Bijan Robinson Talks NFL Draft, Texas, Rookie Expectations and More in B/R Interview

Bijan Robinson knows what you're thinking.

He knows the narrative in today's NFL is teams shouldn't draft running backs early in the first round and that the position is seen as somewhat replaceable and dependent on the performance of the offensive line and the surrounding pieces.

But he also knows he brings a lot more to the table than the typical running back prospect.

"I feel like when you have a guy who is very versatile, it can be a game-changer for an offense," he told Bleacher Report. "That's where the value lies. For me, catching the ball out of the backfield, being a mismatch for defenses, and even lining up at receiver in the slot and being just as effective. I feel like if you get a guy who can do all those things, then that brings so much more value.

"Even just for me, being someone in the community and trying to help the city, that's where the value grows even more."

There was a time when someone like Robinson would have been an automatic top-five pick. He is arguably the best player in the draft, was a household name at a traditional powerhouse in Texas and is an easy sell to fans, who will likely jump at the chance to purchase his jersey.

And the thing about Robinson is he's talented enough to overcome any stigmas about his position even if all three drafts of the common era where no running backs were taken in the first round happened in the last 10 years.

He arrived at Texas as a 5-star prospect and the No. 1 running back in the class of 2020, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and immediately thrived in the face of sky-high expectations for a program looking to reestablish itself as a national powerhouse.

Robinson averaged 8.2 yards per carry as a freshman, posted 1,127 rushing yards as a sophomore then turned the corner even more in his final season with 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground to go with 19 catches for 314 yards and two touchdowns as a receiver.

It also didn't take long for him to know he belonged.

"My favorite moment was my freshman year, the first big run that I made," he said. "It was against West Virginia, a counter play and I made a spin move and stiff-armed two dudes and dragged another dude. That was definitely the first moment I realized I'm comfortable with this game and the speed slowed down. From that game on, the rest is history."

Even with defenses stuffing the box to stop him, he was a consensus All-American and the Doak Walker Award winner as the nation's best running back in 2022.

As a result, there has been no shortage of speculation that he could be the draft's best overall player even if a quarterback will surely go No. 1 overall.

But he's not going to take the bait if you ask him if he is the best in this class.

"There's a lot of great players in this draft, and I think I'm one of them," he said laughing. "I'm such a humble guy so I'll never say it."

Robinson might not say it, but it's difficult to find a more complete prospect. He has the speed to break free in the open field, the power to run through arm tackles and pick up short yardage, the versatility to be a pass-catching weapon in the aerial attack, and the patience to let holes develop before he explodes through them.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com listed Josh Jacobs as Robinson's pro player comparison, and the Las Vegas Raiders running back just so happened to lead the league with 1,653 rushing yards last season on his way to a second career Pro Bowl nod.

There are far worse players to be compared to, and it wouldn't be a surprise if Robinson was joining him at Pro Bowls as soon as his rookie season.

Yet before that professional career starts, the Texas playmaker partnered with the NFL's official Salute to Service partner in USAA and visited with military members stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base near Kansas City, where this year's draft will be held.

He learned about daily life for those in the armed forces and was even able to fly over Kansas City and the draft location in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter thanks to the Missouri National Guard.

"It was such an amazing experience just to work with USAA," he said. "…My stepdad was in the military, so comparing the stories of what he went through and what they went through, I just give them so much respect and so much credit for everything they've done.

"I just wanted to say thank you to the men and women who put their lives on the line and help this country with everything they've got. It was definitely a blessing to partner with them like this."

The question now is which team will partner with Robinson by selecting him in Thursday's first round.

He visited the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles in person and could be an immediate replacement for Leonard Fournette for the former or add an explosive element to the offense of the reigning NFC champions for the latter.

Philadelphia in particular is intriguing because it has two first-round picks at Nos. 10 and 30, lost Miles Sanders this offseason, and needs some injury insurance for new addition Rashaad Penny.

That's not even getting into how much of a matchup nightmare Robinson would be in an offense where opponents already have to account for A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith on the outside and Jalen Hurts' running ability as a quarterback.

It is a situation that has Rookie of the Year written all over it, but his focus will not be on awards and individual production right away no matter where he lands.

"When I get to the league I'm going to try to learn as much as possible from the running backs who are there," he said. "Find a veteran who I can click with and just really understand how to live life in the league and how to do things the right way.

"And then obviously get that playbook in and get it down to a tee and understand the in-and-out of it. I feel like when you build the foundation and show that you're a competitor and just love the game, then everything else will take care of itself."

So what would everything taking care of itself and a successful rookie season look like?

"Gaining respect from other teams and showing I can be a threat every single week I step on the field," Robinson said. "That would be something that's pretty cool to accomplish in year one."

That sounds worthy of a first-round pick regardless of what position he plays.