INDIANAPOLIS — Do the Detroit Lions truly need a running back in the 2023 NFL draft? If they re-sign Jamaal Williams, which the team's leadership has said is a desired offseason outcome, then the answer is probably no.
But, in the spirit of exploring every avenue to improve the roster, there can be no question there's an opportunity to supercharge the backfield via the NFL draft if they were to select Texas standout Bijan Robinson.
Admittedly, this is a deep class of running backs. It's in no way a stretch to say the Lions could find a long-term contributor in the middle or even the late rounds. But Robinson stands alone at the top of the mountain. The current pro comp is Saquon Barkley, who topped 1,000 yards last season for the third time in his career for the resurgent Giants, rushing for 1,312 and 10 scores — racking up a total of 1,650 yards from scrimmage when you tack on his receiving production.
Robinson understands that comparison, based on their similar frames and versatile skill sets. You could go as far as to say he likes it — so much so, that he's interested in connecting with Barkley to work out together this offseason. But Robinson, a tackle-breaking machine at the University of Texas, has a higher standard for the player he's trying to emulate, spending countless hours studying Lions Hall of Famer Barry Sanders.
"I watch him probably every other day because I'm always trying to mimic his moves," Robinson said. "He was so good at doing the things you couldn't do. He was just the guy where every single time he touched the ball, you were just standing up trying to see what he would do. There would be some games on YouTube, some full games back in those times, and I would watch them all, just to see every single run that he did. I mean, he was just the most exciting player I've seen on a highlight tape."
Like Sanders, Robinson's balance through contact is remarkable. According to Pro Football Focus, the Texas star made 104 tacklers miss on his 295 carries in 2022, more than any back in college football last season. He credited that success to sharing a trait with Sanders.
"For me, I'm a knee-bender when I run the ball," Robinson said. "Another guy that was a knee-bender was Barry Sanders. To try to redirect and be as low to the ground as you can, and understand you've got to feel defenders and read their shoulders and read angles to break as many tackles as you can to try to get north and south. For me, I take pride in that. I do so many drills with my coach back at Texas, coach (Tashard) Choice. He really implements that a lot in all of our drills. Sometimes, they're really tough, but in the games, they really pay off a lot."
Because of Robinson's ability to break tackles, he averaged a staggering 4.4 yards after contact throughout his three-year college career. On top of that, he's a dynamic receiver. Maybe he's not on the level of Detroit's D'Andre Swift in that regard, but Robinson has shown he's capable of lining up wide, or in the slot, and defenses must account for him because of how dangerous he becomes once the ball is in his hands. He caught just 60 passes (on 77 targets) at Texas, but translated that into 805 yards and eight touchdowns, giving him 41 total scores during his time with the Longhorns.
"I think that it just (brings) value if you got a guy that can run routes and then the next play will go back there and run between the tackles and still try to make as much of a difference as possible," Robinson said. "I think doing everything that I can necessary, and doing it at a high level, and when I'm at receiver, they have to account for me, I know that's just a difference-maker in the offense and for the whole team."
Because of the declining value placed on the running back position in recent years, there's a perception Robinson might not come off the board prior to Detroit's second first-round pick, No. 18 overall. That might be wishful thinking, but recent history backs up those projecting that scenario. A running back hasn't been selected earlier than 18th since the Giants took Barkley with the No. 2 overall pick in 2018, which, despite his quality production, looks to have been a reach, in hindsight.
More recently, Josh Jacobs, another player Robinson compares favorably to, came off the board 24th in 2019. Breece Hall, the top back in last year's class, wasn't selected until early in the second round, 36th overall.
