Minnesota Vikings select North Carolina running back Ty Chandler in 2022 NFL Draft

Former North Carolina running back Ty Chandler is taking his game to the next level, as he was selected No. 169 overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft on Saturday.

Chandler, a former On3 Consensus four-star recruit coming out of the Class of 2017, put together a successful collegiate career while playing four seasons at Tennessee and his fifth year at North Carolina. Chandler had a strong season for the Tar Heels in 2021, as he rushed for 1,092 yards and 13 touchdowns while also recording a receiving score.

A 6-foot, 210-pound running back, Chandler was ranked as the No. 7 running back in the country in the 2017 recruiting class coming out of Montgomery Bell Academy. He held scholarship offers from a number of top-tier programs – including Ohio State, Georgia, Michigan and USC – before choosing to begin his college career at Tennessee.

Looking at his stats from last season, Chandler rushed for 213 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Wake Forest on Nov. 6 and put up 198 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Virginia on Sept. 18. Chandler heads to the TEAM NAME after playing five seasons of college football, meaning that he brings plenty of experience to the NFL level.

What NFL draft analysts are saying about Ty Chandler

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein broke down what Chandler can bring to the NFL in his recent scout of the running back’s draft profile.

“His impressive 2021 should pump some life into Chandler’s draft stock,” Zierlein said. “After sharing carries at Tennessee, Chandler took a bigger bite out of the pie at North Carolina, seeing spikes in yardage, yards per carry and touchdown production. He’s a smooth strider who can become a little disjointed when processing and attacking the blocking scheme. Chandler needs to turn up the play speed in the early stages to attack the fleeting run lanes he will see in the pros.

“In a deep running back draft, Chandler’s ability to catch passes and return kicks should help improve his chance of being selected on Day 3.”