*Walt taking 2014 and 2018 |
Charlie Campbell, Senior Draft Analyst |
Bijan Robinson Highest-Graded Offensive Prospect
Updated June 24, 2022By Charlie Campbell. Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell.
Over the past decade, the running back position has been downgraded in importance for in the NFL draft, with a running back not goin in Round 1 in multiple years. The 2022 NFL Draft followed that trend, with the top back, New York Jets’ Breece Hall, not going off the board until the second round. The 2023 NFL Draft could be different though because the advance scouts see a potential star in Texas tailback Bijan Robinson and have him graded very highly.
Some advance scouts have Robinson with the highest preseason grade of any offensive prospect and third overall, behind only Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson and Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter. The grade on Robinson is higher than the preseason grades on any quarterback, including Alabama’s Bryce Young and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, or any wide receiver prospect, like Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Robinson’s preseason grade would put him in the territory of other recent high first-round running backs like Saquaon Barkley, Leonard Fournette and Ezekiel Elliott. The 6-foot, 214-pound Robinson was one of the best players in college football in 2021, producing a superb season for Texas. The sophomore averaged 5.8 yards per carry in 2021 for 1,127 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also caught 26 passes for 295 yards and four scores.
Robinson will see a lot of extra attention from defenses during the 2022 season, but if he manages to stay healthy and consistent, he could put running backs back in the high first-round discussion given that the advance scouts are very high on him as a prospect.
