Texas running back Bijan Robinson is one of the most intriguing players in what promises to be an unpredictable draft. CBS Sports’ No. 5 prospect rushed for 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2022, and is considered to be a first-round pick on Thursday despite the fact that he plays a position NFL teams don’t seem to value as highly as they once did.
CBS Sports NFL Draft expert Chris Trapasso has Robinson being selected No. 5 overall by the Atlanta Falcons, while CBS Sports NFL Insider Pete Prisco has the 21-year-old going with the second-to-last pick in the first round, No. 30 overall to the Philadelphia Eagles. While pundits may disagree on how long Robinson will have to wait to hear his name called on Thursday night, he’s called the draft process a “blessing,” pointing out to CBS Sports this week that God doesn’t gift everyone this kind of opportunity.
“Not at all man,” Robinson replied when asked if it matters to him whether he’s drafted high or not. “I know that I’m gonna be blessed to be at the right team and the best team that God has for me. Wherever I go, I’m gonna embrace the city, embrace the teammates, embrace everybody anywhere I’m at. For me, it’s just an exciting opportunity to be able to get to play on a team and bring your skillset and your personality to the coaches, to the teammates and to the city as well. I’m excited to go wherever. Whoever picks me up, I’m ready to go and I’m ready to be there.”
AUSTIN, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 03: Bijan Robinson #5 of the Texas Longhorns reacts after a rushing touchdown in the third quarter against the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 03, 2022 in Austin, Texas. Tim Warner / Getty Images
Just nine running backs have been selected in the top 20 picks of an NFL Draft since 2010. They don’t sign big contracts if they’re successful either, as it’s been three years since a running back reset their respective market. Christian McCaffrey signed a four-year, $64 million extension with the Carolina Panthers in 2020, and was traded away two years later. All running backs are still looking up at McCaffrey’s average annual salary.
There’s undoubtedly a negative narrative surrounding running backs, but Robinson says his position is important because of everything that player can potentially bring to an offense.
“When you’re a guy that can be very versatile, that can do so many things for an offense whether it’s catch the ball out of the backfield, line up at slot receiver, obviously ‘running back’ and do so many things at a high level, become mismatches for defenses, then I think that’s where the value of the running back position really comes into play,” Robinson said. “I think that’s where it becomes a high-value position. Because I think that you got guys like Christian McCaffrey, Saquon [Barkley] that are pretty much half of their offense. And they can do everything to impact the game. When you have those kinds of guys and still have a great team around you, that’s when you’re cooking with the right ingredients. I think the running back position can be valued as high as it needs to be if you just have those guys that can do it the right way, and just become mismatches for everybody on the field.”
One of the main reasons Robinson is seen as a top prospect is because he possesses the kind of versatility he says is needed from a running back. His college head coach, Steve Sarkisian, told NBC Sports’ Peter King recently that Robinson could be a legitimate slot receiver in the NFL.
“I probably made a couple of receivers on our team mad last season,” Sarkisian said, “but he had the best hands on our team.”
Robinson caught just 19 passes in 2022, but turned those 19 touches into 314 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged a whopping 16.5 yards per reception. One can expect Robinson to work more as a receiver at the next level, and it’s a part of his game he’s very confident in.
“It’s huge. It’s through the roof,” Robinson said when asked about his confidence as a pass-catcher. “I love catching the ball and love catching the ball in different situations in different ways. After practice, me and coach Choice would do catching drills, and he would just throw the ball in different angles, different areas that I need to catch the ball. For me, from going seven-on-seven as a kid and doing it in high school, and me just playing strictly receiver in seven-on-seven, it just really made me super confident in my pass-catching.”
Robinson says he’s not big on comparisons, but if he had to compare himself to someone at the NFL level, he would name players like McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara. Dual-threat backs that can headline an NFL offense. While Robinson may be putting forth some lofty expectations for himself, it’s fair to say he’s not off base either.
Robinson is slippery, and he avoided 113 tackles last season. That’s the most tackles avoided by any FBS player over the past five years. Some of that is natural ability, but Robinson works at that part of his game too.
“It’s a lot of things,” Robinson said of his ability to make defenders miss. “Obviously God gave me the gift to do that, but you gotta study a lot of film, you gotta understand who your free hitters are on the defense and really dissect defenders and understand angles as well. I’m really big on angles.
“Definitely watching a lot of film and how defenders try to hit you and if they’re low hitters, if they’re high hitters, you gotta understand all that type of stuff beforehand.”
Robinson isn’t a running back, he’s a playmaker. He wants to be even more than that, though. He wants to be an example on and off the field for the franchise that takes a shot on him.
“I think they need a guy that can be a game-changer, whether it comes with running the ball, pass-catching, making people miss, scoring in different situations,” Robinson said. “Being a guy that can impact the community off the field as well. Being a light to the city, being a light to everybody that you come into contact with. I think that is really important.”
Robinson spoke with CBS Sports in promoting USAA, Official NFL Salute to Service Partner. He visited with military members stationed near Kansas City at Whiteman Air Force Base for a day in the life experience of how our military trains.
“Being partnered with USAA, it’s definitely amazing,” said Robinson. “Last week I was here in Kansas City, and went to Whiteman Air Force Base and did a lot of different things. We toured the B-2 and the A-10. That experience was definitely amazing.”
“Getting to talk to the men and women in the military and what they go through — it’s definitely pretty cool to see that we’re similar in what we do, when it comes to staying in shape, scouting what we need to do. My stepdad was in the military as well. So comparing different stories, it was pretty cool to be a part of that. One of the coolest things that I did was go up in the helicopter. That was pretty amazing, just riding over the city of Kansas City and seeing where I’m going to be drafted in the next couple days. I just appreciate all the men and women in the military that put their lives on the line and do so many things for this country.”
2023 NFL Draft: Texas’ Bijan Robinson not concerned with being drafted high, calls process a ‘blessing’
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