Bijan Robinson: Scouting Report. Everything You Need To Know.

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Height: 6’0”
Weight: 222 Lbs
College: Texas
Year: Junior
Position: Running Back

BACKGROUND

Bijan Robinson is the best running back prospect we have seen in some time. He has been hyped up as one of the top overall prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft and that hype is justified. It isn’t very often that running backs will come away as a consensus top 10 player and that is exactly what you will likely find in Robinson, whether he is drafted that highly or not.

Born in Tucson, Arizona, Bijan Robinson attended Salpointe Catholic High School. As you may expect, Robinson had a stellar high school career setting the High School record in Arizona with over 7000 rushing yards and 114 touchdowns. Robinson also became the first running back in Arizona history to have over 2000 rushing yards in 3 consecutive seasons. He won the Ed Doherty Award, which is given to the state’s top high school player, twice.

Bijan Robinson committed to Texas as a five-star recruit and the #1 all-purpose back by Rivals. He was rated #22 of all prospects in his recruiting class according to ESPN300.

While at Texas Robinson earned the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year, starting 6 of the 9 games in his freshman year. As a sophomore, Robinson was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and has been acclaimed by many to be one of if not the top RB in the country.

Robinson comes from a family of athletes. His grandfather was a high school track star and all-state linebacker who went on to be a basketball and football official in the Pac-10 and Big Sky conferences. Also, Robinson’s great uncle, Paul Robinson, was a third-round pick for the Bengals in 1968 and made the Pro Bowl twice in his 6-year career.

Watch the video below which shows why you should be so excited to see Bijan Robinson compete on Sundays.

STRENGTHS

Elite
True playmaker
Bell Cow back potential
Dominant production
Field vision
Awareness

Bijan Robinson is already an elite running back. He is an all-round back who can do everything, he is a walking highlights reel that you just cannot stop watching. He makes everything look effortless and he is so smooth and fluid that his ability to translate to the pros is undeniable, especially when you factor in his superior production.

When reading this scouting report there will be one word that you read more than any other. That word is elite. There is no better word to describe Robinson other than elite. For a running back to demand the attention that he has in itself shows how valued he is as an NFL Draft prospect.

Physicality

Robinson has the perfect size to be a 3 down running back at the next level. Very rarely do you now get running back prospects who are able to stay on the field for all 3 downs in the NFL, but Robinson is a different beast. When he is on the field it is men against boys, he is that dominant. Robinson’s size gives him exceptional strength and natural leverage that gifts him a great advantage. He is super strong and his pure lower body strength allows him to run with power and purpose. His intense determination means he fights for every inch and he is able to shrug off defenders and fight through contact. He loves the position and loves playing football and it shows.

Creativity

Then we come on to what really separates Bijan Robinson and that is his unwavering creativity.

Robinson has naturally instinctive field vision. His awareness and anticipation skills are magnificent. His ability to show patience and to be able to react decisively and instantly is impressive. But he also has the traits and skills to take what he sees and immediately act upon them.

Bijan Robinson combines speed and strength which makes him deadly with the ball in hand. He is a space finder and the separation he can create and find himself in is otherworldly. Robinson has a natural knack for knowing where the space is and hitting it. He is twitchy and elusive to slice through gaps cleanly and smoothly and has the contact balance to bounce off tacklers. His change of direction is as sharp as a knife. His footwork is always active, meaning he can plan his foot and have a sudden transition in a split second. He then has a great burst of speed to create separation at any level of the field. He has both the acceleration in short areas and the staying pace downfield.

Then, when he is jousting through traffic he is able to shrug off defenders and has a deadly stiff arm to fend off his opponents. Robinson also displays fantastic agility and has the ability to pull off the spectacular. Even when the play breaks down, he is creative enough to discover space and generate a play. He is insanely inventive with the ball in hand and his creative genius is a true game changer.

Receiving

Somehow, Bijan Robinson is almost underrated as a receiver. As a receiving option, he has the ability to line up wide or in the slot presnap and make plays. He can also be a check-down option for quarterbacks and with his elite creative mindset can bail an offence out of the tightest spots. Of course, he shows great YAC ability, where he can use his natural running skills to get open. Robinson also is able to run routes, especially out of the backfield and will be able to be usual on screen. He shows the ability to catch the ball away from his body and has a rangy catch radius. He has also shown he can be more than competent in pass protection. His elite awareness means he can read and diagnose rushes, react accordingly and quickly pick up oncoming blitzes and rushers.

WEAKNESSES

Athletic testing
Some catches into his chest

It is extremely difficult to poke holes in Bijan Robinson’s game. What he puts on tape is some of the best running back tape you will ever see. Simple. But, there are maybe some areas to watch out for that may be picked up as we head closer to the 2023 NFL Draft.

The first is, to watch out for his athletic testing. Over his career, he has run some slow 40-yard dash times, around 4.77s. On the face of it that may concern some. But don’t let that time fool you. His game speed and playing speed is much quicker than his 40 times will suggest.

That lack of elite speed also does show up in some films. It isn’t anything concerning, but on long field runs, some more athletic defensive backs may catch up with him. His speed isn’t home-run hitting. But that is okay.

Another thing to watch out for is that as a receiver Bijan Robinson’s hands are not the stickiest. While he has reps on tape where he can catch the ball away from his body he can have a tendency to draw the ball towards his body to aid the catch.

SUMMARY

In the 3 years that we have now been scouting draft prospects, Bijan Robinson is by far the best running back we have scouted. He checks all the boxes and then some. What Robinson can do on the field is game-changing and he has the potential to be the highest drafted running back for some time.

You name it, Bijan Robinson can do it. He has the burst, balance, elusiveness, strength and drive that sets him apart. Okay, his athletic testing will not be as good as some others in this class, but the tape tells the story.

Bijan Robinson is a rare talent and a special prospect. Elite in every way.

How good of a prospect is Bijan Robinson? Let us know over on Twitter @NinetynineYards

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