Todd McShay compares Bijan Robinson to Saquon Barkley, interesting question emerges
NFL teams have started a trend with running backs in the first round of the draft — they don’t select many of them. The positional value is just not worth it, being able to find quality players on Day Two or Three and produce quality results. However, if one player is going to break that mold this cycle, it’s Texas‘ Bijan Robinson.
ESPN’s Todd McShay believes Robinson compares well to Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants but not just on the field. He thinks their demeanor off the field makes them likable prospects for NFL teams to bring into the locker room.
“Bijan is Saquon [Barkley], in my opinion,” McShay said. “And not just physically. Also character-wise, the way he lights up a room. His ability to force missed tackles, and then also pass protect, and catch out of the backfield, and then he walks into a room and steals the show and it’s like, What else do you want? Saquon was the exact same way, and now that he’s healthy, you see it.”
Barkley has for sure been a fan favorite in New York since being drafted. He was playing for the Giants with the contract of a second-overall pick. If an NFL team is able to select Robinson later in the first round and get similar production to a healthy Barkley, it might end up being considered a steal of the draft.
Daniel Jeremiah, NFL teams unsure of where Bijan Robinson gets drafted
Most NFL Draft analysts agree Robinson is one of the best players in the draft, regardless of position. He has been viewed as a special player since coming out of high school, joining Texas as a five-star prospect. Robinson did more than exceed expectations as well.
Even so, nobody knows where Robinson is going to get drafted. The hesitation on running backs is real, with NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah saying there will be some draft night mystery.
“If you say the most polarizing and intriguing player is Richardson, I would say the most consistently graded player, the most consistent evaluation of the entire draft is Bijan,” Jeremiah said. “As a player, I think he carries less risk than anybody. He’s my fourth player; I think he’s elite.
“I think everybody you talk to shares the exact same opinion, and then when the conversation shifts to ‘Where do you think he’s going to go?’ … Nobody has any idea.”
No running backs were selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Iowa State‘s Breece Hall was the first one off the board, being selected by the New York Jets with the 36th overall pick.
Robinson is viewed as a much better prospect than Hall. Their draft positions may not be too far off though thanks to team’s drafting philosophies.