With the 2025 NFL Draft only a little over a month away, draft season is in full swing. One of the deepest position groups in this draft class is at running back. The Chiefs have a trio of veteran running backs on their roster in Isiah Pacheco, recently re-signed Kareem Hunt, and free agent acquisition Elijah Mitchell, but none of those players are under contract beyond the 2025 season. So it makes perfect sense for the Chiefs to target a long-term answer at running back despite their recent moves at the position.
So far I have already done draft profiles on Ashton Jeanty, TreVeyon Henderson, Kaleb Johnson, and DJ Giddens. I encourage you to check those profiles out if you haven't already, but today we're going to focus on one of the more fun running back prospects in this class, Arizona State's Cam Skattebo (pronounced Scat-a-boo). As you'll see when we get into his draft profile, he's an easy player to love because of how he plays the game, but does that mean he's worthy of a day two draft pick?
Cam Skattebo - 2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report
Age: 23 (when drafted)
Height: 5' 9" (official)
Weight: 219 (official)
Cam Skattebo's Running Style
Before we can get into any strengths or weaknesses, we need to get into Skattebo's running style for those that may not be familiar with him. He's a short, stocky back that run's like the entire defense insulted his mother and now he's out for revenge. It almost seems like he's angry that the defense is trying to tackle him. It's incredibly fun to watch and I have no doubt that he'll be beloved by whatever NFL fanbase he ends up with. The question is if that running style can be as successful in the NFL.
It certainly was successful for him last season at Arizona State. Skattebo rushed for 1,711 yards and 21 rushing touchdowns and added 45 receptions for 605 yards and 3 touchdowns on top of that. That's over 2,300 total yards and 24 touchdowns.
Cam Skattebo's Weaknesses
I feel like I have written this about several backs in this class, but Skattebo is not overly fast. He has enough speed/quickness to take advantage of holes or open space, but this isn't a player that is going to run away from defenders at the NFL level. He definitely fits the description of more quick than fast and even then he isn't an overly twitchy athlete.
Despite Skattebo's incredibly physical style, he isn't really big enough to run over most NFL linebackers or defensive linemen like he did at times in college. It's not from a lack of effort, but the yards he typically picks up after contact are more due to him continuing to twist and fight away from guys than it is plowing a 300 pound defensive lineman straight backwards. That having been said, his legs never stop pumping and I do think he can have success as a short yardage back in the NFL.
Finally, Skattebo has subjected himself to a lot of wear and tear on his body already. A back that's under 5'10" that has as many college touches where he subjected himself to that kind of punishment could be a concern for some teams. Will he be able to hold up for long in the NFL with his violent play style?
Cam Skattebo's Strengths
What made Skattebo so successful in college was a combination of three things. First, his short powerful legs give him fantastic contact balance. Second, he always fights through contact. Always. Third, he has really good vision as he approaches the line of scrimmage. Despite his aggression, he'll work sideways to find a seem or wait for the play to develop before scooting through and looking for a secondary defender to make miserable.
While Skattebo may not be "twitchy" quick with explosive athleticism, he does have good feet. He's great in tight spaces and keeps his feet moving. He won't completely juke guys out of their shoes, but he will make guys miss enough to bounce off him as he goes by, especially if they get flat footed while his keep chugging.
Skattebo is also a really nice pass catcher, both out of the backfield and running routes out of the slot. His issue isn't his hands or route running, he just isn't fast enough to dust defensive backs, especially in the NFL. However, he can be a reliable check down target and if you do get the ball in his hands against a defensive back, that DB is about to get thrown out of the club.
Skattebo has the attitude, effort, and low center of gravity to be a reliable pass protector on 3rd downs, but his technique is a little sloppy right now. I don't know that he'll be trusted in that role on day one for a pass happy team like KC, but he does have third down upside.
In conclusion, I love Cam Skattebo the football player. It's almost impossible not to respect how hard he plays the game, but it's also important when doing draft evaluations not to overvalue something like that. After all, I love how hard Isiah Pacheco plays the game, but he has some deficiencies that keep him from being an elite running back. I feel similarly about Skattebo.
Skattebo can be a quality starting running back in the NFL, but his lack of speed, the upgrade in how fast/strong the defenders are in the NFL, and the possible wear and tear on Skattebo because of his play style would keep me from pulling the trigger on him until the 3rd round. He'd be an absolute home run pick there, but if it's a choice between Skattebo in round 2 or DJ Giddens in round 3, I like the value of Giddens there more. I can also see a team falling in love with Skattebo and reaching for him even before KC picks in the 2nd round.