Isaiah Spiller

Fourth round pick, 6'0", 217lb, 29.4 BMI, 21yr, Texas A&M, 4.69 forty

The Chargers are no strangers to taking shots on bigger but unathletic running backs on Day 3 of the NFL Draft. Joshua Kelley was the guy in 2020 and Larry Rountree was the guy in 2021.

Isaiah Spiller represents the latest rehash of the Chargers trying to find an appropriate thunder to Austin Ekeler's lightning, and I for one think Spiller is already the best bet currently on the roster. The former Texas A&M running back has the capacity for three-down spot start duties with an all-encompassing skill set and desirable size - 6-feet and 217 pounds .

Spiller should be a solid producer for the Chargers if given the opportunity although his lack of top-notch speed could keep him from being elite. He had only eight carries of 20-plus yards in 2021.

But I'd be hard-pressed to ignore his impressive age-adjusted production as one of his most encouraging traits. Since Day 1 at Texas A&M, Spiller has been the lead dog for the Aggies.

As a true freshman in 2019, he scored 10 rushing touchdowns and finished 16th in the nation in yards after contact per attempt en route to a 22% dominator rating.

The power running back capped off his first year in impressive fashion with back-to-back seasons of 1,000 rushing yards and 100 missed tackles. Spiller also displayed receiving prowess, commanding at least an 8% target share and an average of 25 receptions per season.

With Justin Jackson still an unsigned free agent, Spiller looks slated for instant impact in Year 1.

5/2 Update: Fell all the way to the RB9 in the draft -- into a great home albeit, but still. Not the ideal draft for Spiller. Still - league-winning upside if Ekeler gets hurt given what Jackson (lesser player) accomplished in his 1 start (36 FPs), and has solid standalone TD upside as an elite college scorer should he find himself in a "short-yardage" specialist role

Doesn't have the toughest path to be the #2 RB for the Chargers.

Isaiah Spiller might have fallen to the fourth round, but the landing spot could be a fantasy gold mine. Austin Ekeler is entering his age 27 season and can become an unrestricted free agent in 2024. If the team chose to move on from him next year, they could save nearly six million dollars against the cap by cutting him. Ekeler has dealt with an ankle sprain, concussion, quad strain, hamstring strain, and knee hyperextension costing him six games since 2020. The Chargers have scoring chances to go around as they were second in red-zone scoring attempts per game last season. Since Melvin Gordon's departure, the Bolts have been yearning for a running mate to team with Ekeler. Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree weren't up to the task, but Spiller could be. With the opportunity to earn a role in year one, Spiller could be a nice dynasty equity gain and trade chip midseason, even if you aren't a believer in the talent.

Scouting report