NFL

Bijan Robinson NFL Draft Profile – The Best Running Back in the Class

April 27, 2023 2:05 am

Bijan Robinson
Credit: USA Today

Not many things are widely agreed upon in the 2023 NFL Draft, but one consensus has been that Texas running back Bijan Robinson is the best at his position in this class. The biggest question is how high he goes when so many teams have been avoiding running backs in the first round of the NFL draft.

Bijan Robinson Draft Profile

  • Position: Running Back
  • Age: 21
  • Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
  • School: Texas
  • Class: Junior
  • Height: 5’11”
  • Weight: 215 lbs
  • Arm: 31 1/8”
  • Hand: 9 3/4”

NFL Combine Results

  • 40-Yard Dash: 4.46 seconds
  • 10-Yard Split: 1.52 seconds
  • Vertical Jump: 37”
  • Broad Jump: 10’4”

Bijan Robinson College Career

As a true freshman in 2020, Robinson split time in the backfield at Texas but still led the team with 703 rushing yards. He averaged a whopping 8.2 yards per carry and also caught 15 passes for 196 yards and two more touchdowns.

In 2021, Robinson took on a bigger role and rushed for 1,127 yards and scored a career-best 15 touchdowns. In 2022, Robinson rushed for a career-high 1,580 yards while still averaging 6.1 yards per carry and scoring 20 total touchdowns. In his final college game against Baylor, Robinson rushed for 179 yards and two touchdowns in a win.

He finished 9th in Heisman voting in his final season at Texas. Robinson had seven games in his college career where he rushed for at least 170 yards.

Awards

For his 2022 season, Robinson won the Doak Walker Award, which honors the top running back in college football each season. Robinson was also a unanimous All-American selection.

Background

In attending Salpointe Catholic High School in Arizona, Robinson set a state record with 7,036 yards and 114 touchdowns. He was named the Arizona Gatorade Football Player of the Year for his senior season when he rushed for 2,235 yards and 38 touchdowns on just 126 carries.

Projected Pick/Landing Spot: No. 8 – Atlanta Falcons

Few disagree that Robinson is the most pro-ready, most worthy of a first-round pick running back in this class. It just comes down to where he should be drafted, because the positional value is not high with teams able to find running backs in many cheaper ways than the first round.

Robinson has been mocked to the Falcons at No. 8, and they are the odds-on favorite (+240) to land him. But they also got a 1,000-yard rushing season out of rookie Tyler Allgeier last season.

The Philadelphia Eagles (+800) have also been floated as a real possibility for Robinson, and it would be a fantastic fit since he can replace the departed Miles Sanders and give the Eagles more juice in the receiving game as a pass catcher. The Eagles also have a loaded roster, multiple first-round picks, and they are one of the only offenses built around the run these days. It would be a great spot for Robinson, who has said the quarterback he would love to play with is Jalen Hurts.

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