Bijan Robinson Scouting Report and NFL Draft Player Profile
Bijan Robinson Scouting Report and Draft Profile
2023 NFL Draft Measurements
Bijan Robinson 40-Yard Dash Time – 4.49
6’0” / 220 lbs.
Bijan Robinson Draft Profile
Bijan Robinson is a former 5-star recruit out of Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Arizona. According to 247sports, in the 2020 recruiting class, Robinson was the number one running back in the nation. Some notable players he was ranked in front of were Zach Evans, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Blake Corum. He was also the 2nd best player coming out of the state of Arizona. The only player that was ranked above him is Georgia DB Kelee Ringo. Given that he was a 5-star recruit, it is safe to say there were lots of teams that wanted to add him to their roster. Robinson was offered scholarships to 21 Division I programs. Some of these schools were Alabama, USC, Ohio St., and Texas. After visiting Ohio St., USC, and Texas within a week, he decided to play for the Longhorns.
According to ESPN, as a true freshman, Robinson ran the ball 86 times for 703 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also had 15 receptions for 196 yards and 2 touchdowns. After a season like this, he has proven that he is ready to compete at the next level. To make it even better, his production in 2021 went up tremendously. In this season, he racked up 195 rushes for 1,127 yards and 11 touchdowns. On the receiving end, he had 26 receptions for 295 yards and 4 touchdowns. This season he was considered the best running back in the nation. After looking at his production so far this season, he did not disappoint. He ran the ball 258 times for 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns while also racking up 314 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns.
Bijan Robinson Weaknesses
Decision Making
As I mentioned earlier, Robinson is pretty good at improvising when a play breaks down. But, I did notice that he has a tendency to be a little indecisive if he has more than one option. When a back is indecisive, it can often lead to a loss of yardage. He also has a tendency to be a little impatient and not let his blockers fully execute their blocks before he makes a move.
Separating in 2nd Level
Although Robinson is an elite-level athlete, his top speed is not yet elite. When he gets into the 2nd level, he really struggles to separate from defensive backs and faster linebackers. This often hinders his ability to make big plays because he can get caught quickly. But, fortunately for him, his elusiveness allows him to be unpredictable in open space.
Bijan Robinson Draft Stock
Bijan Robinson is one of, if not the best prospects in this draft. But, running backs have a tendency to fall down draft boards because of positional value. For example, a few years ago we saw Jonathan Taylor fall to the 2nd round when he was a 1st-round graded talent. But, I believe that a team will pull the trigger on him relatively early in the 1st round.
Final Thoughts on Bijan Robinson Scouting Report
Bijan Robinson is one of the best players available in the 2023 NFL Draft. He is an elite-level athlete that is very good at eluding defenders using his lateral agility and explosiveness. Robinson is also very competitive due to his mental and physical toughness which allows him to consistently compete at a high level. Although he has a tendency to be a little indecisive, Robinson has very good vision and creativity when he has the ball. Overall, I think that Robinson has a very bright future ahead of him. If he can work on improving his ability to quickly make decisions, he will be unstoppable in the NFL.
Player Comparison
Bijan Robinson is almost an exact replica of Saquon Barkley.
Bijan Robinson Scouting Report Analyst – Matthew Lewis
Bijan Robinson Strengths
Athleticism
Bijan Robinson is not only the most athletic running back in the nation, but he may also be the best athlete out of every position. When watching his film, the first thing about his game that stood out to me was his ability to quickly change direction. He does this by sinking his hips and exploding off his outside foot allowing him to maintain momentum going forward. Robinson also has a very good jump cut which makes him untouchable in open field. Although Robinson may not be the fastest back in the nation, he is one of the quickest. His ability to find a lane at the line of scrimmage and quickly accelerate downfield is very impressive.
Competitiveness
Not only is Robinson athletic, but he also displays loads of competitiveness every time he steps on the field. Every game, Robinson plays with loads of mental and physical toughness which allows him to produce at a consistent level. When he gets the ball in his hands, he also plays with lots of aggression. When he finds an open lane, Robinson is like a ball rolling down a hill in the fact that he is very difficult to stop. If a defender is brave enough to get in his way, he can either use his elusiveness to make them miss or he can drop his shoulder and lay them out.
Vision
Bijan Robinson’s vision when he is on the field is very impressive to watch. As I briefly mentioned earlier, Robinson is good at finding a lane in the offensive line. He does a really good job at finding lanes on the outside where he can use his athletic ability to punish the defense. But, he really shows how talented he is when the play breaks down and he is on his own to gain yardage. Although he can be indecisive at times, Robinson is very good at quickly finding other lanes and bursting down the field.
Yards After Contact
Robinson is a bigger back that is good at breaking tackles and racking up yards after contact. As I briefly mentioned earlier, he can make defenders miss by either using his elusiveness or he can drop his shoulder and knock them down. When he drops his shoulder, he does a good job of maintaining his balance through contact. Then, he can easily burst down the field for a big gain.
Bijan Robinson Weaknesses
Decision Making
As I mentioned earlier, Robinson is pretty good at improvising when a play breaks down. But, I did notice that he has a tendency to be a little indecisive if he has more than one option. When a back is indecisive, it can often lead to a loss of yardage. He also has a tendency to be a little impatient and not let his blockers fully execute their blocks before he makes a move.
Separating in 2nd Level
Although Robinson is an elite-level athlete, his top speed is not yet elite. When he gets into the 2nd level, he really struggles to separate from defensive backs and faster linebackers. This often hinders his ability to make big plays because he can get caught quickly. But, fortunately for him, his elusiveness allows him to be unpredictable in open space.
Bijan Robinson Draft Stock
Bijan Robinson is one of, if not the best prospects in this draft. But, running backs have a tendency to fall down draft boards because of positional value. For example, a few years ago we saw Jonathan Taylor fall to the 2nd round when he was a 1st-round graded talent. But, I believe that a team will pull the trigger on him relatively early in the 1st round.
Final Thoughts on Bijan Robinson Scouting Report
Bijan Robinson is one of the best players available in the 2023 NFL Draft. He is an elite-level athlete that is very good at eluding defenders using his lateral agility and explosiveness. Robinson is also very competitive due to his mental and physical toughness which allows him to consistently compete at a high level. Although he has a tendency to be a little indecisive, Robinson has very good vision and creativity when he has the ball. Overall, I think that Robinson has a very bright future ahead of him. If he can work on improving his ability to quickly make decisions, he will be unstoppable in the NFL.
Player Comparison
Bijan Robinson is almost an exact replica of Saquon Barkley.
Bijan Robinson Scouting Report Analyst – Matthew Lewis
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