly keeps the ball tucked between his forearm and elbow with his hands controlling the tip of the ball.

Passing Down Skills: He lacks consistency as a pass-catcher. At Tennessee, he saw more reps split into the slot and on the boundary as a receiver. There are quality flashes of his tools in space. Only 72 receptions since 2017. His workload and opportunities have been limited. If given the opportunity, Chandler can grow into a big-play threat as a receiver.

Discipline: Chandler scans the line of scrimmage and finds work as a pass protector. On delayed releases, he ensures the quarterback is clear from free rushers before releasing into his route. He follows his blocks with a lead puller. He’s a patient runner that gives his OL time to set up their blocks to spring him into daylight.