Bijan Robinson Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Tim Warner/Getty Images)

School: University of Texas (Junior)

Position: RB

HT: 6’0

WT: 220 lbs

Sideline Prospect Ranking: #3

Bijan Robinson is the consensus best RB prospect in this draft class and he is the best prospect at the position that we have had in a few years. He has been nominated for and won numerous awards throughout his time at Texas. Robinson is incredibly shifty, using every inch of the field to his advantage to maneuver through the defense. It is nearly a guarantee that the first defender will always miss the tackle, as Robinson seems to evade and bounce off defenders with incredible ease. He has an elite ability to change directions and accelerate. Robinson is able to recognize gaps in the defense with relative ease and even if the first level defender reacts well, Robinson bounces off of them with force and continues downfield. The game is clearly just slower for Robinson than it is for other running backs. At the mesh point, Robinson’s football IQ is displayed as he reads the defensive coverage, and with a certain level of gracefulness and tranquility, reacts accordingly. He has this elusiveness and creativity between tackles that is rare for a running back of his size. The way he moves is something that we typically see out of the much smaller backs. Robinson also is a positive asset in the pass game. Robinson has an extensive route tree and lines up in the backfield as well as out as a wide receiver in 10 personnel. While he isn’t an X-receiver out there, he can still haul in the deep ball. This makes him a pass-catching threat at all areas of the field. With plus hands at the running back position, he is a reliable safety net for the quarterback. Bijan Robinson has the perfect build that you look for in a running back. He has great size and strength but is still light and quick on his feet. When lining up on passing downs, he is a good pass blocker with his size and strong lower half. He is a smart player and is able to pick up blitzes and uncovered rushers very well. Due to his undeniable versatility in every area of offense, he will be a three-down workhorse in the NFL right away.

In terms of areas of weakness, as a pure runner, it seems as if Robinson has none. However, there are times when Robinson gets a bit greedy and becomes his own worst enemy. He wants to accomplish so much on every carry and tries to make every defender miss, instead of just trying to run downfield and get the yardage in front of him. Patience is something that can improve in Robinson’s game as well in order to make sure he takes those extra yards. He also isn’t a terrible pass blocker but he isn’t necessarily great at it and it could use some improvement.

As you have probably heard before, Bijan Robinson is a generational running back prospect. There hasn’t been a prospect out of college at his position that is such a complete package. He has put it all together at the collegiate level and there is no doubt that he will be able to do it in the NFL. Whatever offense Robinson is drafted into, there is a good chance that he is the primary weapon. I am normally a proponent of waiting until Day 2 to consider taking running backs, but Robinson is an exception. He can completely change the entire look of an offense right away.

Scheme Fit: Zone Running Scheme

Ideal Role: Workhorse RB

Best Team Fits: BUF, ATL, CAR

Player Comparison: Christian McCaffrey

Player Grade: 93.7