Followers of the NFL Draft know many of the league's best running backs aren't selected in the first round.
Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor, Nick Chubb, Miles Sanders, and Dalvin Cook were all second-round picks, while Aaron Jones was a fifth-rounder and Austin Ekeler went undrafted. Mid-round running backs can make an instant impact, as Dameon Pierce did in 2022.
There figures to be at least one mid-round gem in this year's running back class, and that player might be Tulane's Tyjae Spears.
A rising star of the pre-draft process, Spears was the beating heart of the Green Wave offense during the program's historic 2022 season and shined during Senior Bowl week to elevate his stock.
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Here's what you need to know about Spears as he prepares for the NFL Combine.
Tyjae Spears height, weight
Tulane listed Spears at 5-11 and 195 pounds this past season. It's not uncommon for listed heights to be higher than the exact figure, so Spears' NFL Combine measurements will be the definitive indicator of his size.
While Spears' height is typical for an NFL running back, his frame could be a concern to teams. Virtually all top-tier running backs at the NFL level are over 205 pounds, with Jonathan Taylor and Nick Chubb listed at just over 225 despite their height being in the same range as Spears.
Pierce, Kenneth Walker III, Breece Hall and Isiah Pacheco — all standouts from the 2022 draft class — are listed at between 210 and 220 pounds despite three of the four being shorter than Spears.
The good news for Spears is that, unlike height, his weight can change. NFL teams will likely want to see him bulk up and become stronger before draft weekend.
It's worth noting that height and weight measurements are inexact until the combine, so these concerns could be unnecessary.
Tyjae Spears 40 time
Spears hasn't run the 40-yard dash yet, but most projections believe he will run close to 4.40 seconds.
The best 40-yard dash time by a running back at least year's combine was 4.37 (Pacheco, Pierre Strong), so a 4.40 would be a terrific result for Spears, whose speed is one of his biggest strengths.
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Tyjae Spears stats
| Season | School | Att | Yds | Avg | TD |
| 2019 | Tulane | 32 | 192 | 6.0 | 1 |
| 2020 | Tulane | 37 | 274 | 7.4 | 2 |
| 2021 | Tulane | 129 | 863 | 6.7 | 9 |
| 2022 | Tulane | 229 | 1,581 | 6.9 | 19 |
| Total | 427 | 2,910 | 6.8 | 31 |
Spears enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2022, but he was efficient throughout his four-year career at Tulane. When he stepped into the feature back role last season, he averaged nearly 7 yards per carry and was a touchdown machine for one of the nation's most surprising teams.
More remarkably, Spears produced so much in 2021 and 2022 despite missing most of 2020 with a torn ACL. Teams will no doubt want to look into the injury during the pre-draft process, but the post-surgery results seem to speak for themselves.
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Spears finished fifth among all FBS players with 1,581 rushing yards in 2022, and his 19 rushing touchdowns trailed only Minnesota's Mohamed Ibrahim and Pitt's Israel Abanikanda.
Those numbers include a 205-yard, four-touchdown performance against USC in a Cotton Bowl upset win for the Green Wave. Spears averaged 12.1 yards per carry against the Trojans' defense. He took that momentum to Mobile for the Senior Bowl, where his week of practice drew rave reviews.
NFL front offices will have to balance size concerns with the speed and efficiency. If he stays on his current trajectory, Spears could come off the board earlier than expected.
