Bijan Robinson 2023 NFL Draft profile: Scout report for the Texas RB

Bijan Robinson: 5’11”, 215 pounds.

The number one running back recruit in the country for 2020, Bijan Robinson had an absolutely ridiculous high school career, rushing for over 2,000 yards in three straight seasons and becoming the first guy to be named the top player in the state of Texas twice.

As a freshman with the Longhorns, Bijan racked up 899 yards and six touchdowns on just 101 touches, averaging 8.2 yards per carry. In year two, he truly exploded onto the scene with just over 1,400 yards and 15 touchdowns in ten games, which earned him first-team All-Big XII accolades.

He was even better last year, repeating those honors while being just six yards shy of 1,900 total and reaching the end-zone 20 times. This made him a first-team All-American, despite some inconsistencies in that Texas offense overall.

Bijan Robinson scout report: Strengths

Bijan Robinson - Texas v Kansas

+ Can get skinny and slice through lanes at full speed, but also slow-play and then kick into gear once he sticks his foot in the ground, gaining pace through that plant.

+ Displays appropriate vision and understanding of concepts, to run from the pistol or shotgun, from single-back, split or I-formation sets, gap or zone schemes, read pullers and be a gadget player on top.

+ Can alter tempo, cut down his stride and make subtle shifts to his running path smoothly.

+ When having to avoid instant penetration, there’s no wasted movement or panic, showcasing the reactionary quickness to avoid that road-bump without going completely off track.

+ Has that sudden burst to leave defenders behind in the dust, whether it’s linebackers having him squared up in the hole or DBs slow-playing him out in the flats and trying to wait for him. Robinson rarely allows tacklers to get a straight wrap on him.

+ Shows that ability where he’s surrounded by bodies but somehow appears totally calm, makes his move and just has everybody reaching for air.

+ Has the speed to split safeties that are trying to converge on him in two-high looks or pull away from the pack when he just gets a seam.

+ Naturally strings those moves together in sequence, including the lazy/dead leg and those types of in-and-out moves. He has some of the greatest effort plays you will ever see from a back, where he is all wrapped up, but he refuses to go down.

+ Just a very creative runner. Some of the dramatic head- and foot-fakes by Bijan Robinson, as well crossing over some guys as if he’s on a basketball court with great curvilinear movement, are just things that you don’t really see from other backs at that size.

+ May not truck a lot of guys necessarily, but he can really drive through contact and churn out extra yardage. Plus his ability to stiff-arm somebody near the sideline and ride that guy for several is pretty crazy.

+ Broke 79 tackles on only 195 carries in 2021 and added eight more broken tackles on 26 receptions. This past season, he forced 104 missed tackles (a PFF single-season record) on 257 attempts and racked up 1,077 yards after contact (along with 41 explosive runs).

+ Looks so natural catching the ball, which was something I also noted throughout his combine workout (along with what I saw on film).

+ Doesn’t have to slow down when he has to turn over the shoulder or slightly reach behind him for the ball (PFF didn’t charge him with any drops and the only questionable ball I can remember was a failed underhand catch on a low ball off an out route).

+ The Longhorn coaches made it a priority to find ways of getting the ball in his hands with space, with a lot of swing and seam routes, but also some quick screens when split out wide.

+ Can be a legit fifth receiver when you flex him out wide or into the slot in empty sets, with the quick-twitch out of his breaks. He can also attack vertically as part of the pattern on streak and wheel routes.

+ Showcases good patience and active feet to square up second- and third-level rushers, along with the quickness to go from being in the A-gap to getting a piece of somebody coming unblocked off the opposite edge.

+ Lands some forceful chips before releasing into his routes and legitimately slowed down quite a few of the better edge rushers that way.

Bijan Robinson scout report: Weaknesses

Bijan Robinson - NFL Combine

– When having built up momentum and approaches tacklers, Robinson can gain yards through contact effectively, but in tight spaces, you see linebackers wrap and drive him backwards more than you’d like.

– You want a dynamic player like this to bring his style to the table, but there’s a little too much tip-toeing behind the line going on with Bijan at this point.

– Not always super disciplined with executing run schemes and following the way it’s drawn up, as well as just making sure he gets back to the line of scrimmage when the defense has won the battle.

– Puts his body in vulnerable positions, including getting flipped in the Texas Tech game last season (where it initially looked like he might have broken his neck, and part of that led to his six fumbles since the start of the 2021).

– Doesn’t consistently strike up and through the target as a pass-protector, allowing them to slip off his blocks, more so as somebody who gets in the way of blitzers.

Bijan Robinson scout report: Grade

Bijan Robinson #5 of the Texas Longhorns dives into the end zone for a touchdown

Bijan Robinson is a human highlight reel. He can zoom past the defense in a hurry if you give him a lane, but even when nothing is there, he can create magic.

Robinson did it over and over again these past two years, even though everybody in the stadium knew where the ball was going a lot of times. Becoming a more commanding pass-protector will be his biggest area of improvement, but he has the size and natural gifts to be as close as we have to a true workhorse/featured back in football today.

Bijan Robinson is the best prospect in the position I’ve scouted since Saquon Barkley. Because of how the NFL undervalues the position, he won’t go as early, but this is a top-five overall prospect in this class.

Grade: Top-five overall.

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