Chris Rodriguez selected by Washington Commanders in 6th round of the 2023 NFL Draft

One of the greatest to ever wear a Kentucky blue has found a new uniform to wear on Sundays. With the No. 193 pick in the 6th round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Washington Commanders select Chris Rodriguez, running back from Kentucky.

Running backs do not carry a coveted status in the NFL Draft. Yes, a couple were taken win the first round, but you can find good ones anywhere. Isiah Pacheco started in the Super Bowl a year after he was selected in the seventh round by the Kansas City Chiefs. Tyler Allgeier rushed for more than 1,000 yards last year after the Falcons picked him in the fifth round. Now it’s Chris Rodriguez’s turn to prove he can be a late, hidden gem in the NFL Draft.

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Chris Rodriguez Kentucky Career Highlights

Chris Rodriguez ended his impressive tenure as one of the most decorated tailbacks in the history of Kentucky football. If not for a four-game suspension to start his senior campaign, Rodriguez was on pace to surpass his predecessor, Benny Snell, as the school’s all-time leading rusher. Instead he finished his career ranked third with 3,644 rushing yards (6.2 yards per carry) and 32 touchdowns.

Rodriguez is on the short list of many Kentucky football rushing records, but the former three-star prospect from McDonough, Ga. does stand alone with one all to himself. He had 20 100-yard rushing games, a record he set with 120 yards in his grand finale, a victory over Louisville in the Governor’s Cup. Nine of those performances came in 2021, one of the five most productive rushing seasons in school history. He capped it off with a 100-yard performance and a game-winning touchdown in the Citrus Bowl.

Ahead of the NFL Draft, Chris Rodriguez shared some of his favorite memories as a Wildcat with KSR, including what happened on that memorable play in the final two minutes of the victory over Iowa.

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Adam Luckett’s NFL Scouting Report

Chris Rodriguez Jr. is a physical downhill runner that avoids negative plays and breaks tackles with efficiency but owns limited extra-base pop. Rodriguez can keep offenses ahead of the chains with his high batting average that is powered by singles.

Due to this player profile, the hiring pool could be somewhat limited in the draft.

Rodriguez has played a lot of snaps, owns tread on his tires, and will turn 23 years old in the first month of the 2023 NFL season. Despite being one of the older tailback prospects in this draft, there are legitimate unknowns surrounding the prospect as a receiver and blocker. Add in the fact that Kentucky struggled to make the transition to a wide zone scheme with Rodriguez in the lineup and that could scare teams away.

Franchises that utilize a downhill gap/tight zone running scheme looking for a secondary option to use in short-yardage and as a fill-in starter will evaluate Rodriguez closely. The All-SEC performer is one of the most efficient ball carriers in this draft and avoids negative run plays at a high rate. That will give the Kentucky prospect value as a high-floor player.

Improving in pass protection is what will allow Rodriguez to stick in the NFL. Unfortunately, we are not 100 percent sure how he will perform in a role like that yet due to the run-heavy nature of Kentucky’s offense. Rodriguez does own day one value as a situational ball carrier in a gap scheme and that should find him a home in a deep tailback class.