Bijan Robinson to Ravens amid Lamar Jackson Trade Rumors in McShay's NFL Mock Draft

Lacking playmakers and amid uncertainty about Lamar Jackson's future with the Baltimore Ravens, ESPN's Todd McShay is making the case for Texas running back Bijan Robinson to be their top pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

In his latest mock draft published on Wednesday, McShay has the Ravens taking Robinson with the No. 22 overall selection and compares him to Saquon Barkley.

"He forces missed tackles with ease (FBS-leading 91 in 2022), has burst through rushing lanes and can make plays in the pass game," McShay wrote. "If Lamar Jackson does indeed end up back in Baltimore, this would form a scary rushing unit for new offensive coordinator Todd Monken."

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported on Saturday that the Ravens intend to use the franchise tag to keep Jackson, but they could be tempted to trade the former NFL MVP for "a windfall of draft picks."

If Jackson happened to get traded, the entire calculus for the Ravens' offseason changes. They would presumably be in the market for a quarterback, though there are some veteran options available via trade or free agency who could step in.

Assuming the Ravens keep Jackson, though, this would seem to be an offseason to pursue receiving options who can help him in the passing game. The Ravens have tried addressing the position by drafting Rashod Bateman and Marquise Brown.

Brown, who was Jackson's best friend on the team, was traded to the Arizona Cardinals during the 2022 draft. Bateman has struggled to stay healthy, having played just 18 games in his first two seasons.

Things got so bad for the Ravens last season that they signed DeSean Jackson in October. He only played in seven games, but was still their sixth-leading receiver with just 153 yards.

Tight end Mark Andrews was the only Baltimore player with at least 500 receiving yards in 2022.

Robinson could potentially solve two problems for the Ravens. He earns high marks for his explosiveness as a runner and versatility in the passing game.

Jackson led the Ravens with 764 rushing yards despite missing the final five games of the regular season. J.K. Dobbins, Kenyan Drake and Gus Edwards combined to miss 22 games due to injuries.

Drake is set to become a free agent this offseason. Edwards and Dobbins have one more year remaining on their current contracts.

Jackson has proven he is good enough to make the Ravens a playoff contender on his own. If he's back in 2023, this is the time for the front office to put skill-position players around him that maximize his skill set.

The positional value of running backs makes the prospect of drafting one in the first round dicey, but Robinson seems like a player who has the potential to overcome that because of what he can add as a receiving threat.